Starter telescope for 8-year-old

I'm an enthusiastic booster of Orion's StarBlast.
I use it when I don't feel like dragging out my 8",
which is most of the time. It's great for kids.
I further endorse its endorsements in this thread.

If you go with it, you might also, at some point
(not necessarily now) consider buying a 25-28mm
eyepiece for finding things in the sky at low power.
(No matter what telescope you buy, you will sooner
or later discover the need for more eyepieces and
barlows.)

Orion also has a 4.5" dobsonian telescope. It's longer
than the StarBlast (about a meter in length), and goes for
$200.00. If the size doesn't put you off, it's better at
high power than the StarBlast, but not quite as good at
low power. (In general, planets are better viewed at
high power, and deep space objects are better at low
power.)

Here's the ad:
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...S=1&ke yword=

Both the StarBlast and the 4.5" dob come with planetarium
software.

I also endorse the endorsement of _Turn Left At Orion_.
This book can make the difference between a new hobby
and a scope that gathers dust in a closet. Don't consider
it an afterthought. It's an integral part of the package.

Luck and Regards,
-Larry Curcio

jimandlaura26 wrote:

Binoculars and a starchart are a good start, but if you gotta get a scope
then go with a reflector (because it packs the most light gathering bang for
the buck) on a basic "dobsonian" mount.

I would recommend the following as a starter scope (for about $169) for an 8
year old from Orion Telescopes...

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...ProductID=4644

It was just written up in the magazine "Astronomy" (January 2004 issue).
There are other companes like Celestron and Meade, that have reasonably
priced reflector scopes... but they and other generally buy/import their
less-than-$1000 scopes from the same two companies in China and Taiwan (so
the only real difference is paint color and labels)

And a get a good basic book like
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...iProductID=463

You need to do some home work on telescopes at places like
http://www.cloudynights.com/kids_articles.htm ,
http://www.cloudynights.com/beginners/barticles.htm, and
http://www.telescope.com/content/lea...avIDs=19,20,84
(e.g, so you can learn about the different types of scopes and mounts)

But here is some bottom line advice.

1. Do NOT buy any scope sold in a retail store, like WalMart, Sears, etc.,
or even camera stores, or science-related stores like Discover. Scopes sold
in such places are long on glitz, short on quality, and the sales people
(usually) very ignorant. The optics are generally poor, with exagerated
claims of "power", shaky mounts, and frustrating-to-use computer driven
"go-to mounts." This reality is responsible for discouraging many a would-be
amateur astronomer.

I'd like to temper this a bit. I'd re-word it to "Be very careful about buying any
scope sold in a a retail store ..." And in particular, I'd soften the advice about
camera stores or science-related stores. Just be cautious. I bought my
ETX125 from the Discovery store; no problem.

And, too, my first telescope was a Meade DS60 (60mm GOTO refractor) that
I bought from a warehouse club. It was (and is) a good scope once I upgraded from
the .965" eyepieces to 1.25" ones.

You just have do your homework.



2. Google search for astronomy clubs in your area (e.g., I am a member of
http://www.novac.com/), the web sites and the assistance of experienced
amateurs (who are usually very forth cominmg with help)... almost all clubs
have regular observing sessions for the public where you can look through
many scopes to your hearts content and begin to understand the various
differences.

3. If you want spend a bit more as his/her interest grows I would recommend
a refractor scope from Stellarvue (See
http://www.stellarvue.com/newtoastronomy.html and their (wide field of view
and very portable) Nighthawk scope http://www.stellarvue.com/at1010n.html ).
These are high quality scopes, made and tested in America (and made to
last). If you are like most of us you live in "light polluted skies," where
a smaller refractor scope can see most of the objects you are capable of
seeing and is a good complement to a reflector. You can find cheaper
refractors at Orion, Celestron, etc. but their quality is generally inferior
in the areas that matter most (e.g,. optics, focuser, mount). A good
refractor is a good complement to a reflector. I own an 8" reflector
(Celestron G8N) and two 3" refractors (a Stellarvue Nighthawk and 80/9D)
that I put on a German Equatorial Mount with tracking motors.

Ohhh and one last thing ...you can also get some good deals on scopes and
equipment at http://www.astromart.com/categories.asp ... sort of the e-bay
of amateur astronomy... just beware (just like ebay). A number of folks
bought scopes earlier in the year to look at Mars and are starting to dump
them at good prices.

Good Luck,

Jim

"Petre Huile" wrote in message
om...
I'd like to interest an 8-year-old in astronomy and looking at the
stars. What is a good, not-too-expensive starter telescope to get? It
doesn't have to be very cheap, as I do want one that works well but is
within a reasonable price range.

