Telescope for an eleven year old

[The Warthog]

From what I've heard on this forum, there must be thousands of children and would-be amateur astronomers going around blind in one eye. It must have happened, but I have never heard of it happening, and it would surely make the news. I gave a pair of binoculars to my four year old niece, and she has been happily looking at anything she can see, except the sun. I didn't tell her not to look at the sun, just because if I told her not to, she probably would.

I agree it is a serious consideration, but I thihk you are more likely to have problems with adult would-bees using faulty filters, or mistaking the aperture mask on the lens cap for a solar mask. Personally, I use a solar filter in front of my aperture mask. If I ever see the sun again, I'll go for a peek.

[barkis]

I use to feel the same when telescopes used to arrive with a sun filter for the eyepiece end. Do they still do them for cheap scopes does anyone know?

I have seen the term sun filter mentioned in advertising blurb on occasions, but they have never gone to any lengths to clarify the subject. They could well mean front end solar filter, or again, they could mean a piece of coloured glass for an eyepiece filter.

Dangerous business.

I understand where you are coming from WH, and you are probably right that occurences of blindness due to solar observation without protection are never heard of, however, I would rather be accused of nannying, rather than neglect to issue a warning whenever I feel it necessary.

Ron.

[The Warthog]

The 60-or-so mm refractor that my high school bought in the 1960's came equipped with an eyepiece solar filter, which we actually used a few times, but given the caution about it cracking, which is more than credible, I wouldn't sanction anyone using one today. The scope also came with a solar projection screen which sat about 6" from the eyepiece on the diagonal. We used that because everyone could look at once, and only used the ep filter the first day we set up the scope.