Help for a unique situation.

[CBear]

Hello everyone, 

First of all, and maybe the most important part moving forward for me personally is the community knowing and understanding that I am a visually impaired dad, who is here in hopes of being able to help my young 9 year old daughter and her love for astronomy. She has always leaned toward the night sky, asking questions, always reading about Saturn and it’s rings, black holes, Jupiter, etc. It intrigues her to no end — I want to embrace this, I want to nourish her curiosity.  

But being visually impaired, I find it extremely hard for us to navigate the night sky, with her being 9 and not understanding how to work the equipment (she got a cheap telescope for Christmas from her Uncle). 

That leads me to my next question. I want to get her some sort of telescope that is digitized. Through screen readers, apps and other visual impairment aides I am able to navigate the web, view forums like these, and communicate with everyone. 

My questions is, would a telescope like the Celestron NexStar 127SLT, Celestron Astro Fi, or something similar tot hose with digital alignment that works from a phone / tablet etc, be an OK for her to start out on? I struggle really hard to help her find the moon, planets etc, and the idea of being able to do that part by a digital means would be insanely awesome for us. 

The other part of that is, since I am visually impaired, I have to be very buddget aware. I simply can’t afford a $1500+ telescope for her right now. I do want her to be able to view other things other than the moon and read one answer that said the 127SLT couldnt’ perform well enough out of the box to view Saturn, etc. That it would need the upgraded lens kits, which I haven’t looked at yet. Anyway, if anyone has any advice, or any helpful links, thoughts, or ideas moving forward I would greatly appreciate it.

I’m a passionate father, just trying to help his daughter with something she enjoys. Thanks! 

[PEMS]

This is going to be either difficult or fun, depending on how you look at it.

On a personal level and with the description I would avoid the SCT ot Mak variety of scopes. They tend to have a long focal length, people think that will mean a high magnification but it also means a narrow field of view. So alignment becomes more difficult.

I suggest that the easiest scope variety to either start with or get along with are the refractors. So for ease consider one of them.

Which?? There are few at the 70mm area, a 72ED would be nice but would I half suspect not deliver the magnification for Saturn. Saturn needs around 120x and if possible 150x in magnification terms. Which puts you in the region of an 80mm refractor. Jupiter only needs 80x although 60x will show something.

If I recall ES do an 80mm achro, was around the $220-$250 area. Called a first light or similar. Thoughts are you get the mount and scope (it is a package) then get a goto mount and put the scope on that.  I actually do not think ES sell the scope separate. The scope is specified as f/8 and a reasonable slowish speed for an achro. I have assumed that something like a WO ZS81 or AT80ED are over budget.

Mount really means Alt Az again for ease and the Skywatcher AZ GTi is in a way the obvious. Alignment is by "Level and North". You should be able to set it level and aimed North. North being at Polaris NOT with a compass.

Get a long focal length eyepiece and use that for alignment. The stars should be in the wider field is the idea.

Describing "alignment" is generally a scary idea. Sounds complex but isn't in reality. Best advice is : Read the instructions and do it as described, do not try to cut corners.

Guess you will get several ideas. You have to make the final decision. Oh yes the mount will be around $400. However equipment is in short supply in the US.

Search out a club if you can. Someone may just have something for sale. Someone is likely able to help in any set up.

[Ags]

It's a tough call, but I think a computerized scope would be more difficult to use. You need to know a little about the sky (a few bright stars for example) in order to align the thing, and then my experience is they are not bulletproof, more like an assistant than a reliable guide. 

I would suggest a really cheap telescope with good aperture and a wide field of view, so she can point it more easily. Then I would look at getting some inspiring books showing the constellations so she can learn what's up there. I don't know of any such books suited for children myself though.

I am sure your daughter can find the Moon, and don't forget the Moon by itself can keep an observer busy for 60 years or more.  

The kind of telescope I am thinking you could get would be like this one:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html

With this telescope you put it down and start observing. 100mm of aperture is very good and the telescope has an excellent reputation. 

