A Telescope activity for kids

[mooeypoo]

Hello, and welcomeback for me

 

Sorry I wasn't here long, but I had serious workoholism issues i needed to resolve. How different is life when you're unemployed <breaths in relief>

 

I'm coming back into action, and with a question:

 

I'm now in my uncles house in California, having myself a nice trip, and mostly visiting my little cousins. One of them - Noa - is going to be 5 in a few days. I've decided I'll teach her to be a true geek from an early age (and continue the legacy, of course), and buy her a brand new telescope.

 

Since I'm going to be the one who teaches her on how to look on stars, and where to actually look for them -

My question's this:

 

1. Any of you know of a good site that portrays space maps from around the world? I know the basic stuff - specially the easy constalations like Orion and the Big Dipper, but I am not certain as to their exact location at the different times of the year, specially not halfway across the world. Help would be appreciated on the matter.

 

2. Anyone has any idea of fun activities other than watching into the window of the really-cute-naighbor (and that, when she's 16, thankyou) for a five year old girl with a brand new telescope?

 

3. Only slightly off topic, but since I'm buying her the telescope, I've noticed a few things I have no idea about and could use the help. How can you know how much a telescope magnifies if it doesn't literally says so? You can see at this page (the actual telescope I'm buying): here - that it doesnt say magnification, it just says sizes of the optical lenses.

Also, only on very few Telescopes I've seen actual magnification details. Most just say size of optical lenses. So can you calculate approx. magnification level? and if you want a basic telescope, which magnification level is the "minimum" to be able to actually see stars as a bit more than just floating dots?

 

 

 

Ideas, thoughts and explanations I can give her would be greatly appreciated.

 

It's good to be back

 

~moo

[Kedas]

Hi,

 

Everything you ask is already here on the forum so use the search function.

(if you have trouble finding it I can help you finding it)

 

for knowing where to look in the sky some program(s) will help you with that.

and forget about magnification that isn't your first priority, trust me.

you will also find links to other sides in the messages.

 

 

about the link you gave magnification 700mm/x mm (eyepiece) isn't given.

but you are not gone get very far with a 60mm.

 

is it to play with it and then buy a real one ones she likes it?

 

edit:

I just see that's she is 5years old so yes to play with it's fine you can't do much wrong if you don't give much money.

 

the moon and nature around (on earth, like Birds) can be viewed.

never let her look at the sun not even with a filter make sure she knows that very well!!.

[Kedas]

magnification level? and if you want a basic telescope' date=' which magnification level is the "minimum" to be able to actually see stars as a bit more than just floating dots?

~moo[/quote']

 

Just want to add something important about that:

The dots of stars will always stay dots but the question is how much dots can be seen and fuzzy or not for that the diameter of the main mirror or lens is important (the amount light that it's captures)

 

so it's more like a minimum diameter to see more than a minimum magnification.

in your case it's 60mm, a good binoculair would do the same job if you can hold it steady.

 

But since it's her first telescope for a very low price I wouldn't care about it.

If you want better you would have to pay a lot more and that wouldn't be wise at such an young age.