A scope suitable for a 6-yr old plus Dad?

[wulliam]

Hi,

I'm starting to think about getting a telescope of my own - but it needs to be suitable for my 6 yr old to use under guidance as well.

Having read lots of reviews, what I'd like to get is an 8" Dobsonian reflector, but I think I'm right in saying my son would find it near impossible to reach the EP?

Have you any thoughts on a decent scope (say £200-£250 max) which would give good visual observing but which he can view with easily? He is about 120cm tall.

Thanks!
William

[knobby]

My little one has been viewing through our 10" dob since about 7 quite happily ... I'd say go for it but get a pair of caravan steps or make a small platform to help.

Or view objects at lower angles... The dob is only tall when pointing up !

Wish you all the best with it, it really is a great thing to share

[RichM63]

Or even a set of those 2 step folding step ladders, he would then have the top bar to hold onto rather than the scope.

8" scope will see you right, and hey, kids grow mighty quickly.

Cheers,

Rich

[wulliam]

That's encouraging to hear - thanks to both of you.

William

[floppygoose]

Good choice - you will both enjoy the 200P Dob

[Paul73]

My nearly 6 year old is happy to stand on any old thing.

Quick tip though. Children get bored very quickly. So after the joint discovering the moon and Jupiter session. Spend some time learning to find the brighter objects by yourself so that he doesn't loose the will to live as you hunt around for things. Also, make sure that you can talk about what he is seeing. My boy was enthralled watching the double moon shadow transit of Jupiter the other night because we could talk about the moons making the shadows on the top of Jupiter's clouds. Otherwise all I would have got is "Yeah, black spots. I'm bored"!

Also, get a moon filter. It is painfully bright on young eyes without.

Good luck.

Paul

[wulliam]

Thanks Paul - very helpful. We're learning the names of the stars around the Orion constellation together. So far - just to demonstrate how very new I am to this - we can both identify: Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka, Saiph, Rigel, Meissa (found a couple of nights ago), Aldebaran, Alnath, Capella, Castor, Pollux, Sirius, the Pleiades, also Mizar and Alcor. We've also seen Jupiter and the Orion nebula.

He knows these just as well as I do and can find them on his own....so once the telescope has been saved up for he and I should be well on the way to finding our way around the sky. It's just a shame that his bedtime is now just about when it's getting dark. But he's obsessed in the best possible way and furious that I've seen Mars without him later at night.

We're looking forward to a week in dark Irish countryside over Easter when he can stay up a bit later without the LP we have here. I just hope the clouds break now and then!

[Charic]

Wulliam......Hi, have you downloaded and installed Stellarium yet. Your Son will love it, so will you. Its a fantastic aid to learning what's up there. can be highly  configured too. 

Soon Summer will be here and Orion will disappear below your  horizon to return again next Winter, being a seasonal constellation!

[wulliam]

We have thanks - it's excellent. We've also got a copy of "Turn Left at Orion".

We've got some 10x50 binoculars too and he's starting to get the hang of using those too. 

[Charic]

I've got the spiral bound version of the book. its very good as you say. I often wonder though why they started with Orion, being seasonal! As every EQ/GEM  mount   North of the Equator has to be aligned with Polaris,  so why not start with the Pole star, Then the Southern hemisphere astronomers wouldn't see Polaris,  they  align with the Southern Cross . Its a great hobby, but so much to learn, and nothing seems to be straight forward and simple.

[Paul73]

Try him on a coupe of easy binocular targets, the Pleiades (M45) and the Beehive Cluster (listed as Praesepe on Stellarium). That should take his breath away.

Getting a moon map/app is a good one for searching out interesting features. ie the Apollo landing sites as well as the geological features.

Enjoy Ireland.

Paul