telescope for 8 yo xmas pressie

[craigieboi]

hi im looking to get my 8 yo child a telescope for xmas 

at this age im guessing all he wants to see are planets etc is this possible on a "child type pressie budget" bearing in mind he may be bored of it in a month

had thought about the zennox 76x700 from groupon @£39.99 but if a waste of money i dont mind paying more 

thanks for any info 

craig 

 

[Putaendo Patrick]

Well - the telescope does work! The eyepieces are very poor however and the tripod is very shaky - far from ideal.

Planets are easy to see, but much more difficult to see well. This level of telescope will allow your son to see the moons of Jupiter and a suggestion of the rings of Saturn, it will also show reasonable detail on the Moon. Many of us here started as youngsters on similar quality telescopes and became hooked - but thousands of others become bored very quickly indeed, perhaps due to poor equipment but perhaps more because astronomy just didn't grab them.

Perhaps more than a telescope, what will encourage your son to persevere in astronomy is the guidance and inspiration of others, mainly you the parent but also relatives, school science teachers, mentors in an astronomical club etc. as well as other children of similar age with similar interests.

Personally I might recommend a half decent pair of binoculars to start with - some very acceptable examples under 50 pounds - perhaps 7x50, 8x40 or 10x50. With these your son could learn a great deal about the night sky - the Moon, planets, constellations etc., but binoculars can also be used for watching anything from nature to sports if his interest in astronomy dries up.

At the same time, however, viewing the heavens through a good telescope is a unique experience. You could contact the Dunfermline Astronomical Society http://www.dasoc.org.uk/index.php/home-page or another club to see whether he could attend observing sessions and get to look through better telescopes, obviously under close supervision.

A flow of books and magazines also serves to feed the brain and the imagination. Perhaps his school has a library with suitable material. Doring Kindersley are a publisher who produce some very good astronomy titles for young people.

 

Edited December 5, 2016 by Putaendo Patrick
Spelin & Grama

[Dave In Vermont]

For an 8 year old I'd suggest a simple achromatic refractor on an AltAz-mount. A very simple (read: unbreakable) design and intuitive to operate - lacking the need for a sharp learning-curve. Fun right out-of-the-box. Here's an example:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-astromaster-series/astromaster-90az-telescope.html

There are less expensive models as well. But this is the basic genre of my suggestion. And easily re-sold should it collect dust in the back of the garage.

Happy hunting -

Dave

[rockystar]

I'd avoid the Groupon offering if I were you, it certainly isn't £150 worth of telescope you are getting for £40! The mount will be shakey and with jerky movements and the supplied eye pieces will be extremely poor quality (with plastic lenses)

the one Dave suggested is a good intro, but nearer to your £40, I'd be much more inclined towards something like this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-76-mini-dobsonian.html

I think one thing to note here is that both Dave and I have linked to a reputable, dedicated supplier, with excellent after care support.

hope you find something suitable and that he enjoys it

 

[mikeDnight]

You mentioned that your 8yr old might lose interest! It's almost certain he won't, though his interest may come and go and come again over time. I'd suggest a small refractor of 60mm to 90mm on a simple mount. You could box it away for years and it will still perform perfectly when called upon. Brows First Light Optics web site as there's almost certainly something in the simple refractor line-up that will fit the bill. A refractor will definitely give years of pleasure along with some inspiring views of the Moon and planets as well as some brighter nebulae. Refractors look the part too and are easy to use. In my view they are a far better choice as a first scope than a cheap reflector. He'll love it!

Mike

[Dave In Vermont]

My point as well, Mike. A reflector - for an 8 Y.O. - can be more problematic. A refractor is easy to use and can last a lifetime and still be working fine. This is why I'm not a fan of a reflector for younger children. They can be viewed more as a 'toy' and a pain to take seriously. A refractor says "Professional" to a young one - and draws them in to sciences further.

A 'former' kid,

Dave

Edited December 5, 2016 by Dave In Vermont

[Chris]

If you can't stretch to the 90mm Celestron refractor Dave linked then they also to a 70mm version for £85:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-astromaster-series/celestron-astromaster-70az.html

 

 

[craigieboi]

thanks guys price (to an extent doesn't matter) i would just prefer him looking into the skies all night than into a xbox 360 or you tube channel as they do nowadays

so is there a big enough difference between the 90mm n 70mm celestron to make it worth the extra £s yes?

[Dave In Vermont]

As a kid, I'd have been a proud and fascinated recipient of either one. Then, if the hobby became of greater magnitude, I'd be heading down the slippery-slope to larger instruments - which - price-wise - might not be feasible in a refractor-telescope. Unless you won the National-Lottery.

Dave

[craigieboi]

thanks again guys  mother in law showed me this 1..

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=39676&ar=11&changestore=1 i know lidls german n germans usually make good products lol

its a bresser i think its the bresser junior 70/900 but may be wrong is this on a par with the above 2 or are the other 2 still better as if they are i would rather pay the extra for it

thanks again

Edited December 5, 2016 by craigieboi

[Uranium235]

For a kid, I'd probably go for an 80mm frac on an alt/az or EQ1 (ST80)... it's what I'll get for my boy when he's old enough.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-eq1.html

You get a couple of EPs and a barlow with it to take it up to 800mm FL, enough to see Jupiter for sure!

The problem with a reflector it that it might not be looked after properly. So with a frac, all you need to do is keep the front element clean and the rest takes care of itself.

[craigieboi]

i do like that one uranium 

[Putaendo Patrick]

Your mother-in-law's Bresser suggestion looks a lot more interesting than the Zennox. I think the model is the Skylux 70/900.

