Any Stargazers in the House??

[lingovise]

So just recently my boys started talking up a storm about Telescopes. On and on and on about all the cool things they'd be able to see with one. I love to see them so excited about it and was able to borrow one from a friend... sadly it's one step up from junk and is turning out to be more frustrating than fun for them. So the hubs & I have decided to make the investment in one for the family, but neither of us know much of anything about them and research is proving to be daunting because they vary so greatly in price and features. Anyone have any suggestions or advice on what kind to get and what a good price point is for novice/beginners ??

 

[Darcy Baldwin]

It really really depends on how much you're willing to spend. Most of the lower range telescopes really aren't any better than investing in an excellent pair of binoculars. And for close distance viewing, binoculars can be a much better alternative than telescopes because you're able to track easier, you have a better view and the quality on the glass of great binoculars is so much better than on the less expensive telescopes (and binoculars are infinitey more useful for other things). The low-end scopes aren't going to allow you to see much in the way of detail in even the closest nebulas, and you're still only really seeing points of light in the stars. They really are meant for more near-earth viewing.

The optics on a telescope are what make it. Eyepieces are like camera lenses ... you get what you pay for. So lower end telescopes usually have the worst eye pieces. Flimsy scopes make it impossible to get good focusing because even the slightest breeze or disturbance sets the vibration going through the telescope giving you a fuzzier image.

This is under $150 and might be the one I'd buy if we were just starting out:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21048-PowerSeeker-80EQ-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKO


My preference is a Dobsonian (reflector) type scope - they are the ones with the really wide barrels as opposed to the refractor scopes (what you typically see). We built one in college (my first degree course really was astro-physics).

 

[Robin Carlton]

Darcy, your nerdiness kinda turns me on. I seriously have a major thing for nerds. You are awesome!

R

 

[Darcy Baldwin]

*snort*
I've given up trying to hide it and just let my nerd flag fly now

 

[BrattyMeg]

late to this post..but if you have a smartphone get the App called "Night Sky" It's awesome for stargazing just to identify stars that you are looking at I love it..we lay on the trampoline sometimes on a clear night with our iphones just gazing

 

[misserin]

Oh good stuff to know here! We didn't know any better and bought Maddox a cheaper scope last year and yeah, it just sits in his toybox now haha. He'd be stoked to get one we could actually SEE stuff in!