Telescope for kids

[KentuckyWildcat]

Any recommendations for a telescope for a 4 year old? Preferably under $75. I understand the specs from my camera experience but no clue on the practical application for a telescope.

At that price just buy the pink one and be done?

Selfishly if I could take pictures with it from my Canon or smartphone that would be a plus. Even if not the greatest pictures, she would like to look at the pictures.

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[dan_bgblue]

I think this is a good list of choices.

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-telescop...yAAEgKEdPD_BwE

[KentuckyWildcat]

I think this is a good list of choices.

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-telescop...yAAEgKEdPD_BwE

Dan, Is the zoom of a telescope essentially the focal length times the eye piece?

[KentuckyWildcat]

And is f13 a decent aperture?

I've found 3 models. Different focal lengths. But basically:

$150 - f8 and 1000 focal
$100 - f10 and 700
$75 - f13 and 800

[Darrell KSR]

Great questions. I don't have small children anymore, but at some point I'll have grandchildren. And then I'll have an excuse to buy the beginner stuff.

In fact, I may be able to buy now and get a head start.

[kingcat]

I think the "Lunar Telescope" would be completely fine for a four year old. Fun looking, an explore the moon book, a real piece of a meteorite, and glow in the dark astronomy stickers.

Designed for moon viewing only but includes the other fun stuff

[dan_bgblue]

Dan, Is the zoom of a telescope essentially the focal length times the eye piece?

That is one way to view it. Rather than calling it zoom on a fixed focal length lens, most think of the focal length as being magnification.

[dan_bgblue]

And is f13 a decent aperture?

I've found 3 models. Different focal lengths. But basically:

$150 - f8 and 1000 focal
$100 - f10 and 700
$75 - f13 and 800

Any of those those three would be fine for moon viewing. They will also give one a blurry color image of venus and mars.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Thanks Dan and King.

Darrell, I read some pretty good articles today at work. If I remember tomorrow I'll link them. It seems to make sense to go with something like King posted. Or spend $150 for a decent step up. Not really anything in between.

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[KentuckyWildcat]

I really want this one
https://optcorp.com/products/celestr...W7atXZXaUX-rZw

But that would be more of a supervised toy. Or give her the $40 dollar model and if she breaks it, she breaks it. Neither will break the bank, but I would feel like I would need to protect the other one more.

[dan_bgblue]

One recommendation if you do invest in a HQ scope that is in the magnification range of the one you linked, and that is to spend a good amount of money on a heavy duty tripod. 2nd investment is to put a perfectly level 6 ft by 6 ft concrete slab to use as a viewing pad. You need a very solid base for the tripod. Last bit of advice is to think about a tracking device of some sort.

I have a 750 mm camera lens mounted on a 35 mm camera and when zoomed in to the max 750 mm, the moon only7 stays in the frame for a few seconds before it travels out of the frame. A tracker will eliminate this aggravation. You can actually build what is called a barn door tracker for cheap and they work very well, or you can empty your pockets and go home with a high tech tracker with a ton of bells and whistles.

barn door tracker

This one is made of metal, but the one I built many many years ago was made of wood.

[KentuckyWildcat]

2nd investment is to put a perfectly level 6 ft by 6 ft concrete slab to use as a viewing pad

Fortunately I have this, unfortunately it is in the backyard and needs to be in the front yard lol

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks Dan and King.

Darrell, I read some pretty good articles today at work. If I remember tomorrow I'll link them. It seems to make sense to go with something like King posted. Or spend $150 for a decent step up. Not really anything in between.

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I'm in no hurry, but I will read them too. It's ridiculous; I live in an unincorporated area, suburb of Birmingham, and there are pretty good places around me that are good for star gazing. I should have done this when the kids were small--as you're doing.

[KentuckyWildcat]

I'm in no hurry, but I will read them too. It's ridiculous; I live in an unincorporated area, suburb of Birmingham, and there are pretty good places around me that are good for star gazing. I should have done this when the kids were small--as you're doing.

2 similar but good videos. First one is probably better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_PgtDpZl3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Thh9MKQlpeE


https://oneminuteastronomer.com/1003...ope-astronomy/
https://cosmicpursuits.com/943/telescopes-explained/


These are all very similar, but when learning as I am, it helps me to read/hear it more than once.

