The Best Telescope for Kids

Learning about space is an exciting topic for almost any kid! They’re awed and inspired by the vastness and beauty that is space. While most kids will just read about it and maybe see a few images on Google, why not take it one step further and encourage your children to explore the universe by buying them their telescope? 

If you’ve already introduced them to a microscope or binoculars, a telescope is an excellent way to further teach kids about scopes, prisms, and distance. As you’ll know, STEM learning fosters critical thinking and problem-solving. While raising the next generation of innovators, a telescope for kids is undoubtedly essential.

How Does a Telescope Work?

To understand how a telescope works, we first need to understand how our vision works when looking at an object far in the distance. A distant object appears smaller than it is. For our eyes to see the object clearly, more light is needed to bounce off that object and reach our eyes for us to see it. Our ability to see things far away relies on our eyes gathering as much light as possible and increasing the object’s apparent size. 

Therefore, you can think of a telescope as a tool that collects a lot of light for our eyes to see the image and increase the object’s size through magnification. The telescopes collect this light from the distant object and amplify it so that the object appears brighter than what our eyes could see on their own. 

But how does it do that?

Well, that depends on the type of telescope. There are three types of telescopes: a refracting telescope, a reflecting telescope, and a compound telescope.

How Refracting Telescopes Work

This type of telescope is called a refracting telescope. It’s the same kind that Galileo used, and it’s what binoculars also use. With a refracting telescope, the light passes through curved, clear glass called lenses. The lenses bend the light passing through them, making faraway things seem closer.

The problem with refracting telescopes is that the amount of light they can gather depends on the size of the objective lens; this means that the lens needs to be very large, which makes the telescope very heavy. The lens must be made with absolute precision, without flaws or bubbles, or it will negatively impact the image.

How Reflecting Telescopes Work

Telescopes have come a long way since Galileo’s time, and thanks to Issac Newton, many of today’s telescopes use mirrors rather than lenses. Telescopes with mirrors are known as reflecting telescopes. Reflecting telescopes work by having a concave mirror at the bottom of the tube. The mirror reflects light from the bottom to the top of the tube to a second mirror, redirecting the light to the eye. 

Reflecting telescopes avoid the problems of refracting telescopes and are much lighter and easier to make. However, reflecting telescopes have issues of their own. Because of their design, you must clean the mirror periodically. After cleaning, the mirror needs to be realigned again. You’ll have a blurry image if the mirrors aren’t correctly aligned. Originally, reflecting telescope mirrors were made using a silver coating that tarnishes and requires polishing. Today’s reflecting telescopes are aluminum-coated and need little polishing or cleaning, but you must replace the coating.

How Compound Telescopes Work

Compound telescopes, called catadioptric telescopes, use a combination of lenses and mirrors to gather and focus light. Like the reflecting telescope, they have a large curved mirror at the bottom of the telescope. This curved mirror reflects light upwards into a smaller mirror at the top. The smaller mirror reflects the light into a lens before the telescope, creating an image. Compound telescopes can be used to view objects close by and far away and are often used for astrophotography.

Here is a diagram to further explain how refracting and reflecting telescopes work:

What is the Best Type of Telescope for My Child?

We’re going to talk about both refracting and reflecting telescopes. Why? Because each type has its advantage depending on what you’d like to use it for. These advantages and uses will affect which one is best for your children and why. 

Refracting Telescopes

Refracting telescopes are great for viewing earth objects like birds and mountains. They can be used for viewing the planets or moon but aren’t ideal for faint objects. Refracting telescopes are simple, easy to use, and require almost no maintenance. If you want a fuss-free and lower-cost telescope, we’d recommend a refracting telescope.

If you are using your telescope to view earthly things while hiking or traveling mostly, consider reading up on the differences between a telescope and binoculars to see which one will fit your need the best. 

Pros and Cons of Refracting Telescopes: A Comparison Table

Note: These pros and cons are generalizations and may not apply to all refracting telescopes.