Thanks,
Petre

--
Tom Royer
Lead Engineer, Software Test
The MITRE Corporation
202 Burlington Road
Bedford, MA 01730
Voice: (781) 271-8399
Cell: (978) 290-2086
FAX: (781) 271-8500


"If you're not free to fail, you're not free." --Gene Burns

It's my experience that kids don't last long with astronomy. They get bored,
and if you're outside they get cold and whine.

Just go outside with bare eyes on a clear night and point out a few things.
That will suffice until they get older. Also, it pays to do your homework
and talk about upcoming sky events at the dinner table. That way they start
thinking about it, and asking questions.

"Petre Huile" wrote in message
om...
I'd like to interest an 8-year-old in astronomy and looking at the
stars. What is a good, not-too-expensive starter telescope to get? It
doesn't have to be very cheap, as I do want one that works well but is
within a reasonable price range.

Thanks,
Petre

Petre Huile asked:

I'd like to interest an 8-year-old in astronomy and looking at the
stars.

"Bored Huge Krill" responded:

A *good* pair of binoculars, something like maybe:

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...iProductID=310

This is, presumably, a joke, but one in very poor taste. If you
want to buy binoculars for a child, it is imperative to make sure
that they have a very small minimum interocular distance. Very
few traditional porro-prism binoculars can be used by 8-year-olds.

All in all, I would strongly recommend small, hand-holdable
binoculars -- no more than 40mm aperture -- for an 8-year-old.
But for the great majority, a telescope is both easier to use
and much more enjoyable, since telescopes show exciting images
of the planets and binoculars most definitely do not.

A nice compromise is the ubiquitous 80mm F/5 refractor, which
can do just about anything that giant binoculars can do, and
much much more. And it is comfortably child-sized, and not
so expensive that it will give you heart attacks if the kid
breaks it. The big problem here is finding a suitable mount --
not cheap.

One of the small Dobs mentioned by other people is probably even
better. But the real key to all of this is not the scope per se,
but the person who teaches him/her to use it -- namely you.

- Tony Flanders

(Brian Tung) wrote in message ...

Tony Turner wrote:

Binoculars, a map of the sky and a map of the moon. I think most kids are
disappointed with what they see through a telescope.

Funny, I find that most kids are disappointed with the view through a
pair of binoculars.

I agree with Brian here, but regardless of age, the best way to start
out depends on the individual. This should be obvious, but someone
has to say it. Some people like to start with the basics and work
their way up, while others prefer to have an idea of what they're
ultimately getting into first, and if they like what they see, then
they'll learn everything else in due time. Generally speaking, I
think that most people belong to the latter group.

With that said, one of the advantages of binoculars is that most
people seem to have one lying around anyway (or could easily borrow
one), so it costs nothing to take a look at the night sky through one
to see if it sparks your interest. On the other hand, if it would be
possible to borrow a telescope or look through several different
telescopes at a public star party, this would be advisable for those
who are trying to decide what to buy (or build).

They seem to want to see mostly the Moon, the
planets, colorful double stars, etc. Many of these are better in a
telescope than a pair of binoculars.

I've found that with binoculars many people need time to develop,
through knowledge, a real appreciation for what they're seeing. In
contrast, a view of Saturn in a decent telescope is sure to astound
almost anyone, regardless of whether it "looks as good as the
picture." Not that instant gratification is always the way to go, but
those who aren't born with a strong interest in astronomy are going to
need something that really grabs their attention.


- Robert Cook

Actually my 9-year old daughter outlasted me whine-wise on the last cold
night...... I wanted to go in and she wanted to keep looking. :-)

--
Dan Braasch

"Peter Gennaro" wrote in message
...
It's my experience that kids don't last long with astronomy. They get
bored,
and if you're outside they get cold and whine.

Just go outside with bare eyes on a clear night and point out a few
things.
That will suffice until they get older. Also, it pays to do your homework
and talk about upcoming sky events at the dinner table. That way they
start
thinking about it, and asking questions.

"Petre Huile" wrote in message
om...
I'd like to interest an 8-year-old in astronomy and looking at the
stars. What is a good, not-too-expensive starter telescope to get? It
doesn't have to be very cheap, as I do want one that works well but is
within a reasonable price range.

Thanks,
Petre

Interesting point, but I'm a little surprised. I've never run into an issue
with interocular distance (I have an 8 year old son, btw...). Can you
elaborate? Specifically, what is the interocular distance you think is
required for an 8 year old, and what is the minimum you have typically
encountered?

Krill



"Tony Flanders" wrote in message
...
Petre Huile asked:

I'd like to interest an 8-year-old in astronomy and looking at the
stars.

