The Best Telescopes to Buy For Kids

"The Best Telescopes to Buy For Kids"," However if the first telescope you get is a standard tripod mounted refracting telescope (one using lenses not mirrors) as found in most department stores, the experience is usually one of frustration and disappointment instead.
 The reality is one of these telescopes will have a wobbly tripod that will not allow you to see anything at 60 times, much less 600.


So what can you do? Well, in my experience of almost 10 years of showing 1000's of children and my own 3 kids around the night sky, the best way to start is in fact with a Star Disc, a red light and a pair of low powered binoculars.
 A Star Disc will show you a few bright deep sky objects that are easily seem with binoculars on any given night.
 Your night vision takes at least 20 minutes away from white light to adapt to the darkness.
 A picnic blanket is a good idea to lay on as well.
 What should you do? My experience and that of my astronomy peers from around Australia and across the world have shown me that the telescope that is (a) Quick to set up and pack up (b) Easy to use and (c) has preferably at least 200mm (8"") of aperture will get the most use and provide many years of observing pleasure.


What does one of these telescopes look like? Well, it is not a refractor and it is not on a tripod.
 A reflector is much like the telescopes used in professional observatories (only much smaller!) Put in simple terms the telescope is mounted on a horizontal (azimuth) turntable close to ground level allowing you to move the telescope to all points of the compass and a vertical pivot point allowing you to move the telescope from the horizon to directly overhead (the zenith) through 90 degrees.
3 meters above the ground, an ideal height for kids.
 Confused about what it looks like? Just imagine a cannon that spins around and can point straight up.
 In fact, a 200mm Dobsonian can cost as little as $550 in Australia and a similar amount in the USA.


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