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Telescopes

Cortana

By Cortana,
in General Education Discussion Board

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jenL

jenL

Posted
Posted
Yes, and we're very happy with it. We are TOTAL amateurs though.

 

:lol: Oh yes! We would be too!!! Very much so!

 

Thanks for responding... I'm going to talk to Dh about it. Ds is only turning 7, so if he grabs hold of this, then we can shoot for a more expensive one later. He's been asking for one for over a year now, and it would make a great birthday present :)

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Cortana

Cortana

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:lol: Oh yes! We would be too!!! Very much so!

 

Thanks for responding... I'm going to talk to Dh about it. Ds is only turning 7, so if he grabs hold of this, then we can shoot for a more expensive one later. He's been asking for one for over a year now, and it would make a great birthday present :)

LOL, I was thinking the same thing!

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Perry

Perry

Posted
Posted
I'm glad I came on here. My son (I suppose I need to start using the abbreviation "ds"?? I just don't know what the 'd' stands for!) has become very interested in the planets lately. He would love to be able to actually see Jupiter and Saturn. And that price is hard to beat.

We saw Jupiter AND two of its moons with our Galileoscope. Very cool.

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Jean in Wisc

Jean in Wisc

Posted
Posted (edited)

and I have meshed together two emails, so if it doesn't flow easily from one paragraph to the next, sorry! The last scope in the list (I put it in bold blue, lol!) is really nifty for homeschool families. Unfortunately, I've never gotten my hands on one, but people who have seen it seem to think it a good portable scope, esp. for kids. Hope this info helps some of you. If I went too fast or was confusing, just ask questions. Enjoy the night sky! Jean

 

Hi!

 

I always ask what the child has learned so far. Before a telescope will do you much good, it is wise to learn the constellations. The deep sky objects that we look at with telescopes are found in constellations much like cities are found within a state. I loved using Rey's Find the Constellations with my kids. Using a green laser pointer (careful it is not pointed at the eyes!) helps to point them out.

 

GPA5: http://www.betapointer.com/ This is what I have. Other telescope places sell them for less. Ebay sells them--don't know how good they are. I always tuck mine next to my skin to keep them warm even in summer so that the light beam is stronger.

 

Then I suggest you look at some of the biggest objects in binoculars. Getting one that can be attached to a camera tripod is best when working with children. You can look at the moon and planets, star clusters and nebulae with binocs.

 

Then, if you are sure you want to invest in a telescope, you have a number of options. Many people have purchased the Gallileoscope. It is not, however, much more than binoculars, but the price is right! They made it for those who were celebrating the Year of Astronomy 2009, and the optics are a whole lot better than what one would normally get for this price. You should use it on a tripod (like a camera tripod).

https://www.galileoscope.org/gs/

 

If you want a telescope that the family can use and can grow into, I always recommend the Orion Skyquest scopes. They come in several sizes (4" on up) and the Dobsonian mount (sits on the ground) is very easy to put together and use. They have a longer, bulkier tube than the small tripod-type scopes, but they are the best buy for your money in my opinion. These come in two styles--the manual and the push-to. The manual is just that--you have to know where you are going and how to find it. The push-to has controls that tell you if you are pushing it in the right direction. The manual means you have to learn the sky more. The push-to means you have to learn how to run the computerized scope--depends upon what you are willing to invest time into. This is the most commonly owned scope in the astronomy clubs that I've seen. Many people own the 6". I have the 8". I'd love something bigger, but my back would not handle lugging a bigger tube around. Through it, I can see amazingly more than I can with my 5" scope. Since a telescope can only magnify the light that comes into the scope, it cannot magnify 4 sq" of light nearly as much as it could 8 sq". Where my 5" sees a fuzzy blob, my 8" sees a very small swirl of a galaxy.

 

So here are some links:

http://www.optcorp.com I love this place. Service is tops!

 

http://www.telescope.com/control/main/ If you choose to by the Skyquest, these are the folks who make it. You can buy it from them or OPT. The have been helpful when I call them, but nothing tops OPT's service to me in the past.

 

Orion's 4" Classic (manual)

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09804/~sSearchSession=8739421b-9f15-473e-a032-7c7d0f26dca8

 

Orion's 6" Intelliscope (push-to)

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=intelliscopedobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=27182

 

The scopes usually come with a couple of lenses which is good enough for quite a while. I've found that I have needed to buy a collimator, though, to work with the scopes I've recommended. (My Maksutov Cassegrain's mirror stays where they glued it, but the other scopes' mirrors can get jarred out of place, making everything blurry. I paid a LOT more money for my Mak, though--over $1,000). I purchased a more expensive collimator because I wanted it to center things just right. The cheaper ones are sometimes a bit loose, but most folks own them. :)

 

Mine: http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=12741&kw=collimator&st=2

 

I also think you would want a red dot finder or a laser pointer attached to any scope you buy; without this, finding objects in the sky is pure frustration. I do not know anyone with a scope who does not have one (well—the Galileoscope doesn’t and the beginners who come to us for help because they cannot find anything never have them, either. LOL!).

