TelescopeBinoculars.org

Hi Akesha!

I was just in the midst of typing a long, involved answer to you, when we experienced a brown- out, and the computer shut down…

Drag.

Anyway, do yourself a favor, and check this out:

http://www.telescope.com

This place (Orion Telescopes) has a GREAT variety of telescopes at a great range of prices.

Remember that a scope’s best use IS use. If it’s too big to lug around, I wouldn’t use it, either.
Aperture is everything…
The bigger the lens (or primary mirror), the brighter and more detailed the target image will be…
The one you are about to buy this telescope for will not regret you’re having spent some time researching your purchase!

I Wish For You The Very Best of Luck,
and Clear Skies!
Bobby

If you have a real commitment to support this interest and it seems to be lasting, get him or her an 8" Dobsonian. That is a serious instrument he can use to observe a lot of interesting objects with. It will teach him or her hands on how to find them in the sky. It is not a toy. It is also not particularly expensive, at least not on a scale I would find expensive as an investment in my son’s or daughter’s science interests. If the instrument gets used, you can always upgrade to a telescope for astrophotography.

You’ve got some good answers there. I’ll just add my 2 cents. My parents got me a 4.5 inch telescope (that’s the size of the primary mirror) when I was 12. I loved that thing. The mount makes some difference – if he wants to do photography with it, you’ll need an equatorial mount and a motor. That costs a bit more. If he just wants to look at things, a Dobsonian is great – but you can’t track objects with it, so you don’t want to attach a camera to it. A 4.5 inch telescope will get you planets, binary stars, Andromeda, and clusters. An 8 inch telescope will get you all that, plus more distant galaxies and fainter nebulae. If you can afford it, go for the 8 inch.

And don’t buy it at WalMart! Quality telescope makers are Meade and Celestron. Their websites can usually point you to local dealers or even refurbished telescopes for a lower price.

The size is not that important.

Most important is this. Will he enjoy using it? The mount counts a lot for that, as well as the optics.

A cheap telescope is a very frustrating thing to use. The flimsy mount won’t let you point it properly, and the optics may be fuzzy or have color rings around bright objects. This is a sure way to kill interest in astronomy.

This is the cheapest I can recommend.

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=refractors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=24688

Decent mount and optics, $300. Orion is perhaps the best inexpensive telescope. I believe a refractor is a better choice for a first telecope than a reflector. More sturdy, more intuitive to use.

Whatever you do, DO NOT get a telescope advertised by power, like 300 Power! A sure sign of junk.

For $100 you could have a good time with these:

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7249-Action-10×50-Binocular/dp/B0001A3N58

and:

http://www.amazon.com/Binocular-Highlights-Celestial-Telescope-Stargazing/dp/1931559430/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197102224&sr=8-2

Or these, for a little more money:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=binocular_astronomy/~pcategory=binoculars/~product_id=09463

Once again, though, don’t cheap out. Poor optical instruments are no fun at all.

Most importantly, here’s what NOT to do:
DO NOT buy a Telescope at places like ebay, amazon, discount houses, department stores or, heaven forbid, the shopping channel or places like that.Yes, you can find bargains there, but you need a lot of experience to pick out the few good scopes from among all the junk sold there.
NEVER buy a Telescope that is advertised by it’s magnifying power!! it is a sure sign of a junk Telescope! ( I know it’s been said before, but it’s that important!! )
Orion Telescope is also my personal choice for a newcomer’s Telescope. They sell excellent equipment at very reasonable prices and are famous for their customer service.
The reason a 6" or 8" Dobsonian Telescope is our first choice, is that it is a serious observing instrument, yet is easy to set up, operate and sits on a rock-steady mount.
And after he gets some experience under his belt, can be adapted for many special purposes he might want to get into at a later time.
Forget all thoughts about Photography. It is a special subject all it’s own. He does not need the complications of a fussy mount and camera equipment.
He will be busy enough learning his way around the sky and how to operate his Telescope.
If you want to go a little farther, you can get him the Orion 8" intelliscope which has some basic electronics to help him get familiar with the sky. But NOT if it means going to a lesser scope because of the price difference. Electronics are strictly "nice to have" items. Always spend your money on optics rather than electronics.
Besides, the Orion Telescopes come with software that will help him find his way around the sky anyway.
Take a look at the Orion Catalog and you’ll see what we mean.
And yes, get him in touch with the local Astronomy club if at all possible. It is inexpensive to join and he will get tons of experience in no time.
Oh yes, there is always one item that is forgotten when buying a Telescope for a youngster: You will need to clear some wall space!! ‘Cause before you know it, he will have images from his new hobby plastered all over the walls, so be ready

Adolph