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.
Not sure of the views from that particular camp, but I like binoculars with large objective lenses (more light gathering ability) for stargazing.
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.
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 have these binoculars - are they decent and would I be able to see these moons? All I've ever used them for is the moon.
Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008Y0VN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iDs.CbRRPW097
Dude, like the other used said, a good pair of binoculars are much better than low end telescopes. You get better optics, and larger aperture. The only place where binoculars might lag is magnification. That being said, I own a pair of Celestron 15x70 which I'd recommend to anyone in a heartbeat. They're brilliant to get started with, not much set up involved(except collimation, that's easy but), and I even managed to get a glimpse of saturn's rings recently!
I would invest $50-100 in a good pair of binoculars before you invest even more in a telescope. Telescopes are much more stable and customizable (namely in terms of changing the eyepieces/magnification), and you'll be able to pick out details like the rings of Saturn which you won't get from binoculars. However, they require a larger investment, more setup time, and are not nearly as portable (a big deal if you want to do some stargazing on a hiking trip). They're also just more complicated to use, at least at first.
A few years back I purchased some Skymaster 15x70 binos. They are quite powerful and work well on a tripod. However, there have been systemic issues with the lenses falling out of alignment over time. This can be fixed by adjusting a few screws (you can Google it), so if you don't mind a bit of mechanical work I can recommend them.
As an armature astronomer my self this is good advice OP. You will want something big lenses in the front (aperture) to collect lots of light and you want good optical quality so you can see as much detail as possible. I recommend something with a prism built in. I have these and they work great.
Thank you for your reply and recommendation. I will look for binoculars with those specifications. Initially I was looking at this: Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter. Do you think this one needs a tripod? It does look very big.
Ok so just got my self some of these -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008Y0VN?redirect=true&ref_=pd_hud_ya_orders
Very happy with the Price even when converting to Aussie Dollar. Worked out to $120 AUD. Can't get them that cheap in Aus.
Now to wait for a week or so for them to arrive :-)
If the big lens could reasonably fit in binoculars you are better off getting the binoculars.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-71009-Skymaster-Porro-Binoculars/dp/B00008Y0VN/
Same size objective lens, similar price, but much more practical. Pretty much every star gazer will suggest starting with suitable binoculars. Also once you get bored you have a useful tool rather than something that will sit in the garage until it goes to goodwill.
Get binoculars instead - Celestron SkyMasters are fantastic and well in your budget. Use the spare cash to grab a tripod for them. You'd be amazed how much you can see through them. Use those to get yourself familiar with the night sky while you save up a little more for a decent telescope. As others have said, a cheap telescope will do nothing for you. Binoculars will show you comets, star clusters, etc, that you'd never spot with the naked eye. Plus they're portable and have zero setup time.
I love my Celestron 15x70's. They're very well balanced, but you really need a tripod for extended viewing. The tripod adapter that comes with it imparts a lot of flex, but that can be easily cured by filling the side gaps with epoxy or JB Weld.
I like these and they are only around $60.00
Haven't had a problem with them and they work in day and night. They can be a bit heavy though so you might want to invest in a tripod stand if you plan to look at smaller things like planets.
Science is fascinating. Share with your cousin the process of science and the wonder of its results. That's the best seed you can plant.
Astronomical binoculars are a highly recommended birthday/kwanzaa gift. Go out with him and locate some galaxies in the night sky. andromeda is HUGE, way bigger than the moon... it's just barely too dim to see with the naked eye. A wonderful experience to see it looming large overhead.
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).
I'd recommend a telescope over binoculars. I know for an absolute fact I would have preferred looking through a telescope over binoculars as a kid. I'm guessing this would be most kids preference, but you'd know your kid best. You could just ask them, binoculars or a telescope?
If price is what matters, and you're looking for a cheap telescope, I'd recommend a Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ for less than $80. Comes with some accessories and has a smartphone mount so you can take pictures of what you see.
