Any recommendations for a good TELESCOPE (for son's Christmas)?

[mhg]

This is all he's asked for, so we're looking for one that's not too outrageously expensive (less than $100 would be nice).

Any ideas/ones you've liked?

 

Any ones to avoid?

 

Thanks.

[Perry]

This is all he's asked for, so we're looking for one that's not too outrageously expensive (less than $100 would be nice).

Any ideas/ones you've liked?

 

Any ones to avoid?

 

Thanks.

Galileoscope! Love mine.

[Heather in OK]

Galileoscope! Love mine.

 

Yeah, that.

 

I had that one recommended by an avid astronomer. We are planning on getting our kids one for Christmas. :)

[Beth S]

Your children may be set on a telescope, but a great set of binoculars can give much more freedom to move around . . . and can also be used at sporting events, concerts, etc. You will not have to assist in the set up and supervision, etc.

 

(My FIL's telescope has been used exclusively as a rather expensive tie rack for the past 30 years. :eek:)

 

Make sure to include some neat astronomy books & sky guides, and plan ahead for unique events like the recent pass-by of Venus & meteor showers.

[Aludlam]

Your children may be set on a telescope, but a great set of binoculars can give much more freedom to move around . . . and can also be used at sporting events, concerts, etc. You will not have to assist in the set up and supervision, etc.

 

(My FIL's telescope has been used exclusively as a rather expensive tie rack for the past 30 years. :eek:)

 

Make sure to include some neat astronomy books & sky guides, and plan ahead for unique events like the recent pass-by of Venus & meteor showers.

 

Which binoculars do you recommend? And -- what can you see with them from a sky prospective? (all I know about astrology I learned while teaching it to dd when she was in 2nd grade!)

 

thanks

[FaithManor]

With that budget in mind, I would consider getting a great pair of military grade bioculars from your closest army/navy surplus store. Telescopes under $100.00 are usually very under powered and will not provide that much more viewing than a great set of binoculars.

 

If you could perhaps spend $200.00, you will be much, much happier with the quality of viewing that you get and of course, after that, an awful lot is going to depend on the eyepieces, lens, and filters that you purchase. If you think there is any chance he will be tempted to look at the sun, it is vital that you buy appropriate solar filters. Actually, it is amazing how much different filters affect what you see.

 

Seriously consider the binoculars and then a year's subscription to astronomy plus some "spotting software" or night sky software. It is so valuable to become adept at locating with the naked eye before tackling the logistics of a telescope. If possible, then spend the year finding ways to put money away towards a really nice telescope. We've got an 8" that we purchased from a supplier in Canad off ebay about eight years ago. It has been an awesome investment...we spent close to $300.00 and then added lanthamum lenses and several different filters along the way as we found good deals on ebay.

 

Astronomy magazine is just amazing.

 

Faith

[FaithManor]

Here are some websites that describe what can be seen with a good set of binoculars.

 

http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/24224.aspx

 

http://www.stargazing.net/david/binoculars/index.html

 

http://www.oneminuteastronomer.com/stargazing-for-beginners

 

 

 

Oh, and the Orion 8 X 40 waterproof binoculars (In the $70.00 range usually) are pretty good!

 

Faith

[snickelfritz]

I don't know how old the OP's kids are, but we bought a telescope for my kiddos and I wish that we had gone with something more like the Galileoscope or good binoculars.

 

I sent dh to get one........:D It was too complicated, too expensive, too *much*. My kids are younger and I'm not used to using a telescope. It had multiple lenses and you see things in reverse (because of the mirror system.) You have to move to the right, if you really want to go left. And if it shifts a "little"....you've lost what you were looking at. However, my nephews (4 and 6 years older than my oldest dd) had the same one and had great success with it.

 

I want to go back and get something simpler.