"Bored Huge Krill" responded:

A *good* pair of binoculars, something like maybe:


http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...D=310&itemType
=PRODUCT&iMainCat=5&iSubCat=18&iProductID=310

This is, presumably, a joke, but one in very poor taste. If you
want to buy binoculars for a child, it is imperative to make sure
that they have a very small minimum interocular distance. Very
few traditional porro-prism binoculars can be used by 8-year-olds.

All in all, I would strongly recommend small, hand-holdable
binoculars -- no more than 40mm aperture -- for an 8-year-old.
But for the great majority, a telescope is both easier to use
and much more enjoyable, since telescopes show exciting images
of the planets and binoculars most definitely do not.

A nice compromise is the ubiquitous 80mm F/5 refractor, which
can do just about anything that giant binoculars can do, and
much much more. And it is comfortably child-sized, and not
so expensive that it will give you heart attacks if the kid
breaks it. The big problem here is finding a suitable mount --
not cheap.

One of the small Dobs mentioned by other people is probably even
better. But the real key to all of this is not the scope per se,
but the person who teaches him/her to use it -- namely you.

- Tony Flanders

(Robert Cook) wrote in message . com...

I agree with Brian here, but regardless of age, the best way to start
out depends on the individual.

Truer words was never spoke!

This posting really hits all the essential points, but here are
a couple of minor things to add.

In my experience, great as the variation is among adults, it is
even bigger among children, both in temperament and in ability.
But in general, I find that binocular astronomy is most suitable
for people with a quiet, contemplative outlook, and that is
definitely rarer among children than among adults.

It is true that the frustration factor is likely to be higher
with a scope than with binoculars, but the best answer to that
is lots of help and support from an adult.

- Tony Flanders

Howdy Krill,

I am a newbie, though 7 x 8 years old :-)

I appreciate your information about the binoculars and such;
I just went to the shopping link for the Vanguard BR-1050w and was
wondering if it has a 'spot' to mount an "L" bracket to my tripod?
....or do you hand-hold them? ...and what is a "pantograph mount"?
I checked Orion online and nothing is listed...
Same with a Google Search...no product listings or places to purchase...
Do you use a pantograph mount with your Vanguard binocs?
Where did you get it, or is it a homemade "kit" type mount?

Thank you in advance for any further info

Phineas


*********************************

is a worthwhile investment, particularly if you have a pantograph mount
(look around the same site for one). That said, I have a pair of these:

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p_vanguard...ars_1991182772

they're not exactly huge aperture, and the optics aren't exactly top end,
but the optics are not at all bad for the money and the wide angle is nice.
All in all, for $25 they do a great job. You get what you pay for, but the
bang for buck of these low-end Vanguard binocs is hard to beat. Make your
choice...

I'd suggest you buy a pair of the Vanguard 10x50 wide angles, plus some
books and charts (see below) and then look at the higher priced binoculars
once you've played with them for a while.

...

Phineas St. George wrote:

Howdy Krill,

I am a newbie, though 7 x 8 years old :-)

I appreciate your information about the binoculars and such;
I just went to the shopping link for the Vanguard BR-1050w and was
wondering if it has a 'spot' to mount an "L" bracket to my tripod?
...or do you hand-hold them?

Phineas,

Don't know about that model, but most such binocs do have a
female threaded "spot" under the round cap on the hinge
between the lenses, on the side towards the front.

...and what is a "pantograph mount"?

Might be called a "parallelogram mount". It's a way to mount
binocs on a tripod in such a way as to allow them to remain
pointed at the same point in the sky when adjusted for
different height of viewers. Go to this site, and type
"parallel" into the search box:

http://www.telescope.com

Hope that helps.

Tom McDonald

I checked Orion online and nothing is listed...
Same with a Google Search...no product listings or places to purchase...
Do you use a pantograph mount with your Vanguard binocs?
Where did you get it, or is it a homemade "kit" type mount?

Thank you in advance for any further info

Phineas


*********************************


is a worthwhile investment, particularly if you have a pantograph mount
(look around the same site for one). That said, I have a pair of these:

http://shopping.yahoo.com/p_vanguard...ars_1991182772

they're not exactly huge aperture, and the optics aren't exactly top end,
but the optics are not at all bad for the money and the wide angle is nice.
All in all, for $25 they do a great job. You get what you pay for, but the
bang for buck of these low-end Vanguard binocs is hard to beat. Make your
choice...

I'd suggest you buy a pair of the Vanguard 10x50 wide angles, plus some
books and charts (see below) and then look at the higher priced binoculars
once you've played with them for a while.

...


--
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