With £100 to spend what would be the best Telescope to buy for my daughter for star gazing?


telescope
Blue samba asked:


My 7 year old is obsessed with the universe and all it contains. I would love to buy her a telescope for Christmas that will enable her to see stars and whatever else is up there. I’ve looked on ebay but have not got a clue what to look out for. Is there anyone experienced out there who can give me a little advice?

This entry was posted on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Astronomy & Space. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 Responses to “With £100 to spend what would be the best Telescope to buy for my daughter for star gazing?”

  1. Pete Says:
    September 30th, 2009 at 12:57 pm

    For you Americans, that’s about $160.

    For that much money you cannot buy a good new scope. You may be able to buy a used one for that much, but you would want to see it before buying it.

    For that much money, I would suggest buying binoculars for about $100 (about 60 pounds??). Get ones that are 7×50. They might be a big big for a seven year old though.

    For 200 pounds, you will be able to find some good starter scopes. If you can up your budget, then a 4.5 inch reflecting scope would be good. Pete

  2. doug0102 Says:
    October 1st, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Nobody can tell you which one is “the best” and a 7 year old doesn’t need something VERY sophisticated. Just go to a specialized store and ask a salesperson there. Do not let them talk you into buying “the best.”
    Buy a “starter” one to see how long her obsession with this will last (two months from now she might be “obsessed” with something else.)
    If I were you, I’d definitely buy a telescope for her, but for MUCH less money (to start with.) doug0102

  3. Tina L Says:
    October 2nd, 2009 at 10:48 am

    there is little worth buying at that price. please reconsider.

    visit local astronomers and have a look at their gear, and make an informed decision from there. only buy from a telescope store. do not buy from a discount or department store, and do not even think about ebay.

    a copy of a good astronomy program or a good book might be a better choice. consider binoculars and some star charts. Tina L

  4. wallyrush Says:
    October 3rd, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    Try an astronomy club 1st.Other than that at 7 you will have to be involved with the child’s hands on learning.
    I have herd that this scope is OK
    But I would go for something more like this
    If the subject interests you and you can spend more the Starblast 6 is a very nice starter.
    Good luck and Clear Sky’s
    Wally wallyrush

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