Bresser scopes are made in China, along with most of their competitors, Celestron, Skywatcher etc. and many of their more expensive models are very good. Cheaper models, in common with those of their competitors, are basic and aimed towards the beginner's/juvenile niche sometimes with an emphasis more on marketing than quality.

This short video shows some of the views you might get through this telescope:

To be fair, part of the poor quality is down to the camera - probably a cellphone just held up to the eyepiece. But it does make my earlier point that while the planets are easy to see, seeing them well needs higher quality optics which are more expensive. Misleadingly cheaper telescopes are often packaged in boxes with amazing photos of the planets - most of which were take with million dollar NASA technology! The resulting difference this creates between expectation and reality sadly does put many people off astronomy for life.

If possible, stretching the budget to a telescope in the 130-160 pound range will undeniably give a very significant improvement in quality. The Celestron AstroMaster 90AZ recommended by Dave would be good, although I think I would prefer a very similar model by Skywatcher https://www.firstlightoptics.com/evostar/skywatcher-evostar-90-az3.html  I think the mount controls are a little better, as well as the supplied eyepieces. The 90mm aperture (diameter of the main front lens) versus 70mm is much better and will improve resolution considerably as well as allowing higher magnifications. Eyepieces in cheap scopes are very poor quality - pay more and they begin to get better.

With Christmas round the corner, this may not be an option - but a good condition second-hand telescope might enable you to get better optics at a more affordable price.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Putaendo Patrick
spelin

[Bagnaj97]

11 hours ago, Uranium235 said:

For a kid, I'd probably go for an 80mm frac on an alt/az or EQ1 (ST80)... it's what I'll get for my boy when he's old enough.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-eq1.html

You get a couple of EPs and a barlow with it to take it up to 800mm FL, enough to see Jupiter for sure!

The problem with a reflector it that it might not be looked after properly. So with a frac, all you need to do is keep the front element clean and the rest takes care of itself.

I'd suggest the ST80 on the tabletop EQ1. Providing you use a solid table it'll probably be more sturdy than the tripod supplied with an EQ1!

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-tabletop-telescope.html

[craigieboi]

thanks again guys gonna 'plough' through them 

[iwols]

1 for the st80

[Dave In Vermont]

ST80 - yes.

Tabletop-Mount - no.

It looks too 'kid-toy.' He's 8, and wants to look grown-up. See my previous statement.

My 2¢ -

Dave

[billyharris72]

While not a huge fan of the az3, I think for a  8 year old the alt az design and slow motion knows would be a huge advantage.  ST80 is a good little scope - though something like the Evostar would be even better if the budget will stretch.

[Dave In Vermont]

I would agree with Billy, above. While an ST80 is an excellent, little scope (I love mine for it's wide FOV), the Evostar 90 on an AZ3 has the ability to pour-on higher magnification - with it's F/10 design - to bring out greater details on a favorite target of kids: The planets. The AZ3 gets mixed reviews, but mostly from us old-geezers. For kids? Absolutely fine!

Hey! This is FUN! A thread where we're not all suggesting an 8" Dob - but a real, old-style achromatic refractor!

Watching the pigs fly by my window...

Dave

[Peter Drew]

+1 for the Evostar 90/900 refractor on the AZ3 for most of the reasons already stated. A really good "bundle" IMO.  

[A budding astronomer]

I would suggest a Celestron FirstScope or a Orion FunScope two very good quality 76/350 dobsonian reflectors for under 150 quid.

[Jimtheslim]

I started with an Evostar 90mm on an equatorial mount (one that follows the curved path of the stars through the sky). For an 8 year old this scope on an AZ mount would be fantastic. I can understand that if you are looking for a present for a child it is tempting to go cheap, especially if someone like groupon are telling you that you are getting something good for next to nothing. As said above the eyepieces will be terrible and I can guarantee that once your child has a look through it and realises they won't see any of the things promised on the box, they will give up the hobby straight away and you will be left with essentially an expensive toy that nobody wants to buy. I was looking in Debenhams yesterday and their shelves are filled with a telescopes that are 'guided by smartphone'. For £40 I can say with certainty that you will not see planets the size of tennis balls in Hubble grade detail and clearly defined whirlpool galaxies the size of the palm of your hand as advertised on the box. They really should be reported to trading standards in my opinion.

I would agree that going to an astro club would be a great start. If he really enjoys it and your budget allows then £100-£150 for a good 90mm refractor telescope will be worth every penny (you can often buy them used, I sold mine in near mint condition for £80). The first time I looked through mine I pointed it at the moon and was blown away. I then had a look at Jupiter and bringing it into focus was something I will always remember. The moons were clearly visible along with the main equatorial belts. Yes it's small and takes a bit of concentration and patience but it is stunning and I am afraid you just won't get that experience with the type of scope groupon are selling (the reviews on Amazon tell you all you need to know). When atmospheric conditions allow you will be able to see the Great Red Spot (when transiting) and with a keen eye make out the shadow transits of the moons. Saturn was equally good. Again very small, but unmistakeable with it's ring system clearly defined. Please do have a look for a new or used refractor around 80 or 90 mm. It really is worth it.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Jimtheslim

[CSM]

Are you interested in astronomy at all or likely to be? 

[LukeSkywatcher]

There's another thread running by someone who wants to buy their 8 yr old a scope and he is looking at this:

Celestron Inspire 100az

 

For an 8 yr old kid........i cant see much wrong with it. Not sure of your budget. Looks like a great starter scope.

 

[Peter Drew]

5 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

There's another thread running by someone who wants to buy their 8 yr old a scope and he is looking at this:

Celestron Inspire 100az

 

For an 8 yr old kid........i cant see much wrong with it. Not sure of your budget. Looks like a great starter scope.

 

Without any slow motion controls and the weight being over the pivot point a beginner is going to struggle with this.