I wonder how easy it is to use this telescope for a child of 8 years?
1110500
an 8 yr. old has a lot to learn, and the scope would provide and excitement experience of seeing objects closeup. He or she would need some help ofcourse, if you would show how to use the scope, an 8 yr. oldwould appreciate the shared experience and a nice evening with the cooperation of Mother Nature also...
1110501
May take a bit of instruction, but after setting it up once it's easy to see what pieces go where. So long as there is someone to help the first time it should be no problem.
1865696
There is nothing to insatll you just take it out of the box and undo it! So I say YES an eight year old can do it :)
607338
This is a perfect starter telescope for your daughter. She will be able to see the moon-even the craters on the moon! There is a free online video that shows how to set the MoonScope up and use it for the first time.
989236
Not at all. This is a very straightforward little scope, very easy to use, and Orion is not exagerating when they say you can be up and watching the skies 5 minutes after unpacking. I´d recomend you do some light reading on Astronomy as a hobby before you get started, even a little will make the experience of owning a good telescope more rewarding. Oh, and if you can time it for a clear night with a half or waning moon, even better, it´ll offer you great first targets.
2085070
I think an 8-year old will not be as impressed with this as a 5-year old (my daughter's age). The radio has the voice-changing features, which my whole family (parents included) got a kick out of; but that might be the only feature that entices an 8-year old to play with it.
72106
I just ordered the Celestron Nexstar SLT 130, as recommended by a friend who has been into astronomy for years..as a beginner myself I would definitely recommend this telescope...I've used it every night since I've gotten it...the computer makes it really easy to set up and find planets and stars right away!
347649
Our grandchildren ages 5 and 8 have used it. It does seem to be accurate and easy for them to use.
1498015
The construction is very durable. It comes with a strap to hang around the neck. The eyepiece is recessed and is protected. The front piece is not quite protected however you can set in on a table on the front and the lens is OK so I would say it's OK for kids.
1468525
Absolutely. You have to look down into the eyepiece, so you'll need a stable surface low enough for a child to look down into it (or a chair high enough), but otherwise it is very easy to operate. Our daughter has been using hers since she was 5, and has been able to set it up and focus it herself since she was about 6.
459590
After unpacking, reading the manual, and following the hands controller instructions when using, I was able to use it with no problem. This was my first telescope, and my first time out I brought Saturn into view within about fifteen minutes. The only difficult part is viewing nebulae and deeper space objects; they will show up very faintly with this one, mainly because it is powerful enough for objects within the solar system, but not so much for outside it. I'd definitely recommend this as a telescope with a minimal learning curve.
387966
It is a great choice for a 11 year old boy and a grand-pa for discovering the universe. Solid contruction, quick and easy transportation. Add a set of eyepiece, and you're good to go
571672
The telescope can be slewed manually by simply moving it with your hand. Its not really locked into place or anything like that. Althought It does make things a bit more difficult XP
1035424
It takes no time at all to set up. Only thing you have to do is screw the telescope onto the tripod. After that you only have to put in the lenses.
890301
Its not too advanced. After an adult puts it together she can easily use it on her own. However, we have tried to use it at night and it only works well with a full moon and no artificial light around your house. Keep in mind this is a kid's telescope and not a fancy one that works like the ones that go for $100+
891208
Yes, takes about 14 minutes. You'll or an adult will need to set it up though. It's not a toy, but it's not a super expensive telescope, easy to use. just be careful handling it and you should be fine. this is telescope I bulk purchased for kids to use at public astronomy events my group holds
890305
This is a nice telescope but due to the need to swap lens out and the relative flimsy nature of the unit, I'm not sure it would be durable enough for a four year old. With copious amounts of adult supervision though, it might work.
1795397
You truly need to be an experienced astronomer. If not this telescope is not for you It is difficult to set up use even with the computer attachment Customer service people are friendly but they they have day time hours which makes it extremely difficult to trouble shoot. Hope this info was helpful Nickyg