There are other ways of looking at the sky than finding specific targets. You can look at bright stars and try to see their different colors, you can brows though the milky way  admiring the millions of stars and hunting for star clusters.

Edited August 15, 2021 by Ags

[Girders]

Hi CBear - and welcome!  

I'm going to leave the telescope thoughts largely to others, although my initial reaction is even for a smart 9 year old, setting up a go-to (computerised) scope would be hard work.  It needs carefully set up each time and you need to be able to find some objects to align it to start off.  I'm hoping someone with experience of the Celestron telescopes with Starsense which claims to be pretty much fully automatic at aligning will comment on how well this works in the real world.

What I will share is my experience of helping my now 7 year old daughter with her interest in space.  I got my first telescope really for her when she was four and very interested in everything about space.  She's always enjoyed having a look through it when she has the chance, but it's a time-limited experience.  What I mean by that is that she's delighted to see Jupiter or Saturn, or some craters on the moon - for 15 to 20 minutes.  With Scottish weather it's also pretty rare generally for me to get the telescope out, and even rarer for the interesting planets to be in a good place in the sky at a reasonable time of night for her not to be in bed!  I'd say there are probably only 3 or 4 times a year she's been able to have a look at anything other than the moon.  Don't get me wrong, it's been great and I've upgraded my scope a couple of times over the years, but that's been for me, not her.  There are other much more cost effective ways of keeping her interest alive - our best purchases have been small meteorite fragments - $150 will probably get you 3 or 4 small meteorites of different types - stoney, iron or a 'slice' showing the internal structure.  This could be a great 'hands-on' thing for her and you to share regardless of your visual impairment.

If you have the option of taking her along to a large public telescope on an 'open night' or to a local astronomy club to get a good and memorable view of the planets that's potentially more useful than her being able to see tiny (and usually blurry) planets in a small scope in her back garden.  Although obviously your weather is likely more reliable than mine is!  I have great memories of my dad taking a 9 or 10 year old me along to our nearest observatory and seeing Jupiter and Saturn and I think that did at least as much to support my interest as I've been able to do with my daughter with our telescope. 

Good luck and it's always great to see more dads on here getting their daughters interested.

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Girders
Typo

[astro-erago]

6 minutes ago, Ags said:

ks myself though.

I am sure your daughter can find the Moon, and don't forget the Moon by itself can keep an observer busy for 60 years or more.  

The kind of telescope I am thinking you could get would be like this one:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html

Exactly what I was thinking. A small table top dobsonian. Start with the moon.

You can get a vary slightly smaller equivalent scope, second hand, from ebay, for £40. Search 'first scope', loads come up. For the same money as in the link you could also buy two decent plossl eyepieces to go with it.

This scope would seem really big to a 9 year old but completely manageable for her.

You would be setting her up with all the tools for her to start her journey. You can learn together, starting small, building up the size of the scopes over time, keeping the two eyepieces.

 

[Ags]

I remember when I was young all I had was a cheap telescope with (I think) a singlet lens, so the optics were dreadful. The only things I could find were Alpha Centauri and Jupiter, but those glimpses got me hooked.

[Tiny Clanger]

That's  an interesting conundrum you've given us !

I'm in agreement with much of what has been said so far. Particularly to check for clubs or observatories(maybe museums or university departments) nearby which may have meetings . A quick search found a half dozen https://www.go-astronomy.com/astro-clubs-state.php?State=AL   there are probably more. I've heard that various areas of the US have schemes where local astronomy groups provide small telescopes to libraries, who loan them out for free for 2 weeks, worth checking if there is such a scheme local to you.

A computerized set up , a reliable one, would be expensive , complex to set up , and  frustrating for all concerned.

I'd say go for a small telescope your daughter can handle, which has a focal length of no more than 750mm . That will have a wide enough field to not be incredibly difficult to aim . Don't worry about having to buy expensive eyepieces, if you want to supplement whatever comes with the 'scope (if it is new) or buy some (if it is second hand and you don't get any included,) then basic plossls are not expensive and do the job .

