Do you know someone who loves to look up at the night sky? What would he do if he had a telescope to look through? Every budding astronomist needs one of these. There are many different telescopes out there. If you are getting one for a child, I'm assuming you don't need a super-heavy-duty telescope, but more like a beginner's telescope. I am including three of the most top-rated, yet affordable telescopes you could find, in three different price ranges, for you to check out.
Balance Living Mini Telescope
If you want to spend less than $50, this is a great one for you! It comes with a rotating tripod, or you can take it off of the tripod (it is very light) and use it by itself. This is obviously not a professional telescope, but it is a good "starter" for a kid. It has 30X power, which allows you to see the things you would normally see in the sky, only much closer. Some people also use it for bird watching, or for live sporting events.
Balance Living Refractor Telescope
If you want to spend less than $100, here is a good option! A step up from the mini telescope described above, this one comes with two eye pieces, with 50X power and 100X power. It also has a focus knob. It is reportedly easy to put together, and is very lightweight. (The tripod is a little less than five feet tall, so if you are a tall person you may have trouble using it.) One Amazon reviewer said that it let him see the moon as if it were close enough to touch!
Twinstar AstroMark Telescope
If your budget is less than $150, try this telescope! According to the description and reviews, you will be able to see the craters of the moon, Saturn's rings, star clusters, and more. It also comes with a full-sized, adjustable tripod that can be made short enough for a child or tall enough for an adult, and is light enough for a child to put up. It comes with a map of the moon, Redshift 8 computer software to help you learn about outer space and constellations, and some glow-in-the-dark stars.
Have fun, star gazers!
