Buying a telescope

I want to buy a telescope for stargazing. Any suggestions on what
features to look for are appreciated. How much can I expect to spend
on a "good enough" telescope? I want this one to last and sustain
interest until middle school age (next 6 years). After that we will
get a really good one if the kids want. Right now, it's really for fun
and some education.

wrote in message
...
I want to buy a telescope for stargazing. Any suggestions on what
features to look for are appreciated. How much can I expect to spend
on a "good enough" telescope? I want this one to last and sustain
interest until middle school age (next 6 years). After that we will
get a really good one if the kids want. Right now, it's really for fun
and some education.

If you have an interest in astronomy, buy a telescope that is appropriate
for you and teach your children to use it as you would any other instrument.
If you do not already have an interest in astronomy, buying a telescope and
trying to interest your young children in it might be a fruitless effort.

Look into joining local stargazing and astronomy clubs which meet
periodically in dark places to point their telescopes at the sky. If your
daughters are into that, pursue it.

Your children are now aged four and three? Middle school might be different
where you are, but here it's generally 7th-9th grade (ages 12-13-14-15 ) ,
so buying equipment that they'll grow into isn't very practical.

As a professional Engineer, I'd like to suggest you below,
There are some tiny components in the telescope which might NOT fit
for kids under 6-year-old. If you still want one, please refer to the
user manu attached with the telescope or the shopkeeper.

On 1ÔÂ9ÈÕ, ÉÏÎç5ʱ00·Ö, wrote:
I want to buy a telescope for stargazing. Any suggestions on what
features to look for are appreciated. How much can I expect to spend
on a "good enough" telescope? I want this one to last and sustain
interest until middle school age (next 6 years). After that we will
get a really good one if the kids want. Right now, it's really for fun
and some education.

Edmund Scientific's Astroscan is on my "future Xmas" list. Very
simple, very functional. Here is a review: http://www.dansdata.com/astroscan.htm

Pologirl

On Jan 8, 8:41 pm, "deja.blues" wrote:
wrote in message

...

I want to buy a telescope for stargazing. Any suggestions on what
features to look for are appreciated. How much can I expect to spend
on a "good enough" telescope? I want this one to last and sustain
interest until middle school age (next 6 years). After that we will
get a really good one if the kids want. Right now, it's really for fun
and some education.

If you have an interest in astronomy, buy a telescope that is appropriate
for you and teach your children to use it as you would any other instrument.
If you do not already have an interest in astronomy, buying a telescope and
trying to interest your young children in it might be a fruitless effort.

Look into joining local stargazing and astronomy clubs which meet
periodically in dark places to point their telescopes at the sky. If your
daughters are into that, pursue it.

Your children are now aged four and three? Middle school might be different
where you are, but here it's generally 7th-9th grade (ages 12-13-14-15 ) ,
so buying equipment that they'll grow into isn't very practical.

This one is for me. I've always wanted to buy a telescope since I was
a kid. I couldn't afford it and later other things took priority. I've
been reading a few books lately on the subject (mostly Stephen
Hawking's) and want to finally buy one. The idea is that if my 3 & 4
year olds get excited to see celestial objects that's great bonus. If
they are really interested, then I'll get something better when they
get older.
I was also wondering about features and models because I might be able
to get a better one for less on craigslist or ebay.
Thanks for your (and others) replies.

wrote:
On Jan 8, 8:41 pm, "deja.blues" wrote:
[snip]
Your children are now aged four and three? Middle school might be different
where you are, but here it's generally 7th-9th grade (ages 12-13-14-15 ) ,
so buying equipment that they'll grow into isn't very practical.

This one is for me. I've always wanted to buy a telescope since I was
a kid. I couldn't afford it and later other things took priority. I've
been reading a few books lately on the subject (mostly Stephen
Hawking's) and want to finally buy one. The idea is that if my 3 & 4
year olds get excited to see celestial objects that's great bonus. If
they are really interested, then I'll get something better when they
get older.
I was also wondering about features and models because I might be able
to get a better one for less on craigslist or ebay.
Thanks for your (and others) replies.

If you want it, buy the one you want, with the assumption that the
children will use it.

The recommendations I've seen in the UK, suggest binoculars are a better
option then a telescope of equivalent value. But if you want a telescope...

My dad was interested in astronomy, and he would point out the
constellations we could see with the naked eye. That got me interested
in astronomy, although I've never taken star-gazing very far.

With children the age of yours, I wouldn't expect them to be able to
find anything looking through a telescope. I'd be inclined to start by
pointing big obvious things, like the phases of the moon. After a
while, you could point out the stars are fixed in relation to one
another, but the moon moves round.

HTH
--
Penny Gaines
UK mum to three