Many beginner telescopes come with a red dot finder (RDF), a simple aiming device which needs to be adjusted to line up with the telescope , but once that is done (and if you are careful not to knock it, the alignment holds ,so won't need doing again for a while), you simply turn it on, line up the red dot it gives you with something visible , look through the telescope (with a low power eyepiece in it ) centre the object, then swap to a higher power eyepiece if you want to increase the magnification. I've taught 8, 9 and 10 year olds for years, and I  reckon most could operate an RDF on visible targets as long as the initial 'lining it up with the 'scope' step was done for them.

The Moon is pretty obvious,, so she can use an RDF to point a telescope at it . You will need a family member, friend  , neighbour or someone to get the RDF lined up for you in the daytime first , but after that I believe she would manage with the Moon.  Finding other targets is going to be more challenging, but I'm sure you can find a way around it. I just asked my 'phone 'OK google,  audio sky tours ' and it returned some apps, and this link for a monthly podcast , which I've just checked out,  and rather like. Judging from this month's edition I think it is clear and straightforward enough for you and your daughter to share under the stars

https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/astronomy-podcasts/

By the way,when they talk about 'the width of a fist' as 10 degrees in the podcast, it is anyone's fist , as a big adult hand is on the end of a long adult arm, a short child's arm has small fist at the end, so an outstretched arm's fist across the knuckles will be around 10 degrees just like an adult one .

As far as telescope type is concerned, I would usually agree the best choice would be a table top dobsonian like this https://www.highpointscientific.com/sky-watcher-heritage-130-tabletop-dobsonian-s11705   except not in your case !

First, aiming the 'scope is less intuitive for a 9 year old  than a refractor would be, because the image in it is upside down and left/right reversed, and you look in the side of the top of the tube, so the whole thing takes some getting used to.

Ssecond , something I usually reassure folk is not a big problem , collimation, might actually be a problem in  your situation ! Collimation is adjusting the tilt of a reflecting telescope's mirrors by tiny amounts to give the best views, and it's not something a visually impaired person would find easy, or that I'd expect a 9 year old to manage. Unless you have another adult who would be happy to check, and when needed, collimate a reflector , I'd count that type of telescope out.

So, I'd suggest you go for a small, light refractor telescope on an alt az mount which your daughter can handle easily, something like one of these: https://www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/refracting-telescopes/explore-scientific-firstlight-ar80-white-tube-refractor-w-twilight-nano-mount-fl-ar80640tn

https://www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/refracting-telescopes/celestron-astromaster-80az-short-refractor-telescope-21082

https://www.highpointscientific.com/telescopes/refracting-telescopes/meade-infinity-80-mm-altazimuth-refractor-telescope-209004

I have no knowledge of that specific retailer , that was just what came up first in my search.

Commonly referred to as an ST80 (short tube 80mm aperture) , one of those would be a great introductory instrument, not require much maintenance, and can show your daughter a great deal. The magnification will not be enormous, so planets will appear small and features on them will be limited, but she should see some banding on Jupiter and the Galilean moons around it, and the rings of Saturn.  The Moon will be impressive too.

Here's a link to Ed Ting's you tube review of the ST80, part 1   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdPaKtK_7Zk  and part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfuT5kUjpXU

This book about practical astronomy for children seems to get good reviews https://www.amazon.com/50-Things-See-Telescope-Constellation/dp/0999034650/ref=pd_sbs_36/137-6076597-1329930?pd_rd_w=6v03d&pf_rd_p=3676f086-9496-4fd7-8490-77cf7f43f846&pf_rd_r=RN11FV2YC8K30K3H2ZQ9&pd_rd_r=1dea352c-22bb-4307-89d4-442100dc302d&pd_rd_wg=hmJp1&pd_rd_i=0999034650&psc=1

Hope that helps ,

Heather

 

 

 

 

[Spacecake2]

+1 for a tabletop dobsonian

[mdstuart]

+1 for a tabletop dobsonian

[M40]

Hello CBear and welcome to the site. I am going to side with Tiny Clanger on this one and suggest the ST80 on the AZ3 mount. I have never used or owned one but looking through the reviews they seem spot on. We all know our own children/grandchildren; one of our 9 year old grandchildren loved looking but not setting up, the 14 year old grandchild was all over it and was into EAA in a big way, you could not throw enough technical stuff and star stuff at him.

