Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Recommand a Telescope for a 12yrs old

  • 10-11-2020 4:14pm
    #1
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭


    I am interested in getting a Telescope for my 12yrs old son, he seems quite interested in "stargazing", and looking for some guidance/suggestions etc please.


Comments

  • #2
    Zubeneschamali
    Registered Users Posts: 16,686 ✭✭✭✭Zubeneschamali


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    I am interested in getting a Telescope for my 12yrs old son, he seems quite interested in "stargazing", and looking for some guidance/suggestions etc please.

    Good 10x50 binoculars are a better starting point.


  • #3
    ps200306
    Registered Users Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭ps200306


    Definitely binoculars. Or just use the naked eye and Stellarium on a smartphone to learn your way around the sky. Binoculars give an added extra when looking at the Moon, star fields, some binary stars, moons of Jupiter etc.


  • #4
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    Zubeneschamali wrote: »
    Good 10x50 binoculars are a better starting point.

    Would 25x70 be better, i saw a Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 Binoculars on an Irish Site, or this one Opticron 10x50 Adventurer II WP

    Trying to avoid Amazon..
    ps200306 wrote: »
    Definitely binoculars. Or just use the naked eye and Stellarium on a smartphone to learn your way around the sky. Binoculars give an added extra when looking at the Moon, star fields, some binary stars, moons of Jupiter etc.

    He already does a lot of stargazer with the naked eye, and has a few apps on the phone to track "things", must seem if Stellarium is one of them


  • #5
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    No kid who wants a telescope is going to be anything other than disappointed with a pair of binoculars, especially handheld size like 10x50.


  • #6
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    Would 25x70 be better, i saw a Celestron SkyMaster 25x70 Binoculars on an Irish Site, or this one Opticron 10x50 Adventurer II WP

    Trying to avoid Amazon..



    He already does a lot of stargazer with the naked eye, and has a few apps on the phone to track "things", must seem if Stellarium is one of them

    Avoid the 25x70 ones. They would be heavy and due to that weight and their high magnification they would need to be mounted on a tripod for use. The 10x50 on the other hand can be handheld due to their lower magnification and weight. The fact the child can just pick them up and use them would make them far more likely to use them. You can of course mount them to a tripod too. This would be especially useful when looking at the craters of the moon for example as it will eliminate any shake in the hands. The rule there by the way is the more magnification the worse the shake will be. The good thing about the 10x50 is that they would also be suitable for the child to view garden birds or boats at the beach etc. The use would extend beyond just astronomy.


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    Thargor wrote: »
    No kid who wants a telescope is going to be anything other than disappointed with a pair of binoculars, especially handheld size like 10x50.

    Wouldn't agree there, especially if a child has no experience of either. The great thing about the binoculars is that it would frame things like Orions Belt perfectly for the child. The child would be able to recognize it immediately and be impressed by the added detail as opposed to seeing a more magnified but narrow view through a telescope and not knowing what exactly they are looking at.


  • #8
    Daintydoll1
    Registered Users Posts: 34 ✭Daintydoll1


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    I am interested in getting a Telescope for my 12yrs old son, he seems quite interested in "stargazing", and looking for some guidance/suggestions etc please.

    Have a look at these recommendations here: https://www.meteorwatch.org/childrens-telescopes-choosing-telescopes-for-kids/


  • #9
    ps200306
    Registered Users Posts: 1,589 ✭✭✭ps200306


    Agree about the 25x70's. Too much magnification. 10x70 would be better than 10x50 for the greater light gathering at same magnification, but they're not as common (or cheap) as the latter. Also disagree about the telescope. A cheaper scope will end up being a lot less rewarding than binoculars. The field of view is small and confusing, the image is upside down, you spend more time looking at your own eyelashes than stars in a cheap eyepiece, and a rickety mount is frustrating too.


  • #10
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    Thargor wrote: »
    No kid who wants a telescope is going to be anything other than disappointed with a pair of binoculars, especially handheld size like 10x50.

    Would someething like a Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ be a good choice


  • #11
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    114 is small for a reflector, hopefully someone can recommend something better if that's your budget...


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    Jaden
    Registered Users Posts: 2,393 ✭✭✭Jaden


    A Celestron EQ 130 might be more on the higher end of what you want.


  • #13
    mvl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭mvl


    have you decided ? tempted to get similar for my 12yo daughter ...


  • #14
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    mvl wrote: »
    have you decided ? tempted to get similar for my 12yo daughter ...

    Kind of thinking of the Meade Infinity 70mm Refracting Telescope


  • #15
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    70 is on the small side aswell but at least with the refractor you'll have good terrestrial views seeing as the sky is clouded over so much here.

    See if you can find a Celestron Astromaster 90 az around that price, you do see them sometimes although probably not a good time of the year to be looking, that's a great refractor on the cheap, I had one and sold it years ago when I lived in Dublin with no space, still regret that years later.

