Telescope for 11year old
- Thread starter Skynet5
- Start date
You may want to talk to first light optics. They're a good reseller in the astro community. Also think about second hand.
There are definite camps:
* deep sky (large faint nebulae, stars groupings etc) require large apertures and low magnification for our insensitive eyes to even detect.
* planets (bright objects that need large amounts of magnification
* Moon (really bright object.. that you can really go to town on with magnification)
* sun (specialist hydrogen alpha or special sun films - do not use a telescope to observe the sun)
* Imaging/astrophotography $$$ (this is where I have experience)
* Video "live viewing" astrophotography - lower cost alternative to imaging but allows to see on a screen objects that are impossible with the naked eye.
Unfortunately a master at one will be dismal at another.
So the first thing you want to decide what you want to look at. Moon and planets group together so a scope for one is usually good for both - for the moon even binos are good. Don't expect the images from Hubble with colours etc for deep sky visually - I've seen some but through a 19" wide mirror scope and a massive scope that had a 32" or a 36" mirror IIRC.
It's all todo with collecting light for your eye. Bigger diameter mirror/lens then the more light. Then comes the F-number - how much magnification it provides.. the more magnification the less light is available to start with (smaller area as it's zoomed in). This is why things that work well for one area do bad for another.
The obvious one is a dobsonian (Dob) which is a big tube that sits on the ground and was developed for budget end. You can get other smaller scopes that can provide magnification that will be brilliant for moon and planets but you'll not get anything - even pointing it at M42 (one of the brightest nebulae in the sky).
If you want to try imaging - you can always hire time on telescopes, take the data and play with it to make an image but it will get expensive the more you get involved.
The best way - get along to a local astronomy group and they are normally happy for you to look through their scopes and offer advice.
There are definite camps:
* deep sky (large faint nebulae, stars groupings etc) require large apertures and low magnification for our insensitive eyes to even detect.
* planets (bright objects that need large amounts of magnification
* Moon (really bright object.. that you can really go to town on with magnification)
* sun (specialist hydrogen alpha or special sun films - do not use a telescope to observe the sun)
* Imaging/astrophotography $$$ (this is where I have experience)
* Video "live viewing" astrophotography - lower cost alternative to imaging but allows to see on a screen objects that are impossible with the naked eye.
Unfortunately a master at one will be dismal at another.
So the first thing you want to decide what you want to look at. Moon and planets group together so a scope for one is usually good for both - for the moon even binos are good. Don't expect the images from Hubble with colours etc for deep sky visually - I've seen some but through a 19" wide mirror scope and a massive scope that had a 32" or a 36" mirror IIRC.
It's all todo with collecting light for your eye. Bigger diameter mirror/lens then the more light. Then comes the F-number - how much magnification it provides.. the more magnification the less light is available to start with (smaller area as it's zoomed in). This is why things that work well for one area do bad for another.
The obvious one is a dobsonian (Dob) which is a big tube that sits on the ground and was developed for budget end. You can get other smaller scopes that can provide magnification that will be brilliant for moon and planets but you'll not get anything - even pointing it at M42 (one of the brightest nebulae in the sky).
If you want to try imaging - you can always hire time on telescopes, take the data and play with it to make an image but it will get expensive the more you get involved.
The best way - get along to a local astronomy group and they are normally happy for you to look through their scopes and offer advice.
Soldato
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- 6 Jan 2012
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I've got a Celestron reflector if of interest? Been tucked away for a while, used a couple of times but too much light pollution near me. One of those that tracks via software but maybe betting buying new if you want updates.
I was really into astronomy at that age and ended up getting an O level, great fun and recommended!
Those are bright only at low magnification.
When you crank up magnification light from surface source gets spread to bigger area lowering its intensity per surface area unit fast.
Myself just went through "small" upgrade from 110mm f/7.3 TAL-1 to Orion Optics VX10, whose light gathering power allows "brute force" observing moon through thinner clouds.
Also more aperture means higher resolution ceiling.
Would you be helping in use of telescope/carrying it?
That money would easily get full size Dobson, which has minimal setup time if you can store it in unheated space.
Ursa Major 6
First Light Optics - Suppliers of Astronomy telescopes, binoculars and accessories from Skywatcher, Celestron, Meade, William Optics, Atik, Imaging Source, Starlight Xpress, ADM, Moonlite, Catseye, Hutech and others.
www.firstlightoptics.com
If you would do observing together there's also 78% more light gathering 8" model (weight is ~21kg) for near that price.
