I don't know anything about telescopes, but my 12 year old son was asking for one for Christmas and this deal just dropped in my inbox:
https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-sat-17-…
For $99 I don't know if it's terrible, ok, or good value.
What are we going to see with this sort of scope?
Vivitar is just a brand name now slapped onto the cheapest products. Like Akai, Kodak, and Polaroid, it's not even a cheap imitation of the former company.
From the looks of it, it's a 3 inch telescope. With that your son will be able to see the rings on Saturn, bands on Jupiter, and Mars will be a little pink dot at the best of times. The telescope is too small to see any nebula or stars in colour. For $99 it's a good starting telescope to get someone interested.
There are two main telescope types: reflector and refractor. This is a reflector telescope. More compact, they're cheaper than refractor for the same size. But the two mirrors must be aligned well otherwise you'll just get blurry results. Hopefully the telescope is set up from the factory. Refractor, in my opinion, is easier to use.
Here are more beginner telescopes to consider: https://www.bintel.com.au/product-category/telescopes/celest…
I'm not associated with the company but have bought from them in the past.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/buyers-guides/firs…
and Mars will be a little pink dot at the best of times
The images quite clearly show some pretty detailed close-ups of Mars.
Yes, it always amuses me to see pictures like that on a cheap telescope. Those are the kinds of images you might expect from a 20 inch telescope, not 3.
So mutiny false advertising it is!
I should also add that a $99 telescope is basically a toy. It's going to be a lot of fun to use for a 12 year old, but expectations need to be realistic about the level of viewing you'll get out of it. Maybe it will be a telescope that sparks an interest and a great new hobby.
I was about 10 when I received a 50mm refractor as a present. It wasn't very good, but I really enjoyed it. I still have it.
Might need to be super flexible with a reflector telescope, as the image will be upside down
If your son is asking for a telescope at 12 then they either know they want to get into astronomy, or they are wanting to look through windows. Assuming the former, I'd suggest a 6 inch Dobsonian reflector - enough area to pick up the light needed (10x that of the $99 one), but small and cheap enough that setting up isn't a pain.
See http://www.deepskywatch.com/Articles/what-can-i-see-through-… for the difference different mirror diameters make.
Also, see if you can get an adapter to fit a mobile phone camera to an eyepiece to take pics. They are cheap and expand the value significantly.
And what's your recommendation for the latter?
Heh heh heh - I think I might've wanted to look through windows at that age. My son's a bit more innocent, god knows how. He's just a bit of a space nerd (which I absolutely love).
Maybe he's keen to ogle the Leather Goddesses of Phobos ;)
I won’t get this. It is a generic product rebadged. Brand does not mean anything at this price point.
If he wants a telescope, it means you will need to learn how a telescope works.
That telescope isnt going to do much. You will be able to see Jupiter with its bands, but it will be very small in the eye piece. Saturn with its ring, but it will also be small.
I have a 102mm maksutov telescope.
Alternatively, you can dump him at a local astronomy club’s star viewing nights (also called star party) and let some enthusiastic sod talk his ear off
Definitely don't have the budget for anything better at this stage.
Although I do like the idea of hitting up a star party - he's usually the one talking my ear off with random hypotheticals involving memes or games I've never heard of. Time for him to get a taste of that kind of action! :D
A key factor here is the OP's budget. If they have $500 to spend on a scope they'll get something far superior to the ALDI product, but that may not be possible.
I'm actually in the market for a telescope myself, what would you suggest for one between $500-$1000? :)
Bang for buck it's difficult to beat a Dobsonian telescope. For $1k you'll get an 8 inch scope. They are fully manual however at that price, so you need to find objects and keep moving the scope yourself.
Thanks ill look into it
Dobsonian refers to the mount that a telescope (usually newtonian) is mounted on. It is a simple mount that tilts up and down and turns left and right. Simple to setup compared to an equatorial mount.
Newtonian telescopes are good value for money light collectors. I would look at and 8in (200mm) or a 10in (250mm).
The difficulty is identifying what you are pointing at, and/or knowing how to point it at something you want to look at. Apps like Stellarium and star walk would help. (I use both)
Might be good enough to verify NASA's claims.
Vivitar have been around for years. They were established the same year as Samsung.
Generally not the greatest product usually, but a reasonable entry level.