Telescope for a 12 year old?

hello,

I've had a request to provide a recommendation for a telescope for a 12 year old boy.

I'm inclined to recommend, books, binoculars, and software to help find objects ... if this maintains his interest then go the next step to a telescope.I'm interested in your foeedback - books? software? binoculars? other?

Thanks Dan

I'd say a 6-8" Dob. Maybe he'll get really interested in it, but who knows. There's probably a lot changing in his life at the moment, and external pressures also (peer pressure, girls, etc.). Shouldn't be any trouble moving an 8" around at that age, and he's only going to grow. Tough to say whether any kid at that age will stick with it, but maybe their interest will be piqued and they'll get more involved at a later date (seems to happen quite often).
Best of luck!
Tim

I am inclined to agree with Tim. A 6-8 inch dob does and awful lot, and does enough so that one doesn't get board. They are all that expensive new, and should turn up used as well.

I like your approach: a pair of wide angle binoculars and H.A. Rey's book "The Stars: A New Way to See Them" would be my recommendation.

However, if the little guy has his heart set on a telescope, I'd suggest either the 4.5" Orion StarBlast or an Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 Dob. Neither would break the bank, and be light years ahead of a comparably-priced department store refractor his parents probably have in mind.

Hugh Bartlett
Oakland, CA

I was going to recommend Oberwerk 8x56 or 9x60 binoculars, but they have gone up a little, and are now around $100-$110. They also might be a little heavy for a 12 year old to hold (over two pounds). I do think binoculars are a good idea.

Dan,

Is there a budget? If not, an AP Traveller f/5 on an AP 400 GTO mount.

If so, then we might have to go with a cheaper mount

Actually, if the parents can swing it, I think the Canon IS 12x36's would be the cat's meow. My neighbor's kids use them all the time. Those and the XT4.5 that I sold to my other neighbor.

If you are on tight budget, the Starblast would get the nod from me.

Tom

I think it depends on the parent buying the scope. My 5 year old daughter has a 12" SCT, atop an MI 250 goto mount and a nice SBIG ST2000XM ccd camera. While I, on the other hand, am getting a 6" dob for Christmas

Truly, a 6" scope is a nice start, but an 8" does improve the views of many beginner's favorites... I think an 8" scope is the aperture when globular clusters begin to really show their stuff

Another idea is a 4" refractor. The C4R from Celestron is a good target and can be had for around $400. The German EQ can be daunting for a youngster, but no more daunting than collimation.

Of course if this is a Father/Son tandem, then collimation is not a problem. Actually, depending on the 12 year old, collimation might be easily handled or picked up by themselves.

Of course the 6" dob will show more, but the refractor is much more rugged and should be trouble free for a lot longer.

I mention collimation only because for the uninitiated it can seem pretty hard. It also requires patience until you learn to do it properly.

Again, depending on the 12 year old, a dob could be a great first scope and the aperture advantage is hard to ignore. I started with a 60mm refractor when I was about 10.

One thing is for sure. If they have never used a scope before they will be thrilled with the moon through any telescope. If it hadnt been for the moon Im not sure my interest would have survived at that young age. Theres not much 60mm will show too well, but the moon looks great through most anything.

Good luck in your decision. Maybe post back and share what happens.

This is one of those situations where those of us in the know sometimes get off the track without realizing it. Do we know what they want. I've talked to too many sales types that have solutions to your problems before they know anything about you.

I generally start with the parents. Are they interested in astronomy? Will they relish setting the telescope up every time little Johnny wants to look through it or would they like to see Johnny learn how to set it up himself and have a ball with his buddys? Simplicity pays off.

Secondly,how about the child's aptitude and physical ability. I've helped one whiz of a young lady at age 12 get going with a 6 inch dob where holding binoculars steady enough to view at that age was a challenge. How many of you have had success trying to get a group equipped with binoculars locked on the same target? Ok, it is easier today with a green laser but who's going to direct it?

How about the child's eyes? I was recently working with a youngster and noted that his focus point was significantly different than my 20-20 setting. It was a suprise to the parents that he needed glasses in order to see the sky clearly enough to identify constellations for star hopping.

Where do they live? City or Country? Where do they intend to set up the scope, etc? Be realistic with the parents. Promising great views from under a city's light dome will not help your credibility.

So, you guessed it, pry as much info out of those parents as you can and keep it simple. You know the ropes: Budget, How much can he lift, Intended use, Enough flexibility for growth and last but not least, Who is going to be the MENTOR! These kind of things don't go far without someone stepping up and helping the parents/child along. Are you the one.

Respectfully,

Bill