What would be a good telescope for my 11 yr old son?
tammy_sprague@verizon.net asked:
He has wanted a telescope for some time, and we would like to get him one for christmas but I dont want to get him something that he isn’t going to be able to see with. I want to stay in about the $100 range and would like to be able to see alot more than the naged eye.
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He has wanted a telescope for some time, and we would like to get him one for christmas but I dont want to get him something that he isn’t going to be able to see with. I want to stay in about the $100 range and would like to be able to see alot more than the naged eye.
February 28th, 2009 at 7:04 am
don’t get him a telescope. he won’t appreciate it.
March 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
Unfortunately you can’t get a telescope for less than about $180 that will provide satisfactory views:
This scope is under $100, but I fear it won’t satisfy your son’s curiousity for long:
In some ways, it might be better to get him a good pair of binoculars, which he can use for things other than astronomy. Orion has a nice kit:
March 6th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Hey, a star thousands of light years away is still small.
Consider a really great pair of binoculars and a tripod. That’s portable and will show the moon and some planets when the timing is good.
Hey what does he think about your idea? And make sure you can get a refund after Christmas, I’d say!
March 6th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Do not ignore Geoff’s advice. While I have no personal experience with the set he suggests, it does look good.
I can also recommend this:
I bought one of these as a gift, and it turns out to be a great item for the most casual of observers, like a 11 or 12 year old. It is great for day time use. It does take a little practice to cradle it, but the views are terrific. The company is very reputable.
HTH
Charles
March 7th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I agree with Geoff G. The perfect telescope for an 11 year old is the 4.5 inch Orion Starblast for $180 (not the 6 inch Starblast which is more expensive). Any cheaper telescope is just not worth the money.
It was given high ratings by Sky and Telescope magazine and many of the writes bought one for themselves after they reviewed it.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:58 am
You can not get a good scope for $100 but you can get a membership to a local Astronomical Society or Astronomy Club in your area. You will get so much out of a membership and learn far more from a membership that you ever will be able to learn on your own. Most clubs have loaner scopes too.
There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors and more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important as the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like.
There is no one scope that is “better” than another except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.
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Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on.
The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.
Things to consider are size–can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. Can the viewer reach all the knobs and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the knobs when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.
Take your time in making your decision.
I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Hint: they will be especially helpful if you take cookies to star parties. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too.
Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10×50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed.
But when you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don’t try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.
You will also need a good star chart program.
This is great freeware that you can download. Just tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see.
I wish you all the best. Enjoy