Pros of Refracting Telescopes	Cons of Refracting Telescopes
Produce sharp, high-contrast images with little to no maintenance required	Can suffer from chromatic aberration (a distortion of colors)
Have a sealed tube that protects the lens from dust and dirt	Typically offer a smaller aperture (diameter of the lens) for a higher cost than reflecting telescopes
It can provide excellent views of nearby objects, such as the Moon and planets in our Solar System	May require a longer physical length for higher magnification, making them less compact
Can provide excellent views of nearby objects, such as the Moon and planets in our Solar System	Can have a narrower field of view than reflecting telescopes

Reflecting Telescopes

Reflecting telescopes are ideal for viewing faint or deep-sky objects like galaxies. They are more expensive and require more maintenance than refracting telescopes but produce higher-quality images. Reflecting telescopes are also lighter and more compact in design. We recommend a reflecting telescope to get the most bang for your buck.

Pros and Cons of Reflecting Telescopes: A Comparison Table

Note: These pros and cons are generalizations and may not apply to all reflecting telescopes.

Pros of Reflecting Telescopes	Cons of Reflecting Telescopes
Great for observing faint objects in the sky, such as galaxies and nebulae	It can be more portable and easier to transport than larger refracting telescopes
Typically offer a larger aperture (diameter of the mirror) for a lower cost than refracting telescopes	The mirrors can be heavy and difficult to move or adjust
Don’t suffer from chromatic aberration (a distortion of colors) like some refracting telescopes do	It may require collimation (alignment) of the mirrors for optimal performance
Can be more portable and easier to transport than larger refracting telescopes	The mirror at the bottom of the telescope can collect dust, reducing image quality

What is a Good Age to Start Using a Telescope?

With supervision and guidance, around five or six is a good age to start using a telescope for kids. Kids can look into the eyepiece at this age and understand and appreciate their viewing. Younger kids and toddlers might not comprehend what they are looking at and might not focus enough on being interested or learning anything. A telescope is suitable for independent, unsupervised use for children aged seven or eight. At this age, they should be able to handle the telescope correctly and carry it around themselves.

Teach Your Kids How to Use a Telescope Correctly

Using a telescope can be exciting, but teaching kids how to handle one correctly to see objects is important. Below are a few steps to help them with the process:

• Set the telescope up on a flat surface away from any trees or buildings that might obstruct the view. Ensure that the stand or tripod is stable and planted firmly. 
• Correctly focus the telescope on a distant object, like a tree or building, using the eyepiece and focus knob for proper alignment. This will also help you to find objects in the sky.
• Choose the eyepiece with the correct magnification for the object you want to look at. Lower magnification eyepieces will provide a wider view, while higher magnification gives a better close-up view.
• Use the focus knob to adjust the focus until the object you’re looking at is clear and sharp. 
• If you’re focused on astronomy, use a star chart or astronomy app to help you find objects in the sky. 
• Remind your kids to take a break now and then. Looking through a telescope for extended times can cause strain on your eyes. If observation is done at night, remind them to give their eyes enough time to adjust to the dark. 

Seeing the Universe in a Whole New Light: A Guide to Telescope Filters

Telescope filters help us to better observe and study objects, especially in the night sky. Telescopes collect and focus lights from distant cosmic objects to produce a picture. However, the collected light can be affected by several factors, such as atmospheric conditions and surrounding light pollution.

Using different filters helps to block certain light wavelengths, which can improve our ability to see specific features and details. They also protect the observer’s eyes from dangerous light levels, such as when observing the sun during solar eclipses.

Remember that not all filters are compatible with all telescopes, so always check the manual or research before buying filters. Below are some of the most commonly used telescopic filters, which will greatly enhance your kids’ learning experience:

• Moon Filter: This filter reduces the moon’s brightness, making observing and studying its surface details easier.
• Sun Filter: A special filter is required for viewing the sun to protect the eyes. It can be used during solar eclipses or to observe sunspots.
• Light Pollution Filter: This filter blocks light pollution from streetlights and other sources, enhancing the contrast of faint objects in the night sky.
• Color Filters: Different color filters can enhance the contrast and visibility of specific features on planets, such as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.
• Nebula Filter: This filter enhances the visibility of faint nebulae and other deep-sky objects by blocking out certain wavelengths of light.
• Polarizing Filter: This filter can reduce glare from the moon or planets and improve the contrast of their features.

