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 own 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 an essential item.
Celestron Astromaster 70AZ
With the AstroMaster 70AZ, kids will be able to view the moon in fine detail, but they’ll also be able to see Jupiter’s moons and cloud belts, Saturn’s rings, and Mercury’s phases. Beyond our solar system, you can view the Orion Nebula or even double stars. The AstroMaster 70AZ can also be used during the day to view large birds of prey or distant landscapes.
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 actually 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 two basic types of telescopes – either a refracting telescope or a reflecting telescope. The third type is a compound telescope, which combines refracting and reflecting telescopes.
How Refracting Telescopes Work
When thinking of a telescope, many people will think of the classic long tube with a large glass lens at one end and an eyepiece at the other. This type of telescope is called a refracting telescope. It’s the same kind that Galileo used, and it’s what binoculars use as well. With a refracting telescope, the light passes through curved, clear glass, called lenses. The lenses bend the light passing through it, 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 found with 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. If the mirrors aren’t correctly aligned, you’ll have a blurry image. 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 itself.
Here is a diagram to further explain how the two types of 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 going to be using your telescope to mostly view earthly things while hiking or traveling, consider reading up on the differences between a telescope and binoculars to see which one will fit your need the best.
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.
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. At this age, kids can look into the eyepiece and understand and appreciate what they are viewing. Younger kids and toddlers might not comprehend what they are looking at, and they might not be focusing enough to be interested or learn 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.
A Word On Safety
When buying a telescope for kids, you must brief them on the following safety aspects before allowing them to use it independently and without supervision.
They should never use a telescope to look at the sun without a solar filter. Severe eye damage and even blindness can result. Rather than just telling kids never to look at the sun, educate them on how they can view the sun safely.
When using a telescope at night in a very remote or dark area (such as when camping), it’s good to have some red light torches on hand; this helps navigate in the dark and prevent accidental falls or injuries and damage to the telescope.
A child should never be allowed to use a telescope near a pool or large body of water, particularly if unsupervised. Kids can get so absorbed in what they’re viewing that they may forget about their surroundings and side-step into the water.
The 10 Best Telescopes for Kids
When deciding which telescopes were the best for kids, we looked at multiple factors. We looked at our database to see which of the listed products were being bought frequently, which awards we’ve assigned got the most attention, and whether the majority of the Amazon comments were positive. We believe that one of the most important things is listening to you, our readers, when deciding which products to list.
1. Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ
45x; 90x
Type:
Refractor
Aperture:
70mm
Focal Length:
900mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 12.9
Mount:
Altazimuth
The Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope is an excellent first telescope for kids. This 700mm refractor telescope mounts onto a lightweight tripod, making it easy for kids to operate independently. They mounted this specific model on an altazimuth stand, which works similarly to a ‘point and shoot’ camera. Unlike the EQ range, which mounts on an equatorial mount, the AZ model is particularly suited for kids to operate due to its ease of use.
While the 70mm lens won’t allow you to see deep-sky objects, don’t underestimate the AstroMaster 70AZ telescope’s power! With the 70AZ telescope, kids will be able to view the moon in fine detail, but they’ll also be able to see Jupiter’s moons and cloud belts. Saturn’s rings or Mercury’s phases will all be viewable. Beyond our solar system, you can view the Orion Nebula or even double stars. The AstroMaster 70AZ can also be used during the day to view large birds of prey or distant landscapes.
Included with the AstroMaster 70AZ telescope are two eyepieces (10mm and 20mm), an erect image diagonal, an illuminated reticle, and a tripod. The stand is rugged, and perhaps one of the nicest Celestron stands we’ve seen thus far. The inclusion of the tray provides excellent stability to the stand and allows kids to keep all the telescope eyepieces and other accessories not in use together.
Celestron also includes fantastic educational software with the telescope. The Starry Night Educational Software is free to download and provides a fully interactive sky simulation. Additionally, the Celestron SkyPorta app is available to both Apple and Android users, which allows you to locate and track constellations in real-time.
Read Our Full Review of the Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Telescope.
Reasons to Buy the AstroMaster
2. Celestron Travel Scope 70
20x; 40x
Type:
Refractor
Aperture:
70mm
Focal Length:
400mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 5.7
Mount:
Altazimuth
If you’re looking for an inexpensive, portable telescope for kids, look no further than the Celestron Travel Scope 70. For less than $100, it’s the most affordable telescope you’ll find with the highest quality. The telescope and its accessories come with a very handy backpack to make transporting your telescope a breeze. It’s also incredibly lightweight, with the whole pack weight less than 5 pounds in total.