Another cool option would be a tabletop Dobsonian, like the Orion Starblast 4.5. Massive downside to that option is that it is currently overpriced. What I'd recommend is spending a little bit more to get awesome easy views, right from the start. Go the all out beginner route and absolutely melt yours and your kids brain from night one with the views from a 6" Dobsonian.
https://www.adorama.com/skws11600n.html
At $340 I know it seems expensive compared to the rest, but its still a very basic easy to use and even easier to set up entry level telescope. Also it doesn't cost much more than the Orion Starblast 4.5", yet it captures ~80% more light. The views you can get with a Dobsonian are unmatched by any other telescope design at the same price point. Another plus side this that if your kid decides astronomy isn't for them, almost any Dob you buy will hold its resell value incredibly well. Start by melting your families brains with the views from a 6 inch before deciding to upgrade to or complement the 6" with an 8" or 10" Dob.
Moving on from telescopes though, if you are interested in a pair of binoculars, it's going to be near impossible to beat the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70s. They are still $10 off currently, I doubt you could do better for under $100. Your child will very likely need a tripod to use them though, which will add cost.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008Y0VN
Whatever you decide, best of luck! Its easy to get addicted to chasing ever better views! Heaven help your wallet if your kids wants to get into astrophotography ^_^
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Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
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https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN
Deal link: Amazon
I want to watch the moon with great detail!
Should I buy an entry level dobsonian or a good pair of binoculars? (something like https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN?)
Thanks!
These are the ones, I recommend also getting a tripod with it. Honestly, they brilliant for the price!! Celestron 71009 SkyMaster 15 x 70... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00008Y0VN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I bought Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 for $75 at Amazon a while ago. Not sure why they are at $93 now, but typically they are around the $70 range.
I friend of mine got SkyMaster 25x70 Binoculars for $99, which is the next step up. These are just very slightly better than what I have, but worth the extra $25. These also fluctuate in price wildly, so maybe wait a week or two?
I am in a densely populated metro and I could see Jupiter and the moons quite clearly, but it requires either a tripod or just rest the binoculars on a car to keep the binocs so the moons can be seen clearly.
You can also see Saturn but not as well. You can make out that it has rings, but not a whole lot of detail. You do get some awesome details of the moon.
I also take these on vacation with me - really handy.
supposedly a lot of bang for the buck.. these or similar.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN?ref_=ast_sto_dp
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also get an app so you know where to look... or what you're looking at.
I like StarWalk 2.. there are lots. they tell you what's going to be coming up, etc..
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consider getting a red flashlight so you can see w/o ruining your night vision.
> Celestron SkyMaster 15x
These guys? https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN
What would be the next higher binoculars? I could easily swing something more expensive than $55.
I can second the Celestron Skymasters - I bought these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008Y0VN?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
And they work nicely, though to be fair, I've never used any other nice binoculars.
haha true.
I actually found these -> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008Y0VN/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00DV6SI3Q&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=11XJJW15ADQX01HQSFPY and they do ship to Aus. I have a Tripod already so its cool that they dont come with one.
Or there are these which -> http://www.ozscopes.com.au/acuter-skyland-15x70-binocular.html again no tripod and no mount but a mount only costs $9.00
More research to do though.
I've got a pair of Celestron 15x70 binoculars that I really like. I use them with a tripod adapter and pistol grip on a monopod. This is my first set of binoculars for stargazing, so I don't have a whole lot to compare it against, but I've been really happy with them. Some people would say that these binoculars are too big to handhold without stabilization, but I've been comfortable with them even without the monopod for short periods of time. The monopod with the pistol grip definitely steadies things well without be overly cumbersome. Overall, I would recommend my setup.
Why not invest in a good pair of astronomy binoculars? Orion and Celestron make good ones below $100. You could probably get a tripod off Craigslist. Binoculars tend to be better quality than inexpensive telescopes of the same price range. I personally wouldn't spend any less than $400 or $500 on a telescope.