Things that will wow the kids?

[robkmaeda]

Hello,

I'm just wondering if people have suggestions for what I might be able to show my kids in the night sky. My kids are 8 and 6. While my older daughter loves to be out in the dark trying to see shooting stars, my younger daughter is a bit impatient. Perhaps that will change later and I don't want to force her into astronomy. I bought our telescope ( Mak 127) so that we could all have fun while learning something about the amazing things in our universe. With the scope, thus far we have just looked at the moon and Jupiter (together, that is, since they have to go to bed at a reasonable time). My oldest daughter liked seeing Jupiter, but I don't think she had the greatest view, given the relatively early hour and its placement in the sky. I don't want to bore them with the hobby, so I thought I'd ask around to see if anybody had some suggestions of things to do with kids regarding astonomy. Are there things that I can find with my scope (or 10x50 binoculars) that will wow them? Should I wait to show them things until they are perfectly placed in the sky at the hour for their schedules? How can I keep them involved when I spend time trying to find and center objects? Any help suggestions would be incredible helpful.

Thanks,

Rob

[brantuk]

Hi Rob - well girls like jewelery - so the first thing that springs to mind is the Pliades (M45) in binocs - like jewels in the sky. Then thers'e the double cluster in Perseus - two bunches of jewels lol - good in binocs or low power scope.

M31 Andromeda Galaxy is easy to find this time of year too and though a smudge in binocs the fascination is the statistics that go with it. The light reaching your eyes started it's journey from there 2500 years ago. And it's very similar to our own galaxy and on a collision course with it.

I'm sure folks will suggest other stuff to you

[swag72]

The moon? That continues to be a great big wow from me each time I view it through an eyepiece.

[Veracocha]

I have done a few star parties now and had the good fortune to show lots of children various planets/moon/etc. Jupiter is a killer and the moons just top it off, there's sure a wow factor with that. However, when viewing Saturn I notice a strange phenomenen that accompanies a first viewing and that is silence. I don't know if anyone else has noticed this but the viewer goes quiet! no response for a few seconds and then they stand back from the eyepiece to absorb what they have just seen. It's a magical moment that you might prepare for when she's up.

[Rols]

I agree with Veracocha, first time we viewed Saturn as a family i struggled to get a look in..some magic moments to be had if she shows interest. the moon will certainly never fail to impress as we all grow up looking at the moon, to see its detail through a scope is just majestic to my kids.. to me it gets in the blooming way but hey if thats all i can see on the night thats what i look at..

Enjoy the cosmos.

[robkmaeda]

As my wife was at a school meeting, I actually let the kids stay up a little and we went up to velux windows to do some moon watching with binoculars. It was hard for them to keep the binoculars steady (simple 10X portable tourist binos), but they could see tycho and its rays. That was cool and I got tons of questions about it. I also picked out Jupiter and its moons (I think) but the kids could not see it with their shaky hands. Thanks for the input. I'll try the pleiades as soon as the moon gets dimmer, and Saturn, when it comes back into view.

Rob

[Pete_inthehills]

this is a great thread for me as I'm due to host a night of star gazing for my daughter and her friend with my little telescope.

Do laser pens work for pointing out the constallations?

pete

inthehills

[Breakintheclouds]

I've found some kids like double stars (choose show-stoppers like Albireo, obviously!) if you explain what they're seeing: two stars rotating around each other.

[Lianachan]

M31 Andromeda Galaxy is easy to find this time of year too and though a smudge in binocs the fascination is the statistics that go with it. The light reaching your eyes started it's journey from there 2500 years ago.

2500000 years ago, surely? That's a thousand times more impressive!

[onesmallstep]

M13 in Hercules, fairly high mag to open up the cluster and see individual stars. That always wows the crowds at star parties. Alcor and Mizar pairing would look good in the Mak127.

[JamesM]

Albireo for the colour contrast between stars. M57 (ring nebula) over in Lyra although small should be able to make it out. M42 Orion Nebula would have been a great one but is best later on - maybe something to stay up for on the weekend?

James

[smudgeball]

Hi

How about, away from the telescope, running Stellarium to predict the path of the International Space Station and then tell them about it just before it comes into view.

That's what I do with my pair and they always go wow ! (and it lasts for a few minutes as well)

You can show off a bit with adults as well.

".... the ISS will be passing over in three minutes time....."

I normally get the odd look followed by WOW three minutes later !

Just an idea.

Regards

Neil

[BAZ Senior]

2500000 years ago, surely? That's a thousand times more impressive!

The Andromeda galaxy is even more impressive at 2.3 million light years away. Our own galaxy the milky way is around 100,000 light years across, with M31 being a little larger at around 150,000 light years across, with around 200 billion stars in it. Fantastic isn't it!

I would suggest having a look at Epsilon Lyra, the double double, that's impressive.

[Breakintheclouds]

".... the ISS will be passing over in three minutes time....."

I normally get the odd look followed by WOW three minutes later

Nice idea. Heavens Above is useful here as well (especially the phone version, which uses the compass to tell you where to look). I guess kids will be particularly excited by the idea that the ISS has people on board. I bet my nephew could be persuaded to wave...

[RikM]

My 7 year old likes open clusters that look like things. E.g the coat-hanger (Cr 399) and the owl cluster (NGC457). The pleiades and M37 are great too.

His favourite is staying up late on meteor shower nights though. We have done 3 or 4 of those.