So, what do you get? Along with the Celestron Travel Scope 70 Telescope, you’ll get two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) which provide a magnification of 20x and 40x. Included is a tripod and a backpack to store everything in.
While the telescope is exceptionally high-quality for this price point, we feel the budget cut is evident in the low-quality flimsy tripod; this is perhaps the only letdown of the Celestron Travel Scope 70. If we have to choose where we would compromise quality for a lower cost, we’re glad Celestron chose the tripod over the telescope.
The telescope is very lightweight and doesn’t need a heavy-duty tripod; the one provided does work to do the job just fine. However, the good news is that you can replace the tripod connector with a more sturdy tripod because it is universal.
If you’re wondering what you’ll be able to see with such a low-priced telescope, if anything at all, we’ve got good news! While you won’t be able to see Niel Armstrong’s footprints on the moon, you will be able to see the moon’s craters. You’ll be able to see the rings on Saturn, but you aren’t going to be able to count them individually. For under a hundred dollars, that’s incredible power and an excellent telescope for beginner astronomers.
Reasons to Buy the Travel Scope
3. Gskyer AZ70400 Travel Scope
16x; 40x
Type:
Refractor
Aperture:
70mm
Focal Length:
400mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 5.7
Mount:
Altazimuth
The Gskyer AZ70400 Travel Scope offers top-tier optical quality at a particular low-end budget. With a straightforward and easy assembly, it’s an excellent telescope for kids. They provided step-by-step picture instructions, and the lightweight and compact build allow kids to carry it around easily.
Being a refractor telescope, you won’t be faced with the issue of having to align any mirrors before being able to use the Gskyer AZ70400 telescope. It provides excellent viewing of the moon, but kids can also expect to see Saturn or Jupiter and four of its moons. The AZ70400 is suitable for daylight viewing and provides clear, up-close images of birds and other wildlife.
Unlike many other telescopes for kids, the Gskyer AZ70400 comes Travel Scope packed with accessories. You’ll also get a 25mm and 10mm eyepiece and a 3x Barlow lens with the telescope. A tripod with an accessory tray, as well as a finder scope, is also included. You’ll get an attachment for your phone to take pictures of your view and a Bluetooth remote to snap your images easily. Finally, you’ll also receive a convenient travel bag to store the telescope and its accessories!
Read Our Full Review of the Gskyer AZ70400.
Reasons to Buy the Travel Scope
4. Emarth F360-70
51x; 128x
Type:
Refractor
Aperture:
70mm
Focal Length:
360mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 5.1
Mount:
Altazimuth
Another excellent budget telescope for kids showing an interest in astronomy, the Emarth F360-70 Refractor Travel Telescope, is advertised – portable, lightweight, and great for kids! At under $90, the Emarth F360-70 is an excellent option if you’re looking for a first telescope for your child to test their interest before buying something more expensive.
The Emarth F360-70 comes packaged in a durable black nylon storage bag with a shoulder carry strap for easy travel. Inside, you’ll find the telescope, lightweight aluminum tripod, erect image diagonal, 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, a 5×24 finderscope, a map of the moon and stars, and a user manual. The telescope tube comes with a lens cap to protect against dust. Additionally, kids with glasses can fold the rubber eyepieces back for comfortable and easy viewing.
The Emarth F360-70 tripod is best suited for near-field objects such as the moon as a budget scope. You can see the craters on the moon and many of the planets, including Jupiter and Saturn. While you probably won’t be able to see Jupiter’s red spot, the Telesco.
Reasons to Buy the Travel Scope
5. Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ
50x; 250x
Type:
Reflector
Aperture:
127mm
Focal Length:
1000mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 7.9
Mount:
Equatorial
One of the most famous telescopes for kids, the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is ideal for beginners who want a high-quality telescope with a large aperture at a relatively low price. The equatorial mount enables you to track stars while compensating for the Earth’s rotation, which means you won’t have to constantly move the telescope to keep the object in view, as you do with altazimuth mounts.
The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ Telescope comes with a 20mm and 4mm lens and a 3x Barlow lens. The PowerSeeker 127EQ has a maximum magnification of 250x, but you’ll rarely use a magnification this high. On most nights, your best magnification will be below 150x, but you can use a higher magnification for bright objects such as the moon when weather conditions are excellent.
So, what can you see with the PowerSeeker 127EQ? The tiny craters on the moon, Saturn’s rings, or the phases of mercury can all be seen. When Mars is closest to Earth, you’ll be able to view the Martian ice caps. Under a very dark sky, the PowerSeeker 127EQ shows its true power. Kids can look forward to seeing all 110 objects in the Messier catalog.
