With the holidays right around the corner, you may be fretting over what to buy your young astronomer. Well, we may have the answer! A beginner or child telescope can be the perfect Christmas gift. And not just any telescope, but a Celestron Nexstar telescope. And now is the perfect time to purchase one of these remarkable telescopes. Why you ask?

Because Celestron is offering a minimum of a $50 rebate on its line of Nexstar telescopes with an expiration date of January 30, 2008 (postmarked submission). Celestron offers 3 separate beginner models ranging from $279 to $399 (Telescopes.com prices), excluding a $50 rebate. So, this child telescope (3 to choose from) is not only affordable, but has excellent design features.

This telescope line is designed for quick set-up, with pre-assembled, adjustable stainless steel tripods, and quick-release fork arms and tubes. The NexStar SLT telescope is made to be set up in a matter of minutes, with no tools necessary! Perfect for any kids telescope!

One word of caution though — these telescopes are not toys, and therefore, are not recommended for a younger child (under 10, unless supervised by a parent) but would be perfect for most youngsters over 10 years of age.

Celestron Nexstar’s less expensive models are perfect for your youngster’s first experience with astronomy. A child telescope needs to be as easy to set-up and operate as possible, and these models will have your child exploring the heavenly skies in no time at all. Why not check out these Celestron telescopes (114 SLT, 80 SLT, 60 SLT Models) at Telescopes.com and save today!

If your child is showing interest in astronomy, or just enjoys gazing at the stars and moon, a kids telescope may be a great idea. A beginner telescope can get your youngster involved in a new hobby without needing to make a large investment. You can’t say this about too many sports or activities these days!Giving your child a kids telescope will tell them that you support their interest in astronomy and believe it to be a worthwhile endeavor. A beginner telescope, even without all the features, can give your child or grandchild a head start in learning about the universe and star systems.

What Will a Kids Telescope Cost?

Even though a beginner telescope can be purchased for under $50, these are usually considered more of a toy than a functioning astronomy telescope. A basic beginner telescope can be purchased for around $100 depending on features.

If you wish to invest a little more, a good starter telescope with some of the more advanced features, will cost anywhere from $200 to $300. This will provide your young astronomer with a quality piece of stargazing equipment.

Tips for Buying a Kids Telescope

Many astronomers and educators recommend a telescope with a longer focal length and separate viewer. This allows the child to find objects much easier and reduces the frustration that can result for the novice astronomer.

There are many cheaper models that offer a focal length of only 30mm or 50mm and will provide a more generalized view of the night sky. However, if you want a telescope that will provide a more detailed picture of the planets, moon and constellations, a 70mm or higher focal length is strongly recommended.

Kids telescopes are available from a number of top-rate optics companies like Meade, Celestron, Bushnell, Orion and many others. Even the Discovery Channel offers an affordable 70mm lens kids telescope with easy set-up and easy-to-use features.

The Right Way to Use Your New Telescope

Reading the instructions for your child’s new telescope can’t be stressed enough. Even the basic kids’ telescopes can be confusing to use the first few times. It is advisable for the parent to read through the instruction manual and help the young astronomer learn the basic operations of the telescope.

Starting with a kids telescope is only the first step in a child’s adventure into exploring the universe. Why not take a look at our site reviews and choose the telescope merchant that best suits your needs. Both have a great selection of telescopes at extremely competitive prices.

And while you’re at it, check out the Meade 114EQ-ASTR at Telescopes.com. We found it to be an exceptional beginner telescope for only about $150. It features a 1000mm focal length with four and a half inch aperture, and is also capable of being attached to a 35mm camera body for photographing the images. The Meade is really a lot of telescope for the money and makes an ideal kids telescope with room to grow!

If you wish you could show your child the universe in a whole new way, a child telescope may be the pathway to discovery.  The scientific community is always trying to promote science and astronomy to the younger generation.   Exploration of the heavens will peak a child’s interest in the cosmos, so why not help your young astronomer with a child telescope?

How Is a Child Telescope Different?

The telescopes made for kids are generally simple to operate, with few if any intricate features and options.   They are generally designed for rugged conditions and ease of use.  A child telescope is usually quite affordable and can make for an exciting present for birthdays or holidays.  Of course, your first child telescope need not be overly expensive nor should it be too cheap.  The child needs to perceive the telescope as a special tool or instrument rather than just another toy in their toy chest.

How Do You Introduce Your Child to the Cosmos?

There are a few things that you need prior to getting a child telescope and your beginning endeavors into astronomy. Astronomy need not be a confusing and difficult subject to understand.  While it may take a little studying, the use of a kid telescope could help you begin to get your child interested in something that can help them develop new skills and new attitudes.

How Much Will a Child Telescope Cost?

A child telescope can be as expensive or inexpensive as you like, but can certainly fit into most people’s budget.  And if you are willing to put a little time into researching telescopes, you can easily determine what model fits best into your budget and will be best for you and your child. Once you have selected a telescope, spending a little time understanding how to use and spending time with your child could help the child telescope be a more stable part of your life.

Finding the ‘Right’ Child Telescope

You may worry that you need to be part scientist to understand the difference in telescopes and that the child telescope needs to wow and amaze your youngster.  The truth is that developing an interest in the universe and the stars is key to peaking your child’s interest.

So if apertures, lens, mirrors, or reflectors confuse you, it may be better to start small, make sure that astronomy and the child telescope catches his or her imagination and interest then proceed into better equipment with more options.

The worst thing that many parents experience in buying their children things is the lack of interest that comes after a few months or weeks of starting a new hobby. Yet you could extend that interest by making short term goals and helping them gain more interest in the hobby through your own interest

There are sites on the internet (including our A1-Telescopes.com) that can help you understand what you need to look for in a child telescope. Our best advice is to 1) Start small, and 2) develop the interest and knowledge of stars, planets and the universe.

A Bonding Experience

You never know, but just sharing an interest with your youngster may bring you closer to them while developing a real interest in science and the universe.  Sure beats the heck out of watching them sit in front of the television for hours playing video games.  And remember – it could all start with the purchase of your youngster’s first child telescope!