Would this telescope work for a 5 year old boy and if not is there one that you would recommend.
1411681
Not unsupervised, no -- it's not a toy (any real, non-plastic scope is going to have delicate parts and breakable glass, mirrors or both). But this one is pretty simple to set up and use, and with adult supervision a 5 year old could get a lot out of it, not just looking at stars but looking at birds, wildlife, distant scenery etc.
1411682
I agree, with adult supervision it's one of the better starter scopes out there, especially for the price. Whatever you do, don't get fooled into those "high magnification" scopes some advertise. Something with a short focal length like this one is much easier to manage, especially by a 5 year old.
383560
I found it difficult to use as an adult who knows nothing about telescopes so I'm not sure it would be good for a nine year old.
500160
yes if you want to tinker. If you want to be serious then buy a real quality mount, the mount of this telescope is crap.
1206504
Yes, it is a real telescope. If you can't seem to see anything through it, expand it to its full length and try again.
1313842
Hello, telescope is the same. One just comes with book, light, map, and the star chart. Hope this helps. By the way it's a great scope for the price.
878509
After using it a bit, I came to the conclusion that the primary mirror is so small and the secondary mirror so large, too much light is blocked out and the obstruction doesn't give a really clear image. Also, finding a stand with the right height is sometimes tricky and frustrating.I would recommend spending a little more on one of Celestron's 70mm refractors. They are easier to care for, can be used on terrestrial objects as well and they come with a tripod. Walmart is selling a nice one for only $50. You can find an equivalent one on Amazon for a bit more. This is a MUCH better scope for a kid...it can grow with him. After using it a bit, I came to the conclusion that the primary mirror is so small and the secondary mirror so large, too much light is blocked out and the obstruction doesn't give a really clear image. Also, finding a stand with the right height is sometimes tricky and frustrating.I would recommend spending a little more on one of Celestron's 70mm refractors. They are easier to care for, can be used on terrestrial objects as well and they come with a tripod. Walmart is selling a nice one for only $50. You can find an equivalent one on Amazon for a bit more. This is a MUCH... » Read More After using it a bit, I came to the conclusion that the primary mirror is so small and the secondary mirror so large, too much light is blocked out and the obstruction doesn't give a really clear image. Also, finding a stand with the right height is sometimes tricky and frustrating.I would recommend spending a little more on one of Celestron's 70mm refractors. They are easier to care for, can be used on terrestrial objects as well and they come with a tripod. Walmart is selling a nice one for only $50. You can find an equivalent one on Amazon for a bit more. This is a MUCH better scope for a kid...it can grow with him. « Show Less
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.
2144710
I bought a microscope for my 4 year old and she loves it. she still plays with it turning 5 so i think it was a great buy.
1485004
I think a five year old would not be too interested in this item. It's more for a younger child. A more interactive item might be better.tive
57726
Yes it is a go-to. After a simple alignment process it'll find anything. I absolutely love this telescope! You won't be disappointed!
1508529
Absolutely. My very gifted son got this for Christmas at age 3.5, and now a year later he STILL loves this thing. I think sometimes this coming year we may consider getting him a more powerful microscope for supervised use (because of all the glass,) but whenever he wants to play in his "lab" (his science toys area of the playroom) this is a go to item for sure.
142666
This is a basic, basic telescope I got for my 6 year old daughter. The zooming is not very high. It has two glass magnification pieces which are 6mm and 12mm respectively. In my opinion, its good for seeing the moon, but if your interest is more than that, it may not work for you.
1462650
Although its up to you, it may be best as a family activity or project for children between the ages of 7 and up who will enjoy watching celestial events. It's educational too. The product is packaged with software, two CD's with easy-to-follow instructions and a sky map to install. Hope your family will like it as much as mine.
704470
Well, that all depends, what does your telescope come with? what kind of scope are you getting? I would just go out on a limb and suggest thinking about getting a decent finder scope, maybe a nice equatorial mount if you are talking about catadioptric or refractor type telescope, if you have a reflector it should come with a dobsonian mount. If you plan to take pictures think about a camera adapter. Other than that think about a nice folding chair, maybe some refreshments and a red lensed flash light will prove handy.
157254
The main barrel is metal but yes, the telescope has plastic parts - the most annoying of those is the tripod mount. It works great on my heavy duty tripod but the little tripod it comes with is very shaky which makes it hard for kids to look through. Kids usually touch the telescope or touch their eye to the eyepiece which can knock it off the intended view of the sky. I also found it a bit difficult to work with the spotting scope - still haven't gotten it perfectly centered. Still my 9 year old loves it, and he can pull it out and set it up all by himself. None of the things I would call a negative seem to bother him at all. The main barrel is metal but yes, the telescope has plastic parts - the most annoying of those is the tripod mount. It works great on my heavy duty tripod but the little tripod it comes with is very shaky which makes it hard for kids to look through. Kids usually touch the telescope or touch their eye to the eyepiece which can knock it off the intended view of the sky. I also found it a bit difficult to work with the spotting scope - still haven't gotten it perfectly centered. Still my 9 year old loves it, and he can pull it out and set it up all by himself. None of the things I would call... » Read More The main barrel is metal but yes, the telescope has plastic parts - the most annoying of those is the tripod mount. It works great on my heavy duty tripod but the little tripod it comes with is very shaky which makes it hard for kids to look through. Kids usually touch the telescope or touch their eye to the eyepiece which can knock it off the intended view of the sky. I also found it a bit difficult to work with the spotting scope - still haven't gotten it perfectly centered. Still my 9 year old loves it, and he can pull it out and set it up all by himself. None of the things I would call a negative seem to bother him at all. « Show Less
1468524
Well now, I think if the seven year old could handle a pair of binoculars they might be able to grasp the telescope concept. It's NOT a toy.There would have to be plenty of adult help to understand what the scope is and what it does. It certainly IS NOT an electronic device/game. Much patience will be required till the child gets a grasp of the way it is to be used.
890302
That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money and looks very cute. Just be ready to have an adult ready to find the moon first and then let her look! That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money... » Read More That is a hard question to answer. The telescope is nice but very hard to adjust. If someone is willing to adjust for her and then let her look you will be okay. We bought for a 6 yr old and there is not enough patience to look in a direction and then adjust. We all thought that it was not working because we couldn't "see" anything but fuzz. Grandpa was the only one that could take the time to look in the direction of something and then adjust the focus until something appeared. I can't place blame on the telescope but the age is the problem. It is a decent telescope for the money and looks very cute. Just be ready to have an adult ready to find the moon first and then let her look! « Show Less