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The best "telescope" in that range is a pair of binoculars. Anything else is more likely to cause someone to be turned away from astronomy.
These are $56 at amazon right now (normally $90). Get those and a decent tripod (the binoculars are a little heavy), and the total price should be well under 100 pounds.
I happened across it while looking for headgear to wear on days when I can't decide whether to ride my motorcycle or retake Jerusalem.
Celestron 71198 Cometron 7x50 Binoculars (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_4Y.SAb8HRKFV2
These are probably the cheapest decent thing you can get for ~$30 brand new. Binoculars are a good entry level tool for stargazing.
You might be able to find a used Astromaster 70 refractor online for ~$30.
hey, you probably already know this, but your icon/flair is on Amazon
Sorry to hear, but telescopes are a quirky hobby...you need many things to be right including the cash lol.
You could get these binoculars...
Celestron 71198 Cometron 7x50 Binoculars (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_GIbOBbZB7DZB8
I use these all the time along with my dobs. They are cheap but solid. If you ever find yourself away from light pollution, you can still see plenty. And you can use the binoculars for other things...bird/nature watching, sporting events, etc.
I have a pair of 7x50 Celestron Comestrons that I love. They are super cheap but work just fine. I can hand hold them or use a monopod for stability.
I have yet to find a reason to by anything more expensive. Any binoculars a little bigger and you start to need a tripod or some sort of mount because of the weight.
You can buy 2 pair for <$100. One for you, one for whoever you're with.
Celestron 71198 Cometron 7x50 Binoculars (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lpVLBbTFWZ142
Not sure of the views from that particular camp, but I like binoculars with large objective lenses (more light gathering ability) for stargazing.
Eyeskey Universal Cell Phone Adapter Mount - Compatible with Binocular Monocular Spotting Scope Telescope and Microscope 106g (3.74oz) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J9F19I8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_2shCyb5EYFKZ5
This specific link said it was sold out , but I have seen it many times on Amazon in the past. This is just the exact link of where I got it
I have these. They're nice, clear glass for pretty cheap (I linked Amazon out of convenience but you can find them cheaper) and work well for me out to 150 yards.
I know they sell them at the Tower of London, but I’d imagine they’re priced up for tourists. I got one there of pretty good good quality, but if you’d rather buy online they’re pretty cheap on amazon
Honestly, in reasonably dark skies you can see truly extraordinary things with binoculars. I've done a fair bit of astrophotography, but these days with very few exceptions I'm looking through binoculars. But you need astro binocs, not some random binocular. Regular binoculars have apertures that are too small - everything looks dark. I own and use these and only these -- Celestron 25x70s for 65 bucks. It comes with a thing to connect it to any tripod, so you don't have to hold it. If you don't own a tripod, you can get one on Amazon for 15 bucks.
Clear skies!
In reality, the binoculars are literally two small refractor telescopes:)
Well, It's not a full set of armor, I'm just a peasant and can't afford it, but you can get the helmet, the chainmail coif and the tunic for a fair price on Amazon (You should have a strong neck though, it's all quite heavy and not easy to wear).
https://www.amazon.com/SZCO-Supplies-Brass-Crusader-Helmet/dp/B007XP1ECS Here's the helmet, there's a suggestion for the rest of the stuff but you might wanna spend some time looking for good prices.
Good luck crusading out there my friend!
At $170 for astro, consider the Nikon Action EX 10x50, a step up from the Aculon. Either or both might be available refurbished for less money the Nikon website.
You can see the moons decently well with a pair of 10x50. Im able to see them just outside of Portland OR. But they are really tiny. I would recommend also getting a tripod with it because shake is a real issue. Saturn is also pretty visible. with 10x50s too. Don't expect them to be really large though. I don't have these but they are pretty cheap and have heard good things from them from friends. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZN4TZS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ve3gFbEC5PHFQ
No, those won't work for rings. You'll get Jupiter though and a few of it's moons but they'll look like bright objects. Nothing like the red spot. These should work on a clear night but they're big, bulky and meant to be in a tripod. Plus I still don't know what you mean by rings. One solid ring? Individuals? It'll still look like a star but obviously a different shape
Celestron 71198 Cometron 7x50 Binoculars (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VA9KBbNNQQ6NV
I have these. I wear glasses and have a slight astigmatism. The eyecups fold down to accommodate glasses. They work fine with my glasses on.
If you wear glasses, I believe any binoculars with foldable eyecups would work.
I got a pair of these:
With those you can see that Jupiter isn’t a point of light like the stars are, and you can see its 4 moons. You can see them change position from night to night.
As an aside, the Pleiades looks incredible through these. With my London suburb naked eye I can see the Pleiades as a indistinct haze but through the binoculars I can see probably 70+ stars in one field of view.
Here you go, Amazon is offering me Celestron Cometron 7x50s here in Australia via Prime, delivered for $A58.26 today. Hard to beat that!
https://www.amazon.com.au/Celestron-71198-Cometron-Binoculars-Black/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B73JONS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
$98 right now. Bought a pair and was happy with them, gave to a friend when I wanted more expensive ones and he's also happy with them.
I've heard that Celestron Cometron 7x50s are decent for astronomy and in your budget. I haven't personally used them though. I don't do any nature stuff though so I don't know how good they are for that purpose
Have you considered just buying a cheap one if it's just for a costume? Even vs. making it yourself, $60 is pretty tough to beat.
https://www.amazon.com/SZCO-Supplies-Brass-Crusader-Helmet/dp/B007XP1ECS/
I second that. A lot of times, people just need to be treated like fellow human beings. That was really part of Carl Sagan's point in Pale Blue Dot, so good on you OP.
u/loongo, if you're looking for something that is perfect for beginners, I suggest binoculars designed for stargazing. I recently bought these: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0007UQNTU and have been very impressed. One thing of note: you will need a good tripod.
I used a pair of 20x80 binoculars that my dad bought at Cabelas almost 25 years ago. Something like this https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU would be equivalent to that.
No, not at all. You can see them before it's completely dark (close to dark but still some light) and you can see them when there's light pollution. I usually do it on my back deck with light from inside the house shining through the windows. I use a pair of Celestron Skymaster binoculars but just a regular pair of 8x42 (cheap ones) will work as well. The neat thing is ANY pair of binoculars will show you soooo much more in the sky at night than you can possibly see with your eyes. It's really amazing to see, for the first time, how many stars are in your view with any old pair of binoculars.
Celestron Skymaster 15x70 Trust me.
These are very portable. I have them in 25x70 which are physically the same size and I hand hold use them to find stuff all the time. 15x70 will give you nice balance of wide field of view and detail.
Mine are similar to u/wildgurularry but they are the 15x70mm binoculars, I think they might be a little bit lighter? It also comes with a tripod mount, but I don't have a tripod yet. I just lean the end of the binocs or my elbows on something, or lay on the ground and look up with them, let my face do the heavy lifting :P hahaa.
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Here is the link for the one I have. Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars (Amazon Canada)
I second binoculars as well! One of the best things I’ve learned from astronomy books is that you don’t need an expensive pair of binoculars to see amazing things. 10 x 50 is ideal for astronomy, but these 7 x 50 would also be great to start with ($35 and by Celestron): https://smile.amazon.com/Celestron-71198-Cometron-Binoculars-Black/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/
Get yourself a nice pair of binoculars, Celestron has a pair around 100€ here in Germany that should be pretty powerful/good to start off with for example.
Be mindful that at 15x magnification hand holding will be difficult, so if you have an unsteady pulse, go for the 7x50 instead (they are also cheaper at 50€ instead).