This is really something I hope to learn with her. Both of my girls (4 and 2) LOVE the moon and sky. And my 4 year old loves looking through binoculars, scopes, etc. So this seems like a logical step and hopefully I can learn with her. We like to buy them fun Christmas/Birthday toys, but we try to find something educational as well.

[KentuckyWildcat]

A local grocery store was selling one for $20. Told the wife we would buy it tomorrow.

Thanks to a google ad I found this one just now and bought it. I'm sure it is not as good as the specs but probably worth $50.

https://m.samsclub.com/ip/national-g...e/prod22303223


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[dan_bgblue]

I hope this works out well for you and the kiddos.. One final suggestion from me and that is to purchase or make some flexible shot bags that can be filled with lead shot so you can tie the bags to the tripod legs at ground level for stability. There is nothing like bumping into the scope assembly in the dark and have the entire rig topple over.

Many years ago I had a fairly expensive camera and lens mounted to a tripod and was snapping shots of the moon. I bumped one of the tripod legs and the whole shebang came crashing to the ground. That was one of those costly life lessons that I have never forgotten.

[Darrell KSR]

Dan, that's a great suggestion. I have bumped my tripod numerous times and never thought about stabilizing it.

Where do you buy or how do you make the flexible shot bags? (Where do you buy the material, the lead shot, etc.?)

[dan_bgblue]

I bought canvas fabric at a local store and my wife volunteered to sew them into an elongated bag shape. I bought the lead shot from a local gun dealer.

I am sure there are plenty of other ways to weight the 3 legs with sufficient poundage, but that was my quick, down and dirty method.

[Darrell KSR]

Thanks. I probably don't have too much more use for tripods after this spring, but I may do that. Plenty of times it has been jostled and it's not far from toppling over if the jostle is hard enough. Sounds like a good idea.

[KentuckyWildcat]

Thanks Dan! I hope this gift goes over as well as I think it will.

[Darrell KSR]

Probably too late?

https://slickdeals.net/share/android_app/fp/438160
Screenshot_20181129-071351__01.jpg

[KentuckyWildcat]

It is but thanks. Mine should be here no later than Monday.

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[KentuckyWildcat]

It came in today. I may put it together this weekend and see how good it is. I'll probably just wrap the box anyway and have it together. She won't be patient enough for me to put it together that day lol

It is supposed to let me take photos. If so, I'll post some.

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[KentuckyWildcat]

I put it together, with the widest zoom. Pretty neat. I can't get all of my house in the shot from my parents, about 1/3 of a mile away. The image, however is upside down. I read this is pretty common as it does not matter how you look at the sky?

[Darrell KSR]

Are you sure your house was right side up? We're often upside down at my house.

I put it together, with the widest zoom. Pretty neat. I can't get all of my house in the shot from my parents, about 1/3 of a mile away. The image, however is upside down. I read this is pretty common as it does not matter how you look at the sky?

[dan_bgblue]

I put it together, with the widest zoom. Pretty neat. I can't get all of my house in the shot from my parents, about 1/3 of a mile away. The image, however is upside down. I read this is pretty common as it does not matter how you look at the sky?

If you are sure Darrell's idea is not the correct one, then you might want to read the article at the link

Linkage

[KentuckyWildcat]

Are you sure your house was right side up? We're often upside down at my house.

Mine normally feels like a bomb went off...it is amazing how quick a puzzle and some legos can destroy a house.

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[KentuckyWildcat]

If you are sure Darrell's idea is not the correct one, then you might want to read the article at the link

Linkage

Mine didn't come with a star diagonal. Might add one later if she likes it enough. She will probably use it primarily to see if her Nana is home so she can walk over.

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[KentuckyWildcat]

Some stuff you should be able to see with a "beginner" telescope.

Moon

Jupiter*– Planet

Saturn*– Planet

Mizar & Alcor*– Multiple Star System

Albireo*– Beautiful Double Star

Orion Nebula, M42 – Nebula

Andromeda Galaxy, M31 – Spiral Galaxy

Hercules Cluster, M13 – Globular Cluster

Double Cluster,*NGC 869 & NGC 884 – Close Open Clusters

Dumbbell Nebula, M*27 – Planetary Nebula



http://www.astronomysource.com/2018/...omy-beginners/

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[KentuckyWildcat]

Really started enjoying the telescope the last few weeks. Crescent moon is neat as you can see the craters pretty well. Full moon is kind flat looking.

Still need to figure out the phone option for pics.

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