So there is the thing, you need something simple to set up and use, hence the suggestion of the ST80, they have the look and feel of a proper telescope so that won't disappoint, simple to use, little maintenance and they won't break the bank.

All the best and hope it helps.

[Alan64]

11 hours ago, CBear said:

Hello everyone, 

First of all, and maybe the most important part moving forward for me personally is the community knowing and understanding that I am a visually impaired dad, who is here in hopes of being able to help my young 9 year old daughter and her love for astronomy. She has always leaned toward the night sky, asking questions, always reading about Saturn and it’s rings, black holes, Jupiter, etc. It intrigues her to no end — I want to embrace this, I want to nourish her curiosity.  

But being visually impaired, I find it extremely hard for us to navigate the night sky, with her being 9 and not understanding how to work the equipment (she got a cheap telescope for Christmas from her Uncle). 

That leads me to my next question. I want to get her some sort of telescope that is digitized. Through screen readers, apps and other visual impairment aides I am able to navigate the web, view forums like these, and communicate with everyone. 

My questions is, would a telescope like the Celestron NexStar 127SLT, Celestron Astro Fi, or something similar tot hose with digital alignment that works from a phone / tablet etc, be an OK for her to start out on? I struggle really hard to help her find the moon, planets etc, and the idea of being able to do that part by a digital means would be insanely awesome for us. 

The other part of that is, since I am visually impaired, I have to be very buddget aware. I simply can’t afford a $1500+ telescope for her right now. I do want her to be able to view other things other than the moon and read one answer that said the 127SLT couldnt’ perform well enough out of the box to view Saturn, etc. That it would need the upgraded lens kits, which I haven’t looked at yet. Anyway, if anyone has any advice, or any helpful links, thoughts, or ideas moving forward I would greatly appreciate it.

I’m a passionate father, just trying to help his daughter with something she enjoys. Thanks! 

Hello,

I think it's wonderful what you're trying to accomplish here.

Have a look at this computerised push-to kit...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1540261-REG/celestron_22460_starsense_explorer_dx_102.html

You would use a "smartphone" to locate objects to observe, and by pushing the telescope by hand.

If you can collimate, or learn to collimate a Newtonian...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1466512-REG/sky_watcher_s11705_heritage_130mm_f_5_tabletop.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=CjwKCAjwmeiIBhA6EiwA-uaeFY0j1SZfB8Vk06e9jOdckMEcqZMLXt4eVghtu9hAsgWYARLIn1b9tBoCtvMQAvD_BwE

Whichever kit you decide to choose, not necessarily those two, we can also suggest eyepieces and accessories to enhance the experience.

[Tiny Clanger]

52 minutes ago, M40 said:

Hello CBear and welcome to the site. I am going to side with Tiny Clanger on this one and suggest the ST80 on the AZ3 mount. I have never used or owned one but looking through the reviews they seem spot on. We all know our own children/grandchildren; one of our 9 year old grandchildren loved looking but not setting up, the 14 year old grandchild was all over it and was into EAA in a big way, you could not throw enough technical stuff and star stuff at him.

So there is the thing, you need something simple to set up and use, hence the suggestion of the ST80, they have the look and feel of a proper telescope so that won't disappoint, simple to use, little maintenance and they won't break the bank.

All the best and hope it helps.

Yep, knowing and considering how small folk behave makes a difference . This 9 year  old is going to need to operate the setup herself,.

I own, use and enjoy both a tabletop dob (heritage 150) and an st80 (orion) , and  if I was going to loan a 'scope  out to be used by a child with a visually impaired adult standing by but unable to collimate, focus or steer the telescope for her, I'd simply never even think  of offering the dob.  , it would cause nothing but frustration.