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Celestron-AstroMaster-90-AZ-90mm-3-5-90mm-Refractor-Telescope-Kit-UK-Stock/264936649579?epid=1405729769&hash=item3daf74736b:g:bgQAAOSw0ohdHxJ2


  • #16
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    Thargor wrote: »
    See if you can find a Celestron Astromaster 90 az around that price, you do see them sometimes although probably not a good time of the year to be looking, that's a great refractor on the cheap, I had one and sold it years ago when I lived in Dublin with no space, still regret that years later.

    What you think of the Celestron 114AZ Newtonian Telescope


  • #17
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    I mean I'm not an expert but I always had it in my head that 130 was as small as you should go with a reflector, then again anything bigger than your link will have an equatorial mount instead of altazimuth and these can be too much for a child to handle. The image will be inverted in a reflector aswell so it will be for sky use only, no terrestrial use.


  • #18
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Celestron-Astromaster-90AZ-Refractor-Telescope-Mobile-Phone-Holder-in-VGC/124467834831?hash=item1cfadc6fcf:g:ON8AAOSw86pfx0yy&shqty=1&isGTR=1#shId

    Description says as new condition but minor box damage, thats a lot of refractor for the money if you could ParcelMotel or AnPost it over here (free UK shipping). Its bigger than it looks in the pics, great views of the moon and Jupiter/Saturn and enough for him to see if he likes tracking down trickier targets then he can save up for something properly powerful like a Dobsonian, read up on the difference between reflectors and refractors, cheap reflectors can be a pain in the ass:

    https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/buyers-guides/first-telescope-reflector-or-refractor/

    Anything smaller or cheaper will disappoint imo, thats a good beginner scope and if it gets abandoned after a few uses like most do you'll have a nice big spotting scope for terrestrial use, or just resell it for a profit, seems like Covid has caused a scope shortage nearly as bad as the bicycle drought!

    EDIT: Gone already.


  • #19
    Jaden
    Registered Users Posts: 2,393 ✭✭✭Jaden


    The 114 is just a smaller version of the 130 without the AZmount. It's fine as a starter scope, the 130 would be a little better.


  • #20
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    Jaden wrote: »
    The 114 is just a smaller version of the 130 without the AZmount. It's fine as a starter scope, the 130 would be a little better.

    If the choice was between the two below, given both are approx the same price, which would be better.
    • Celestron 114AZ Newtonian Telescope
    • Celestron Powerseeker 114EQ


  • #21
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,230 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    GerardKeating wrote: »
    If the choice was between the two below, given both are approx the same price, which would be better.
    • Celestron 114AZ Newtonian Telescope
    • Celestron Powerseeker 114EQ

    Still 10x50 bins.

    They’ll always have a use if the kid loses interest. If the kid gets very interested and wants to look at the moon, a refractor would be better. Likewise, if they want to hunt out deep sky objects down the line, a reflector would be better, but a significantly larger one than you’ve linked. If they get really really interested, they won’t be long outgrowing either. If they’re still astronomy mad after years pass, they’ll still use the bins as part of their overall setup, and will probably be on here offering the same advice to questions similar to yours.

    Edit: Lidl have binoculars in at the moment that would fit the bill perfectly. Consider them a stocking filler to pique an interest, and top off with a copy of Patrick Moore’s ‘Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars’.

    https://www.lidl.ie/en/p/christmas-gifts/binoculars/p55942


  • Advertisement
  • #22
    Thargor
    Registered Users Posts: 17,865 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    endacl wrote: »
    Still 10x50 bins.

    They’ll always have a use if the kid loses interest. If the kid gets very interested and wants to look at the moon, a refractor would be better. Likewise, if they want to hunt out deep sky objects down the line, a reflector would be better, but a significantly larger one than you’ve linked. If they get really really interested, they won’t be long outgrowing either. If they’re still astronomy mad after years pass, they’ll still use the bins as part of their overall setup, and will probably be on here offering the same advice to questions similar to yours.

    Edit: Lidl have binoculars in at the moment that would fit the bill perfectly. Consider them a stocking filler to pique an interest, and top off with a copy of Patrick Moore’s ‘Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars’.

    https://www.lidl.ie/en/p/christmas-gifts/binoculars/p55942
    What are those 10X60s? Might grab a pair myself.
    Jaden wrote: »
    The 114 is just a smaller version of the 130 without the AZmount. It's fine as a starter scope, the 130 would be a little better.
    How much of a 114 is going to be taken up by the spider and the secondary mirror though? Would it be much better than the 70mm Meade refractor he originally posted especially if not perfectly collimated? Genuine question I havent looked in years.


  • #23
    GerardKeating
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭GerardKeating


    So I ended up getting a celestron powerseeker 127eq and actually managed to get it on a local bricks and Mortar shop

    Thanks for all the advice


  • #24
    endacl
    Registered Users Posts: 22,230 ✭✭✭✭endacl


    Id still pick up the binos!

    :D


Advertisement