 

http://www.telescope.com/control/accessories/telescope-finder-scopes/orion-ez-finder-II-telescope-reflex-sight

 

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1084&kw=telrad&st=2 (this one is preferred by many)

 

http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=10335&kw=laser%20pointer%20bracket&st=2 This you put your laser pointer into to help you get into the right part of the sky.

 

If you want a table-top, smaller and compact style, take a look at this:

http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_3005001

 

I found a link to this telescope a little bit ago, and was so glad to have found it again because this Astrocan Plus is one that seems to be made for kids. This came recommended in Sky and Telescopes's Skywatch '06 as one of the beginner scopes they recommend. It has the red dot finder already attached and does not need collimation (mirror glued in place)--which saves a chunk of cash not having to buy a collimator or a red dot finder separately. One of the members in my astronomy club says his brother has this and it is a pretty nifty little scope.

 

When we give programs at our astronomy observatory, we usually warn folks that if they want to see anything beyond the moon and, perhaps, a few other larger objects, they really ought to think of buying something no smaller than 4” in diameter. We do not recommend the scopes that are sold at WalMart and other such stores because they are too small to gather enough light to magnify much, their lenses are not good quality, and their tripods are flimsy enough that a small breeze or vibration can keep it moving enough to not be able to see much of anything through it. If you are thinking of getting one of these, I’d go for the Galileoscope 1st--a good buy for the money.

 

HTH,

Jean

Edited by Jean in Wisc
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kalanamak

kalanamak

Posted
Posted
Anybody have any advice/suggestions for a good telescope? Our boys are going to study astronomy next year and we are looking for a good, affordable telescope but have not got a clue what to be looking for, lol!:tongue_smilie:

 

Thanks!

 

http://www.amazon.com/Meade-70055Lf-Altazimuth-Refractor-Telescope/dp/B000P5UKZA

 

Hubby found this one at Goodwill, and after he brought it home (and it worked fine), a stargazer I bumped into told me he uses one as a "spotter" to make finding his target with his high-powered beast feasible.

 

I see you are near Oregon. The Oregon stargazers, I'm told, have very newbie-friendly star parties in north central Oregon every year. Google to find out more. I hope to go when kiddo is 12 or so.

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Jean in Wisc

Jean in Wisc

Posted
Posted
Have you ever heard of stellarium and celestia. Great freeware astronomy programs.

 

http://www.stellarium.org/

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

You might also think about getting a really good pair of binoculars. Personally, I like good optics

over power.

 

Stellarium is wonderful! I have http://www.earthsky.org/tonighthome/ as my homepage--this is a great site as well.

 

Jean

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EmilyK

EmilyK

Posted
Posted

I see you are near Oregon. The Oregon stargazers, I'm told, have very newbie-friendly star parties in north central Oregon every year. Google to find out more. I hope to go when kiddo is 12 or so.

 

 

Rose City Astronomers has a website that lists their star parties. The only one we've been to was one they had to look at Mars in the OMSI parking lot, but it was fun.

 

OMSI has great family camps. One of them at Camp Hancock in central Oregon has a focus on astronomy, but there is good stargazing (and some telescope use) at all the Family Camps at Camp Hancock.

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DarlaS

DarlaS

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Posted (edited)

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=classicdobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=08942

 

I have the XT10 version of this (and I'm toying with getting this one for the younger kids). It is a VERY good value. It's not intended for kids which means it's a real telescope--not a toy, and you'll not only be able to see Jupiter, but probably at least four of its moons.

 

Read the reviews. You want a Dobsonian if it's at all possible to afford it. Go with the XT8 if you can swing a little more. Pay attention to the height of the scope though. Some are too tall to be enjoyed much by small children. That's why I linked the XT6. The tube is about 45" long so you can figure out how high the eyepiece is going to be based on that.

 

I've owned two edu-toy type telescopes in the past. I gave them both away.

 

ETA: I believe the Skyquest scopes do come with a red dot finder. My ds's 10" did anyway.

Edited by darlasowders
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DarlaS

DarlaS

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I also think you would want a red dot finder or a laser pointer attached to any scope you buy; without this, finding objects in the sky is pure frustration. I do not know anyone with a scope who does not have one (well—the Galileoscope doesn’t and the beginners who come to us for help because they cannot find anything never have them, either. LOL!).

 

http://www.telescope.com/control/accessories/telescope-finder-scopes/orion-ez-finder-II-telescope-reflex-sight

 

 

All the Skyquest 6" and above scopes seem to come with the EZ Finder II. My son likes it fine. The XT 4.5 does not. It does come with one though--just not the EZ Finder.

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