Heather

[AstroMuni]

18 hours ago, CBear said:

My questions is, would a telescope like the Celestron NexStar 127SLT, Celestron Astro Fi, or something similar tot hose with digital alignment that works from a phone / tablet etc, be an OK for her to start out on?

Hi CBear,

I went through the same journey a few years ago with my daughter, so understand the challenges. I also didnt wish to spend much on a scope that might soon go out of favour as kids that age can change their tastes quite quickly.

Here is what I did - I bought the Celestron 130EQ (very similar to the Astro Fi) and our journey started. As others have suggested join a local club and then you should have a few more folk who can teach your daughter on getting started. They might even be able to loan you a scope and you can try it first before you take the plunge to buy your own.

At the end of the day what grabs your kids attention is the sheer joy of being able to point and see a glimpse of an object thats thousands of miles away and in the case of galaxies as many light years away! Kids are quick learners and soon you will find her teaching you how to do astronomy

Edited August 16, 2021 by AstroMuni

[Shimrod]

There's been quite a few suggestions for manual mounts, but I would second the earlier suggestion of an Sky Watcher AZ GTI or possibly an Ioptron Smartstar CubePro. I own the former, but the latter has GPS which might make the setup a little easier. Pair either with a small refractor.

Keeping in mind the need to keep the overall budget low, but assuming CBear wants to be part of the experience, it's possible that a adding a small guidescope and camera might be useful to help recognise what the telescope is pointing at. @CBear would a magnified image on screen help you to identify what you are looking at? The image from the guidescope can be overexposed which might make it easier to see the star patterns. Nudging the technical level up slightly, the images could also be used to platesolve and determine (or move) the correct direction Hopefully others will chip in with how sensible this approach may be.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I was at our local astronomy club last week when a dad brought along his lad and a small table-top Dob - clearly a very budget one of about 3 inches aperture. he wanted us to help the boy get sorted re. how to use the scope. The lad, about 6 years old, seemed a bit clueless, trying to look in the wrong end, etc.

I have the 127mm SLT GoTo Mak and it's a nice piece of kit, but for a 9 year old I would avoid GoTo. Such systems almost certainly require normal vision to set them up. We get a few adults on the forum who are baffled by GoTo so...   The 127mm Mak scope is chubby and quite awkward for me (an adult) to handle and I am always careful with it.  My 4" refractor by contrast is slim enough for me to get a hand around it, or I can use the dovetail as a handle.

For a 9 year old I would suggest a classic refractor ("looks like a telescope") of about 70 to 80mm aperture and longish focal length, mounted on a manual alt-azimuth mount.  The operation of this should be self-evident and the instrument should be capable of showing some detail on the Moon, split double stars, etc.

If you can show your daughter how to use a planetarium app on a tablet etc she should soon be able to use it herself to find things. Some tablets have an internal digital compass that will align the sky map with the sky.

On 15/08/2021 at 21:15, CBear said:

read one answer that said the 127SLT couldnt’ perform well enough out of the box to view Saturn,

Utter nonsense. I managed to image the Great Red Spot on Jupiter with mine. Admittedly the 10mm eyepiece that came with it was not great and needed an upgrade, but that isn't unique to this scope.  ALL scope kits as sold come with one or two basic eyepieces and owners need to do an upgrade.

 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Cosmic Geoff

[Stu]

I think a lot depends on your daughter and how you think she will take to setting up the scope and aligning it. Kids are pretty tech savvy these days so I’m sure with some guidance she could manage it.

I wonder whether one of the new Goto Heritage scopes might be worth considering? I’ve not used one, but have the manual version Heritage 150p and it is a very capable scope, optically excellent.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/sky-watcher-heritage-150p-flextube-virtuoso-gti.html

Yes, the eyepieces could do with upgrading so perhaps budget for a couple at £50 ish (BST Starguiders are a good choice). There will always be plenty of help on here if you run into any problems.

I think what you are doing is incredible and I wish you both luck and a lot of fun in your Astro adventures!

[Sunshine]

Welcome Cbear! I think it's fantastic that you are doing your best to nourish your daughters curiosity, I will repeat what was said already regarding local astronomy clubs. There is no shortage of them, in every state, your best bet would be to connect with one of these clubs in your area and even better, join with your daughter. Having her join a club with her dad would fill her with excitement and, members will be more than happy to help you both along your journey. Having said that, a small table top dobsomian telescope would be great as it can be carried anywhere and easily set up by a 9yr old.  In any case, we want to help going forward so don't be shy about asking questions, I felt just like your daughter around her age and, it was the same nourishment given by my parents which set the course for my life as a young boy.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Sunshine

[Starslayer]

I am fairly new to this myself but have a look at this.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-series/celestron-starsense-explorer-lt-70-az-refractor-telescope.html

I have the more expensive 6" sct but the principal is the same. Plate solving technology etc.  This will be easy to set up and move around. A simple alignment between phone mount and scope holds its memory unless the cradle is moved.  You can move the scope around all day ( well night ) and with clear sky it will automatically reposition itself.  I recommend you at least look at the explanatory youtube vids on set up / use etc.  VERY reasonable price as well and you can always upgrade later. Other options are there with same tech but this is the smaller refractor which others have also recommended. FLO have one in stock and they will ship. 

Hope you and your daughter find what you need and hope this helps rather than add confusion.  Regards

Edit - some googling will bring other refractor options with the starsense tech.  eg.  https://www.picstop.co.uk/beginner-telescopes/celestron-starsense-explorer-lt-80az-refractor-telescope.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvO2IBhCzARIsALw3ASqroS12lII6MBFITH2M_MhEzBmcjBPJ_AyYV-9Wk-GUt13OxOo5SjYaAuXmEALw_wcB

Edited August 17, 2021 by Starslayer

[Roy Challen]

Lots of good comments above. All I can add is that when I started out, I had a cheap alt-az goto mount with a 70mm achro (Meade ETX70). It was very easy to set up, lightweight, and reliable. Using a compass was definitely 'good enough' if you couldn't see Polaris. The optics were fine, I didn't know that eyepieces needed upgrading until the internet told me what I had was poor quality, and I was perfectly happy with what they showed me.

The telescope showed me all the major planets, in 'good enough' detail, plenty of Messier objects (some of those, I have never even looked at since, even with larger telescopes), much detail on the moon, and even sunspots - you MUST use the correct filter when doing this though. In the 10 years I used this telescope, I never thought that it lacked in anything, and I found it invaluable in helping me learn the sky. If  your daughter can operate a mobile phone or tablet/computer, I doubt a goto mount will present any difficulty.

So, to conclude: lightweight is a necessity,and alt-az mounts would definitely make life easier (directions such as up/down left/right are intuitive). Goto is nice to have. Whatever you choose, just get out and enjoy it!

[Stu1smartcookie]

49 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

Lots of good comments above. All I can add is that when I started out, I had a cheap alt-az goto mount with a 70mm achro (Meade ETX70). It was very easy to set up, lightweight, and reliable. Using a compass was definitely 'good enough' if you couldn't see Polaris. The optics were fine, I didn't know that eyepieces needed upgrading until the internet told me what I had was poor quality, and I was perfectly happy with what they showed me.

The telescope showed me all the major planets, in 'good enough' detail, plenty of Messier objects (some of those, I have never even looked at since, even with larger telescopes), much detail on the moon, and even sunspots - you MUST use the correct filter when doing this though. In the 10 years I used this telescope, I never thought that it lacked in anything, and I found it invaluable in helping me learn the sky. If  your daughter can operate a mobile phone or tablet/computer, I doubt a goto mount will present any difficulty.

So, to conclude: lightweight is a necessity,and alt-az mounts would definitely make life easier (directions such as up/down left/right are intuitive). Goto is nice to have. Whatever you choose, just get out and enjoy it!

