Super Baby Album

If you have a young astronomer who would like to take the hobby to the next level, consider buying them a kid telescope.  We aren’t looking for a cheap plastic toy, but a beginner’s telescope designed specifically for novice star gazers.   Now it is important to select a telescope that allows for optimal viewing of celestial bodies while providing a clear magnified view of your selected celestial bodies.  A novice telescope that has these capabilities will provide for a more positive experience for your stargazer and heighten their interest in the night’s sky .

What Type of Kid Telescope Should You Consider?

With a less complex and simple, well-crafted design, the dobsonian telescope model is a top recommendation by some experts as one of the best children’s telescopes available in the better telescope shops.  Other experts believe that a more user-friendly reflecting telescope is a better choice for novices.  To make an educated selection, a good source of info is the telescope user reviews found at many online telescope websites.  But, whatever your choice, select the child telescope model that is tailored for new telescope users and one that can be set-up quickly and can be aligned and operates easily. While a  cannot offer custom or state of the art optics, ones from reputable manufacturers are generally quite satisfactory.  A word of warning though –  It is generally best to avoid “department store” telescopes.  These are generally of lower quality and designed for mass production at the expense of quality.

Why You Should Start with a Kid Telescope

The reasons we suggest that you start on a smaller scale is that you want to avoid the frustration of attempting to use an advance telescope without training and experience. A beginner telescope will afford you with a great number of opportunities to view the stars and planets while you learn the basics of stargazing.  Your  investment in a good quality child telescope can range from $200 – $2,500, but we would suggest that you look for telescopes in the $300 to $600 price range.

So, if your new astronomy student is ready to commence on their adventure to the stars, take a “right”  at the Sea of Tranquility and fly yourself into deep space by visiting the Crab Nebula. The whole experience is much easier than most think, thanks to the strong magnification , precision optics and simple operating controls of the new beginner telescopes .

If you have even a basic knowledge of astronomy, you know that there are a number of different types of telescopes used for viewing the cosmos.  No surprise to practicing star gazers, it is the refracting and reflecting telescopes that represent the two basic types of telescopes called on by today’s novice and professional star gazers.   Comparing both types, the refracting telescope has a history dating back centuries as our ancestors used this type of telescope to explore the heavens.   The refracting telescope dates back to the 15th century and is still a very popular telescope in the twenty-first century.  The truth be known, the refractor telescope is one of the oldest telescope designs still in use by today’s astronomers.

The Basics of a Refracting Telescope

The refracting telescope, also called a refractor telescope, consists of multiple concave lenses which allow the incoming light to be refracted, resulting in images that are more illuminated and greater in size.  These qualities make the actual images appear much bigger in scale than viewing with the naked eye.   These refractors gather the incoming light and bend it, allowing you to view objects from a distance.  This magnification is what provides you with the ability to clearly view the stars and night sky. Even though refracting telescopes look complicated, the reality is that they are just a series of concave lenses that refract the incoming light.

The Advantages of a Refractor Telescope

This telescope’s design has withstood the test of time, with numerous improvements and enhancements.   Throuhout the years, its design was continuously analyzed, resulting in continuous improvement of its design and magnification characteristics.  This was a great advantage, providing astronomers with the opportunity to determine the refracting telescope design’s strengths and weaknesses.

It’s well known that the design of the refracting telescope has been improved dramatically since the fifteenth century.  Even with the improvement of refractor technology, it is the size of the refractor telescope that still poses a potential concern.  As the need for increased magnification has presented itself, the refractor lens has become larger.  This can result in the potential for defects or sagging.

The truth is that refracting telescopes have proven themselves across the centuries and, to attest to their value, have remained one of the most popular designs among astronomers.  Regardless of the type of telescope you choose to scan the cosmos, the ongoing use and popularity of the refractor telescope provides assurance that it will be with us for decades to come.

Buying a Refractor Telescope

We know that it can be a little confusing trying to decide on the best refracting telescope to purchase.  But what we found was that visiting telescope and astronomy websites that provide telescope user reviews can be very helpful in making your decision.  So, whether you are considering a beginner telescope or professional model, be sure to do your research and you will be assured of enjoying many hours of star gazing pleasure.