Buying 1st telescope for my 12 yr old. I want a decent one without over spending what's the best for now?

Question

This is my son's first telescope and I want him to be able to see stars and other details I have tried reading up on telescopes on the internet and I'm more confused than when I started. Please give your opinion on one's you've tried personally or any information you may know also I'm open to suggestion.
Thank You

Answer 1

First of all, to see stars and other details, a pair of good quality binoculars is often all one needs. If one is serious about observing, one can do quite a lot with even the naked eye. Cameras (the ones which have exposure) can really help him understand the night sky, and used in tandem with binoculars can generate really good pictures. Pics of star trails can be really fascinating, and one can even catch a meteor or two if one is lucky. Observation of planetary movements and such things is also quite interesting, and through good binoculars one can see many constellations, star clusters and other such things.

Of course, if your son is adamant and wants to see deep sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies, then a telescope would be in order. Before doing that however, ensure that he will use it to a good extent, and consider certain points

1) Air and light pollution in your area can seriously limit observing, even through a telescope. I mean, what do you expect to learn by looking through a telescope, when you don't even know what you are looking at and which constellation you're in, on account of air and/or light pollution obscuring the sky?

2) The amount of time he will spend observing, and frequency of observing sessions. If he seriously intends to observe, he deserves something of good quality (which need not be expensive).

3)Your son's interest in astronomy. Will he sincerely use it, or will he let it rot in a corner gathering dust? Hopefully the former, if not, then consider getting a smaller model with less magnification, that's easier on your budget. Any offence taken by said son is not intentional.




There are 2 telescope types- reflectors and refractors. Refractors are generally more expensive and less portable, and require more maintenance than reflectors; but they are better in terms of power and magnifiation, and are more suited to deep sky observations. Manual telescopes are definitely less expensive than automatic ones, and they can be just as productive with proper equipment ( a good book, for instance.)

Well after bugging my parents for a very long time, I finally got my own telescope when I was eleven. It's a Meade reflector. It is quite good, it has got a remote control called "Autostar" which zooms in to certain astronomical objects without you having to guide it. It also has a manual control, which is useful in case you want first hand experience on where to find a certain celestial object. It costs 180 American dollars (which, btw, is around 9,000 rupees). It's quite a good model for the price, though we need to know your budget. Include it in your details.

Also, if you're going for a telescope, one VERY useful thing is a planisphere, as it tells you where in the sky one can find certain constellations, and this coupled with a telescope/binoculars/keen young enthusiastic eyes/just enthusiastic eyes (lol) can really put in a good observation session. Hope it helped, and best of luck!

Answer 2

Scopes come in two basic types, refractor and reflector. Refractors are similar to naval spyglasses. You look in one end and out the other, directly at the object you want to see. Reflectors catch light from the object you're looking at with a mirror and reflect that light to an eyepiece that can be located in a number of places, but frequently (with newtonian telescopes) near the same end that the light enters the scope.
if you go to a sales web site, like telescopes.com, you can get all kinds of details that will make your head spin.

As a starter, I'd recommend a reflector scope ranging from 3 to 6 inches in diameter. You can get it on a altazimuth mount or a dobsonian mount (both much cheaper than an equatorial mount with a clock drive). Depending upon what you want to spend, you should be able to get a telescope that will show him some of the sights (jupiter's moons, saturn's rings, the moon's craters, comets, Venus' crescent shape, etc) for between 100 and 200 dollars. You may be able to get a "go-to" type telescope (it has a small computer that can point the telescope at thousands of objects in the sky) for under $300.
BUT, even a $60 or $70 refractor scope can show enough to stimulate his interest or increase what he already has.

Answer 3

It depends in part on how serious the interest in astronomy is. The best value in astronomical telescopes are Newtonian reflectors on Dobsonian mounts, often called dobs for short. Depending on how much you want to spend, the Starblast ( http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814 ) from Orion Telescopes and Binoculars, or one of their small dobs (http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=classicdobs/~product_id=09185 ) would be a good choice. The downside of these telescopes is that they are totally manual, and do require some occasional adjustment.

If your son's interest in astronomy is weak, you might be better off with a small refractor. The refractor can be adapted to terrestrial use if he tires of stargazing. I'd avoid the equatorial mounts. A lot of beginners think these will make it easier to find things, but they're just confusing for many people, and are poor for terrestrial observing.

Whatever telescope you buy, you'll need to supplement it with a few accessories. A planisphere, a dim red LED flashlight, and a good book on observing would get him started. "Nightwatch" by Terrance Dickinson ( http://books.google.com/books?id=BaMBgoKPmjAC&dq=nightwatch+dickinson&pg=PP1&ots=XPupJaB9k6&sig=SttU74qp5l78LGreoqobFuiMGp8&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fq%3Dnightwatch%2Bdickinson%26ie%3Dutf-8%26oe%3Dutf-8%26aq%3Dt%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26client%3Dfirefox-a&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPP1,M1 ) is a good beginners book.

Some adult support and help is invaluable. Ideally, this is something you and your son will learn together. Your local astronomy club, if there is one, will be a good source of information and support for both of you.

Answer 4

A 6" or 8" Dob would be the scope of choice.
It may be for your son, but I reckon you'll be spending as much time at the eyepiece as him.
A set of All Sky maps and red light torch, a collimator and maybe a 2x Barlow lens should be all you need to get you started.
Don't go for a small 60mm refractor, the mounts are usually wobbly, it's hard to find eyepieces for them, and it's hard to find stuff with the tiny finderscopes that come with them.
The finderscope on my Dob is nearly the same size as a little refractor.
Good luck with your purchase, and have fun!

Answer 5

Any telescope under around $200 is going to be a toy rather than a telescope, and won';t satisfy a 12-year-old for long. The best value for your money is, as Injanier says, a Dobsonian reflector like these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

I've used many of these scopes myself, and they are of excellent optical and mechanical quality, and easy to use. You should also get him a good book, such as NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly).

Answer 6

properly the Kodak is okay, my chum has it. For each and all the others i don't be attentive to. i'm getting a depressing blue Nikon for christmas. even nonetheless you quite somewhat need the pink, it would be extra suitable to think of of the known thank the colour.