Filter	Description	Pros	Cons
Moon Filter	This filter reduces the moon’s brightness, making observing and studying its surface details easier.	Reduces the brightness of the moon, making it easier to observe and study its surface details	Can sometimes reduce the overall image quality or color accuracy
Sun Filter	A special filter is required for viewing the sun to protect the eyes. It can be used during solar eclipses or to observe sunspots.	Allows safe observation of the sun during solar eclipses or to observe sunspots	Must be used carefully to avoid eye damage or blindness
Light Pollution Filter	This filter blocks out light pollution from streetlights and other sources, enhancing the contrast of faint objects in the night sky.	Blocks out light pollution from streetlights and other sources, enhancing the contrast of faint objects in the night sky	It can be expensive and may not always be necessary, depending on observing conditions.
Color Filters	It can sometimes reduce the overall image quality or color accuracy	It can be expensive and may only be useful for more advanced observers	Enhance the contrast and visibility of specific features on planets, such as Jupiter’s Great Red Spot.
Nebula Filter	It may only be useful for more advanced observers or those with a specific interest in planetary astronomy.	Enhances the visibility of faint nebulae and other deep sky objects by blocking out certain wavelengths of light	Brightness or image quality can be reduced.
Polarizing Filter	It can sometimes reduce the overall image quality or color accuracy	Reduces glare from the moon or planets and improves the contrast of their features	It can be expensive.

Reach for the Stars: A Buyer’s Guide to Finding the Perfect Telescope for Your Kids

With many options available when choosing a telescope for your kids, it’s always good to know what important factors to remember before picking one.

Determine the Child’s Age and Experience Level

Age and experience greatly affect the type of telescope you should consider. Younger kids might be best suited to starting with something simple and more intuitive. In contrast, older kids and teenagers might show more interest in telescopes with advanced features and accessories.

Decide on the Type of Telescope

As you already know, there are three types of telescopes: Refractors, reflectors, and compound telescopes. Reflectors might be better suited to younger kids as they are generally easier t use. At the same time, refractors and compound telescopes work well with older or more experienced kids.

Consider the Aperture and Focal Length

While there are many parts and features to a telescope, the three main elements you need to be aware of when buying a telescope for kids are:

Aperture

The aperture of a telescope is the diameter (size) of its light-gathering lens or mirror that allows light into the telescope, also called the objective lens. Most of the time, it’s measured in millimeters, and anything larger than 60mm will give you a decent view of planets and satellites. However, the higher the telescope’s aperture is, the more light can enter the telescope; a telescope with a larger aperture will see objects more clearly.

Focal Length and Focal Ratio

While the aperture, the telescope’s light-gathering ability, is an essential feature, it’s not the most important thing when looking for an excellent telescope to view planets. This is because planets, as well as the moon, are the brightest objects in the sky.

If all the light comes from a small sky area, your telescope doesn’t need to gather light from a wide area. Therefore, instead, you want to have a ‘slow’ telescope. Essentially, this means a telescope with a small field of view. A longer focal length would be best to get a smaller field of view. Focal length refers to the distance between the optic lens and the plane where the image comes into focus. 

The focal ratio value refers to the ‘speed’ of the telescope’s optics. A lower focal ratio will provide a lower magnification with a wider field of view and a brighter image; this is best for viewing planets. You calculate the focal ratio of a telescope by dividing the aperture by the focal length.

Magnification

The higher the magnification, the larger the image. However, having a high magnification isn’t always the best. When a telescope’s magnification gets too high, the picture dims and loses contrast. 

Avoid telescopes that use their high magnification level (600x) as their only selling point when purchasing a telescope. The highest useful magnification level is twice your telescope’s aperture (millimeters, 50x for inches). To get a good image with 600x magnification, you’d need a 305mm (or 12-inch) wide telescope.

Portability and Ease of Use

A telescope for kids should be easy to transport and set up. Consider models that are lightweight with standard controls and adjustments. Tripods and other mounts will provide additional stability.

Choose Appropriate Accessories

Accessories like eyepieces, cameras, and filters will help enhance your kids’ observation experience.

Budget

The price range for a telescope can range from under $100 to thousands of dollars. When buying a telescope for kids, consider your budget and choose one that offers you the best value for money based on your and your kids’ needs.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions