Recently an old friend asked me what telescope he could get for his young child on a $100 budget. I haven’t really delved into budget telescope for youngsters here except to point out to stay away from most department store telescopes if at all possible! I decided, especially with Christmas just around the corner, that now would be a good time to address budget ‘scopes for kids. After all, childhood is the perfect time to develop an interest in the heavens! I found four telescopes that should satisfy most youngster’s curiosity plus keep dad’s wallet happy by staying under $100. I put them here in no particular order.

FunScope 76mm Tabletop Reflector

Orion GoScope 80mm Tabletop Refractor

Orion SkyScanner 100mm Tabletop Reflector

Orion Observer 60mm Altazimuth Refractor

These four telescopes range in price from $60-$100 at telescope.com. Click the Orion Telescope Store banner to the right to check them out. Keep your child’s interests and capabilities in mind when deciding which ‘scope to purchase. For example, the Orion Observer may be too difficult for a young child to operate by him or herself. If your child has interests in nature viewing then the GoScope or the Observer may be good choices as they should provide better non-astronomical viewing than the SkyScanner or the FunScope. Will any of these ‘scopes be good for deep sky viewing? No, absolutely not. They are too small to have the light gathering capability needed for deep sky viewing but any of these telescopes should provide many hours of fun exploring the craters and mountains of the moon as well as interesting views of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn!

There is no one specific telescope model that will answer all your stargazing needs. Stargazers should purchase a telescope based on their observing habits, and of course, how much they are willing to spend on a hobby. Buying telescopes used to be getting a 60 mm refractor at first, then upgrading to a 6” f/8 Meade telescope or Criterion telescope. After a while, those who stuck with the hobby eventually bought a bigger telescope, like an 8” Schmidt Cassegrain. During the 60s and 70s, Newtonian telescopes were all the rage among backyard astronomers. The 80s brought an influx of interest in portability, boosting Schmidt Cassegrain sales, making Meade and Criterion the biggest names in telescopes at the time with both companies trying to outdo the other with features.

Soon after, refractor telescopes made a comeback with the coming of ED and fluorite glass. Which brings us to today’s telescope market. Nowadays we see all three designs being used with equal popularity. You can find a telescope buying guide online that lists all the pros and cons of each specific model, but below, we have listed some of the other qualities and features of various telescopes.

As far as starting telescopes go, 4.5” to 6” reflectors make excellent choices. They provide hobbyists with a decent enough scope and aperture while still keeping it simple and portable. It also stays within a fair price range of $300 – $600 Should you go for a refractor, try to get an 80mm with a stable mount.

Of the different types of telescope, many find the Newtonian models as the most comfortable. One can stargaze for a longer period without any trouble. The eyepiece itself is almost always positioned at a convenient height, making it easy to look through. On that note, the most uncomfortable telescope to look through would probably be a Refractor.
If you’ve already read through a bunch of tips on buying telescopes, then you’ve probably already been warned about buying telescopes from department stores or toy stores. These telescopes are just one rung above children’s playthings under the guise of professional equipment. Many would be astronomers fell to this ploy only to be frustrated at their telescopes, abandoning what would have been a very rewarding hobby. Again, just to emphasize the importance of this reminder: do not purchase a telescope in a department store or toy store, it is better to buy a telescope in a reputable astronomy shop.

Stargazing is one of the most rewarding hobbies. It is generally the act of observing and admiring the night sky. Most everyone of us had already taken the time to marvel at the stars on clear night. Often it’s this appreciation of the night sky that brings people to the wonderful world of amateur astronomy. If you yourself are looking to pick up this fascinating hobby, here are some tips on doing so:

Stargazing is about observing. Contrary to popular belief, stargazing doesn’t necessarily mean you have to purchase the best telescope you can afford. You can actually do this at first with your own eyes. In fact, it’s best to familiarize yourself first with the general map of the stars, before you actually dive in into the specifics. A good pair of astronomy binoculars would be really helpful at this point.

Brush up on your astronomy. You can do this by gathering astronomy resources from your local library, local observatory. The beauty of reaching out with these local establishments is that they may already be able to give you stargazing pointers specific to your location. You can also gather more data from astronomy magazines and websites.

While you’re at your local planetarium, familiarizing yourself with the stars, planets, moons, and other celestial objects, you can also try to grab a star map. Seek help regarding orientation as well. Familiarize yourself with the constellations and their location in relation to each other and to you. This will help you out greatly.

Once you’re more comfortable with the stars and their layout, you can then move on to the next level, which usually means having to purchase your stargazing equipment. To help you decide on which telescope for beginners to buy, you can review products online, or consult a telescope buying guide.

Keep in mind that telescopes are still your best tool in amateur astronomy. A good telescope for beginners would definitely open your eyes to the wonders of outer space and would be a wise investment to start you out on your stargazing hobby. Astronomy binoculars will also be important to give you a more general scope of the sky before you zoom in on something with your trusty telescope.

Stargazing is also more fun if you share your experience with other likeminded individuals. Try looking for an astronomy club or some organization where stargazers meet. They will also be able to help you out on your stargazing path.

Once you have decided to pursue the hobby of stargazing and maybe even making it someday as an amateur astronomer, sooner or later you will also have to purchase a decent telescope for beginners for yourself. It may not be the best telescope around, but seeing as at this point you will just have decided to actually study the stars, an entry level telescope should do just fine. But with so many telescopes out there to choose from, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Here then are a few points to keep in mind, should you take the plunge and actually go ahead and purchase a telescope of your own.

Before you actually do go get a telescope, you have to make sure that stargazing, and astronomy, is for you. At this point you should already be able to name constellations and maybe even point out a planet visible to the naked eye. If you can’t point out one heavenly body, how then would you expect to direct your telescope at it as well?

Aside from learning the basics of astronomy, it is also important for an aspiring amateur astronomer to keep up with the latest astronomy news. This can easily be done by subscribing to astronomy newsletters and magazines. Being a member of an online astronomy forum would also help you keep tabs on the latest astronomical developments. Aside from being a part of an online community, it would also greatly help your efforts to be a part of a local astronomers’ group as they would be able to school you on the local practices in your region or area. They usually also have gatherings or events where you could join in on the fun, like group stargazing activities and such. This way you can also test out some telescopes before actually buying what you want.

Then again, what you may just need may be a pair of binoculars. There are recently released “giant” astronomy binoculars that offer spectacular views of the night sky, especially if you know how to handle one. Also, a good pair of binoculars would be a wise first step in getting into astronomy as even once you’ve already got the best telescope you could ever want, you would actually still need a good pair of astronomy binoculars to make quick scans of the sky. Once you’ve got all these down pat, that’s the only time when you can make a good, informed decision on purchasing your own telescope.

The most common mistake people make regarding telescopes is that they believe telescopes are made to “make objects appear closer or bigger”. This is perhaps true in some cases, as there are telescopes whose main function is to basically magnify images. But the true purpose of telescopes is to actually gather light in order to be able to view objects where light is pretty scarce. Think about it, objects in outer space are difficult to see from where we are because aside from the fact that they are too far from us, there also isn’t much light that reaches us to see them as well. As such, it doesn’t matter how powerful your telescope’s magnification is; if it doesn’t gather enough light, you still wouldn’t be able to see much with it.

The more light a telescope gathers, the brighter and clearer the object would appear to be. This is why one major factor to consider in purchasing the best telescope for beginners would be the aperture. The aperture is the part of the lens that allows light to illuminate the object through the scope lens. The wider the aperture, the more light is casted on the planet, star or whatever celestial body you wish to see through your telescope.

Aside from this, you also need to know of the types of telescopes out on the market. This will also help you understand how a telescope works, especially if you’re someone looking to purchase a telescope for beginners. There are mainly three types of telescopes, both with their pros and cons, of course, and to make your decision on what type of telescope to buy, you should understand how all three work and how they would affect your stargazing.

Refractor Telescope – A refractor telescope gathers light with lens on one end, focusing it on the eyepiece all the way at the other end. These have the potential for the clearest image as there are no light obstructions. However some discoloring might become visible through a refractor.

Reflector Telescope – Invented by Sir Isaac Newton Himself, the Newtonian scope Is usually the cheapest telescope and gathers light through mirrors in its body. NO color problems in this one, however it is more prone to contrast loss than the other types.

Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope – The Schmidt Cassegrain telescope, on the other hand, utilizes both technology of lenses and mirrors. Its advantages include being compact, and are cheaper than refractors.