I second the above from Roy ... I was out last night looking at Saturn and Jupiter through my ridiculously cheap 70/700 skylux , and , i had fantastic views of Saturn. I used an EQ2 mount , put into Alt Az mode and  within 10 minutes i was observing double stars and the beautiful Cygnus region . A long focal ratio frac will actually give very good views and there is no cooling down time to consider , no faffing around with polar alignment ... just pure observing . 

[Andrew_B]

I think Tiny Clanger is on the money with her points about ease of use and intuitiveness when it comes to the choice of a refractor or a dob. I found it was a lot easier to get used to navigating the sky with only left-right reversal of the image rather than having it upside down as well and it's a lot easier to line the tube of a refractor up to a target than most other types of scopes. Obviously a finder largely takes away the need for that, but finders can also need to be aligned in the first place.

Another factor is that a moderately sized refractor can make an excellent spotting scope for watching birds and wildlife even with just a regular diagonal without having to spend the extra for an amici prism. This greatly increases the opportunities for using the scope, especially when the weather makes stargazing impossible.

[Pankaj]

Since she is 9 hence may find it difficult to understand the alignment process of a comterized mount. I suggest you provide her with a dob. Wrt identifying the objects in the sky, there are plenty of apps like Sky View for mobile phones.

[Jimbo64]

Hi CBear, I'm very new to this hobby and this may even be my first post on the forum (other than buying a finder scope). I too have been struggling with the basics of knowing what I'm looking at and pointing to where I want to be, so have spent a bit of time researching a solution that I hope will work for me - and should be easy enough for a 9 year old to use also.  I'm in the middle of a project to build myself a table-top to sit my dobsonian on, this will be calibrated from 0 to 360 degrees and easily able to point due north with the aid of a compass, so I'll have a pretty accurate azimuth system. I've also got a magnetic inclinometer to add to my scope, so am confident the altitude will be accurate also.  I'll then use this with an app (Stellarium) to have a high level of certainty over where to point at any given time.  I should have photos to post within the next few days if you think my idea resonates.

[Stu1smartcookie]

5 minutes ago, Jimbo64 said:

 I've also got a magnetic inclinometer to add to my scope

I have just acquired one of these , and whilst i can't verify spot on accuracy i think its a godsend for a manually operated scope .

[Tiny Clanger]

56 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I have just acquired one of these , and whilst i can't verify spot on accuracy i think its a godsend for a manually operated scope .

I've used one for a while, it certainly reduces the search area (I know from stellarium that the object I cannot see through the finder is at this altitude , so set the 'scope up to that angle and scan side to side ) and is cost effective , mine was  £10, I expect they are around £15 by now. Practically I found I was fumbling the buttons with cold fingers in the dark and accidentally turning on the (dazzling , green) backlight instead of the level (which has a timed auto shut down I can't change). I solved that by sticking some glow in the dark tape on to identify the on button.

It's certainly useful for me, but for a 9 year old, supervised by a visually impaired adult ? They would have to follow these steps

1) Level the telescope mount so that scanning horizontally ( az axis) keeps the same vertical (alt) angle as you pan the 'scope.

2) find the object they want to target on the app

3) read off the object's  alt setting (ignoring or rounding the digits after the decimal point)

4) Switch the level on, get a red light torch on the display so you can read it, and tilt the telescope until the level reads the required alt .

5) look through, and pan the 'scope gently across the correct area of sky without disturbing the alt setting.

It works, but I find it a faff, and only resort to it when I can't find a faint fuzzy any other way. I'd happily recommend it to an adult beginner, but taking account of the child's age I don't think this is a practical solution for her . Dad wants to help, but he cannot see well enough to do so.

I really don't think there is an easy answer here , it's either obvious targets a 9 year old can learn to point a low magnification scope at independently, or find a sighted helper, club or sympathetic amateur to help . Can a 9 year old point a refractor at the Moon with no help ? Certainly they can. I did with a  toy one I was given one Christmas when I was younger than 7 (when we left the house where I vividly recall having that astonishing first sight of the Moon magnified ). I'm pretty sure that refractor had no finder beyond some protrusions on the tube to sight along too.

Heather