Ursa Major 8" f/6 Dobsonian | First Light Optics
First Light Optics - Suppliers of Astronomy telescopes, binoculars and accessories from Skywatcher, Celestron, Meade, William Optics, Atik, Imaging Source, Starlight Xpress, ADM, Moonlite, Catseye, Hutech and others.
www.firstlightoptics.com
Man of Honour
I was bought a cheapy as a birthday present, didn't cost more than £80 at the time, a good few years ago. Came with a selection of different optics and a sun viewer. It's quite difficult to use if I'm honest, although I would like to spend more time trying. There may be value in opting for something more expensive.
While very fashionable, those computerized telescopes are lot more work involving to get observing started.
Without power they're useless and without doing alignment they don't know where they're pointing at.
When stored in unheated space manual telescope like Dobson is take it outside, set it on ground, put eyepiece into focuser and start observing.
Though even when stored in warm space open tube of Newtonian cools down faster, while folded light path of Cassegrain suffers even more from thermals.
And very exposed corrector plate is dew/frost magnet, because of so easily radiating its heat to sky and cooling below ambient.
And for all around general observing that long focal length/ratio of SCTs (+physical design) are challenge for getting wide views.
For example showpiece object like Pleiades is problem for them.
Also small aperture per price makes deep sky objects mount can find over manual telescope very faint fuzzies.
Though if you live in city most of those wouldn't look inspiring.
Again Moon and planets are basically light pollution proof and very easy to find manually targets.
I started with a vixen a80mf (dont bother) and jumped to a Pentax 105SDP.. however imaging is an endurance sport. Out camping when the water in the kettle froze, icles formed on the car overnight.. but when you get to -15 or below with 6 layers on, thermals, ski gear, etc in the moutainous south of france (12h to the channel).. it’s not compatible with a day job!
You can get a iphone eye piece holder to record footqge and stack the frames together later.
Soldato
Eyepieces! Everyone talking about scopes but you won’t see anything without eyepieces 
Some scopes come with reasonable ones that will be good enough to start (some should be binned to prevent disappointment). There are excellent budget eyepieces available. Been a while since I looked but my BST Starguider ones have been great at £50 a pop (this is on a beginners 6” reflector).
Some scopes come with reasonable ones that will be good enough to start (some should be binned to prevent disappointment). There are excellent budget eyepieces available. Been a while since I looked but my BST Starguider ones have been great at £50 a pop (this is on a beginners 6” reflector).
and im at this point now!Eyepieces! Everyone talking about scopes but you won’t see anything without eyepieces
Some scopes come with reasonable ones that will be good enough to start (some should be binned to prevent disappointment). There are excellent budget eyepieces available. Been a while since I looked but my BST Starguider ones have been great at £50 a pop (this is on a beginners 6” reflector).
Got the 6se, tested it powers on and pointed it at a tree.
My lads birthday is Tuesday. So he will get it then.
But I need:
Dew guard.
Dew ring.
Desiccant cap…And
definitely another eye piece…
The included one is 25mm and I know that we will immediately be wanting a 7-12mm for more magnification next time the moon is clear.
Im looking at the Celestron x-cel range.
I’ve tried a number EP brands, i ended up buying a few Baader EP and I picked up a Pentax Plossil second hand. One of the biggest improvements I made was dumping the bundled EP for the Baader. I got loaned a couple of Pentax EP (eye-watering price), the planets appeared 3D in stunning clarity compared to Baader and the Baader had more detail than the William Optics. Only issue my SDP has is that it’s designed for imaging so yhe back focal point us quite short so i can use the 90 bend with thr helical focuser… so i have to get a laid back seat to sit back under the scope
You may want to get a small foam filled box and cut holes to put the EP in. Keeps them save and from rolling around.
Also when you come inside - take the caps back off the scope and the EP to let the condensation dry off. You dont want to leave the scope with condensation - even if it looks clear. Just point the scope slightly down when inside and it should prevent any dust from settling on the front lens.
You may want to get a small foam filled box and cut holes to put the EP in. Keeps them save and from rolling around.
