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be tiny. You can increase the magnifica-
tion, but that will reduce the time the
planet remains in view. Luckily, kids’
eyes are much better than those of most
adults, so your child will see more detail
than you do.
Jupiter’s belts will show up well, but
you might want to concentrate on the
four Galilean moons. From night to
night, their changing positions (and the
arrangements they make) are fascinating.
Unfortunately, Mars, even when it’s clos-
est to Earth, can be a bit of a letdown for
new observers, as few details can be dis-
tinguished. But a quick glance could be
used as an opportunity to build your
child’s interest in space exploration.
When you progress to deep-sky
objects, you really have to be careful.
Through small scopes, not many are
worthy targets. Avoid galaxies and
instead concentrate on open clusters,
a few nebulae, and a bright globular
cluster or two. In fall, aim for the
Pleiades (M45) first. In winter, the
Orion Nebula (M42) is an excellent
target for small scopes.
Bright, colorful double stars also
make great targets. In summer, nothing
beats Albireo (Beta [β] Cygni). When
your child sees it or any other double, ask
them what colors they see. That will help
you gauge their color perception.
Posting images on social media will
only build young observers’ excitement,
so offer to help your young observer
snap a photo of the Moon. A smartphone
adapter will help, but it’s not crucial.
And while this activity may not ulti-
mately produce an astroimager, it’s a
certainty that your child will share it
with their friends or use it as their
wallpaper or cover photo — perhaps
even inspiring other young people’s
interest in astronomy.
Finally, when you’re back indoors,
encourage your child to draw some of
the objects seen through the scope. The
first such sketches might be a bit fanciful,
but as time goes on, they’ll trend toward
the real views.It’s on us
As amateur astronomers, we have an obli-
gation to interest children — especially
our own — in the night sky. To that end, I
have selected six child-appropriate scopes,
seen throughout this article. As you read
about each, remember that children are
our hobby’s future. Who knows whatEXPLORE ONE AURORA II 114MM
The FunScope 76mm is a
3-inch reflector that comes
preassembled on its wood
base. Orion includes two
eyepieces, a 2x Barlow
lens, a red dot finder
scope, and the company’s
MoonMap 260 booklet (usually
priced at $12.99), a great
tool to help young observers
identify features on our
nearest celestial neighbor. Like
Celestron’s FirstScope, this is
a tabletop unit, so make sure
you place it on a firm base. The
FunScope also weighs less than
4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), so it’s
easy to carry and set up.The Aurora II 114mm is a 4½-inch
reflector, the largest scope in this list.
The unit sits atop a fully adjustable
tripod that has an accessory tray.
Such a tray allows you to store extra
eyepieces, but it also provides added
stability. Slow-motion controls help
keep objects centered in the field of
view. The scope also comes with two
eyepieces and a red dot finder.SPECIFICATIONS
Optical design: Newtonian reflector
Mount: Alt-azimuth
Aperture: 4.5 inches (114 mm)
Focal length: 500mm
Focal ratio: f/10
Eyepieces: 26mm (19x) and 9.7mm
(52x)
Weight: 6.3 pounds (2.86 kg)SPECIFICATIONS
Optical design: Newtonian reflector
Mount: Dobsonian
Aperture: 3 inches (76 mm)
Focal length: 300mmbenefits your investment of time, patience,
and just a little money will yield? I’m pret-
ty sure that you’ll have fun finding out.ORION FUNSCOPE 76MM
Focal ratio: f/3.9
Eyepieces: 20mm (15x) and 6mm (50x)
Weight: 3.7 pounds (1.6 kg)Michael E. Bakich is a contributing
editor of Astronomy.$
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