While the PowerSeeker 127EQ has received much criticism in online forums, note that the power provided by the telescope means it’s perhaps not as easy to use straight out of the box as the refractor telescopes are. It’s not a simple ‘point and shoot’ type of telescope.
Most of the time, the mirrors aren’t going to be in perfect alignment after being shipped, so you will need to collimate the telescope and line up the finder scope before you can enjoy the PowerSeeker 127EQ telescope. Collimation is the process of aligning all components in a telescope to bring light to its best focus. They provided instructions on how to do this in the manual.
Reasons to Buy the PowerSeeker
6. Meade Instruments Infinity
23x; 66x; 95x
Type:
Refractor
Aperture:
102mm
Focal Length:
600mm
Focal Ratio:
f/ 5.9
Mount:
Altazimuth
The Meade Instruments Infinity 102mm Refractor Telescope is perhaps the largest lens you’ll find in a refractor telescope at this price point. Perfect for beginners, the Infinity Series comes with an Altazimuth mount, and slow-motion controls help keep objects in view. The telescope comes with three eyepieces, offering a magnification of 23x, 66x, or 95x. A 3x Barlow lens is also included. Included is a battery-operated red dot finderscope along with an image diagonal.
Overall, the Meade Instruments Infinity 102mm is incredibly easy to set up and operate. As a refractor telescope, it’s not going to be as powerful for deep sky objects as a reflector telescope would be. Still, the 102mm lens certainly gives it an edge over the other refractor telescopes we’ve reviewed.
We’d recommend adding a moon filter to your purchase, as it can be overly bright on a full moon. However, kids can expect to see incredible detail and clarity. You can view planets such as Venus, Mars, and Saturn, and her rings, and the moons around Jupiter or various nebulae. The Meade Instruments Infinity 102mm Refractor Telescope for kids is also an excellent choice for daytime bird and wildlife watching, with the 102mm aperture providing a bright, sharp image.
The Meade Instruments Infinity 102mm Refractor Telescope comes with a 1-year warranty. Included is an Autostar Suite Astronomy planetarium DVD with more than ten thousand celestial objects. However, the DVD only works on Windows computers, unfortunately.
Read Our Full Review of the Meade Instruments Infinity 102mm.
Reasons to Buy the PowerSeeker
Features to Look for When Buying a Telescope for Kids
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 aperture, the telescope’s light-gathering ability, is an essential feature of a telescope, 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 area of the sky, 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. You need a longer focal length 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
Put very simply, the higher the magnification, the larger the image will appear. However, having a high magnification isn’t always the best. When a telescope’s magnification gets too high, the picture becomes dim and loses contrast.
Avoid telescopes that use their high magnification level (like 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 a 600x magnification, you’d need a 305mm (or 12-inch) wide telescope!
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Two Most Important Properties of a Telescope?
The two most important properties of a telescope are aperture and magnification. See our section “Features to Look for When Buying a Telescope for Kids” for more detail.
What is the Best Telescope for Viewing Planets?
Did you know that we can see at least five of the planets in our solar system with our naked eyes alone? If our eyes can see them, any telescope can see them. However, if you want to get the best image, there are two main factors to look at: focal length and magnification.
Should You Buy a Kid’s Telescope Instead of a Regular Telescope?
Any telescope that will be powerful enough for kids to get a clear view of planets or other celestial objects will likely be a regular telescope. Unless you’re buying for your toddler, avoid telescopes made solely for children. They are likely to be too weak to simply provide a clear image, resulting in a bored and frustrated child. If you want to kill their budding love for astronomy, that’s a quick way!
What is the Difference Between a Terrestrial and Celestial Telescope?
Celestial telescopes are designed for viewing objects in space like the moon, planets, and stars. On the other hand, terrestrial telescopes are intended for viewing objects on earth. They’re suited for things like bird watching or looking at other wildlife and landscapes.
With reflector telescopes, the images appear upside-down. While this doesn’t matter when viewing objects in space, it’s certainly going to matter when viewing birds and other land objects. Therefore, reflector telescopes are not recommended for land use.
On the other hand, refractor telescopes will also produce an upside-down image, but you can use a diagonal to flip it right side up. For this reason, refractor telescopes are best suited for terrestrial viewing and can also be used to view celestial objects.
Celestron Astromaster 70AZ
With the AstroMaster 70AZ, kids will be able to view the moon in fine detail, but they’ll also be able to see Jupiter’s moons and cloud belts, Saturn’s rings, and Mercury’s phases. Beyond our solar system, you can view the Orion Nebula or even double stars. The AstroMaster 70AZ can also be used during the day to view large birds of prey or distant landscapes.