Also when you come inside - take the caps back off the scope and the EP to let the condensation dry off. You dont want to leave the scope with condensation - even if it looks clear. Just point the scope slightly down when inside and it should prevent any dust from settling on the front lens.
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Before getting more familiar with seeing conditions wouldn't recommend much below 10mm focal length eyepieces.
Zoom eyepiece could be usefull to account for variations in seeing.
With focal ratio of f/10 you won't be getting wide Pleiades fitting view, but about any eyepiece will perform well.
If long glasses compatible eye relief isn't needed, these would give wide view per magnification:
Nirvana-ES UWA-82º Ultrawide Eyepieces
First Light Optics - Suppliers of Astronomy telescopes, binoculars and accessories from Skywatcher, Celestron, Meade, William Optics, Atik, Imaging Source, Starlight Xpress, ADM, Moonlite, Catseye, Hutech and others.
www.firstlightoptics.com
Im learning about eye relief. I wear glasses, but my son thankfully doesn’t need them…yet.Before getting more familiar with seeing conditions wouldn't recommend much below 10mm focal length eyepieces.
Zoom eyepiece could be usefull to account for variations in seeing.
With focal ratio of f/10 you won't be getting wide Pleiades fitting view, but about any eyepiece will perform well.
If long glasses compatible eye relief isn't needed, these would give wide view per magnification:
Nirvana-ES UWA-82º Ultrawide Eyepieces
First Light Optics - Suppliers of Astronomy telescopes, binoculars and accessories from Skywatcher, Celestron, Meade, William Optics, Atik, Imaging Source, Starlight Xpress, ADM, Moonlite, Catseye, Hutech and others.www.firstlightoptics.com
Does that mean glass wearers prefer lens with higher eye relief… 16mm+
Soldato
This is great for giving you an idea of what FOV eyepieces will give you.
astronomy.tools
astronomy.tools
astronomy.tools
Check out the Astro-fi.
Motorised and configured via an app. Point at 3 random stars / planets and it figures out where it is and then can re-align to other things. Good starter imo especially if they aren’t into polar aligning it!!
Motorised and configured via an app. Point at 3 random stars / planets and it figures out where it is and then can re-align to other things. Good starter imo especially if they aren’t into polar aligning it!!
For users of glasses eye relief should be like 20mm.
It's the distance from eye lens surface viewer's eye/pupil needs to be for seeing whole field.
So if eye lens is significantly concave and especially sunk into eyepiece frame effective eye relief can be clearly lower.
(and small eye lens diameter means shorter eye relief because of being like looking through smaller hole)
Meaning 16mm can fast become 10mm
And those Nirvana UWAs+Meade PWAs (same eyepiece with brand overpricing) have basically below 10mm actual eye relief.
Anyway wouldn't be easy for seeing most of the field even for non-glass users, unless having favourable face/head shape.
High cheek bones, nose etc increase distance how close you can get eye to eyepiece.
Also eye relief can and most of the time varies inside same eyepiece serie:
Shorter than focal length eye relief is easy to achieve and long focal ength eyepieces often have lots of eye relief.
Again making eye relief longer than focal length needs retrofocus design similar to camera lenses adding complexity/size.
And the more eye relief is increased over focal length, the bigger the increase of complexity.
That's why long eye relief eyepieces like Baader Morpheus have size increasing when going to shortest focal lengths.
BST Starguider ED again has ~5mm variation in eye relief behind clear size drop from 12mm to 8mm focal length.
Far/near sightedness can be fully compensated by adjusting focuser, but that needs adjusting focuser every time next viewer has difference on focus on eye.
So long eye relief eyepieces still have better usability for many viewers.
Astigmatism again needs use of glasses except in milder astigmatism cases when using of higher magnification/smaller exit pupil uses only central lowest aberrations part of the eye's lens.
You'll get exit pupil by dividing eyepiece focal length by telescope's focal ratio.
Mild astigmatism wouldn't need glasses below 2mm or at least around 1mm exit pupil
Again if exit pupil becomes bigger than pupil of the eye, some light is lost and telescope becomes effectively smaller in aperture.
And in case of central obstructed telescope (all non refractors) shadow of central obstruction would eventually become visible.
But with focal ratio of Cassegrains that isn't any issue.
Soldato
I have a few of the best star glider eye pieces and there pretty good for the money. I also use one of those zoom eyepieces for the convenience.