33 replies to this topic

[Grumpy Rabbit]

Hi there, 

 

I'm a very proud mum to a son who is about to graduate from a Physics degree. I would love to buy my son a telescope but I know absolutely nothing!

 

He's going on to do a Masters degree in Uppsala Sweden, and I would love to get him a telescope but I'm utterly lost!

 

My budget is up to about £800 and just wondered if anyone could help, thanks very much 

 

Marie 

[BlueMoon]

Hello and congratulations. My usual recommendation is to give him the cash as a gift and tell him it's for his astronomy interests. He can then spend the $$$ as he sees fit for gear that he might be interested in. Cheers. 

Edited by BlueMoon, 05 June 2025 - 11:19 AM.

[Grumpy Rabbit]

Thanks Aurora, I did wonder about that also, might be the safest option too.

[Phil Perry]

Has your son expressed interest in astronomy? As a physicist, he is more likely than most other graduates to do so, but it's always safer to give cash/gift card and let him decide what suits him best. You can hint that it's intended for astronomy-related purchases, but don't force him if he's not that interested. And congratulations!

[djbridges]

Assuming he is interested in astronomy, you also need to find out what kind of astronomy he's interested in.  Astrophotography, visual observation, deep space objects, planetary objects, the Sun? All of the above?  With so many variables at play, I'd have to agree with others - a gift card/check with the proviso that it's intended for (but not restricted to) astronomy gear.

[Grumpy Rabbit]

Thanks so much for your responses, and the congratulations. I did hint at the idea of a telescope and he was super excited at the idea, and shocked at the offer. I think it's definitely something he should choose, so agree with your advice. 

 

Are there any brands that you think he should particularly focus on? Sorry that's probably a needle in a haystack question!

Edited by Grumpy Rabbit, 05 June 2025 - 11:10 AM.

[glittledale]

i guess i'd be a little less cautious.  i've never been to uppsala but a quick glance at a light polution map shows a bit of a mess that is fairly easily escaped.  at the very least, i would say a really nice pair of 50mm binoculars would be welcome for anyone curious about the natural world enough to be a physicist.  your budget would buy an excellent quality pair of 10x 50's for instance. 

 

alternatively, as others have said - if he has an expressed interest in astronomy and currently has no gear, many of us have smaller refractors that we would never part with - they show too much and are so easy and quick to put to work under any conditions.  

 

if either of these routes sound appealing, please reply and we can collectively fill in some blanks.  

[GalaxyPiper]

A good visual telescope that's not too large for portability and so it does not take up too much space.

Students don't have garages.

A small MAC or SCT with at least a 1.25" inch eyepiece that can also accept a SLR camera with the correct "T" adapter.

I would normally suggest a Dobsonian, which is the easiest and lowest cost. A good 8 inch Newtonian.

They price out to the same as an acoustic Guitar.

I would get with a local Astronomy Club to help you out, and if possible invite your son to tag along to see what fits best here.

Telescopes can be like a good suit, you must try it on to see if it fits and looks good.

The gift will not be diminished by doing this, and you both will be satisfied.

[BlueMoon]

 

Are there any brands that you think he should particularly focus on? Sorry that's probably a needle in a haystack quest

Yes, it is. There are a number of good brands to choose from. However, it also depends on whether he would want a refractor or reflector for instance. Or if he prefers planetary observing or deep space objects. The choices are myriad. Suggestion: Once he gets settled in Uppsala he might want to seek out an astronomy club and converse with members there, perhaps do some viewing through telescopes they own, etc. to help with his decision. Nothing beats some hands-on time when one is first starting out in this hobby. Cheers.

[vtornado]

I would make a home made card, print and cut out some pics and glue to card, put the g-cert/card into that.

 

Since you admit you know nothing, there is a ton of gear to consider. reflector,refractor,cat,  mount, eyepieces, pictures or visual, favorite targets, portability issues.   Each choice changes what gear is needed to accomplish that.

Edited by vtornado, 05 June 2025 - 11:32 AM.

[glittledale]

 

 

Are there any brands that you think he should particularly focus on? Sorry that's probably a needle in a haystack question!

brands and type matter.  i'd argue that it's hard to go wrong with a good 80mm refractor to start - and add bigger stuff if/when desired.   there are some really good retailers around the world.  what part are you in?  

[microview]

Plus 1 for the idea about binoculars!

 

At all the public star parties that I do, I always recommend this as the starting point. As a teen, I spent my summer nights lying on my back looking  up and being filled with wonder. Binoculars make that so much better.

 

Plus, if it turns out he's not all that interested in astronomy, they come in handy for all sorts of activities. 

 

I love my 10x50 Nikons. 

Edited by microview, 05 June 2025 - 12:36 PM.

[Peter B]

What about a ZWO SeeStar 50 or 30? It's easy to use with a phone or tablet app and might appeal to a Physics major. Here's a picture I took of the Flaming Star Nebula with my SeeStar 50.

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[GSwaim]

Get him a astronomy computer program and some binoculars. If he likes astronomy enough to go outside and look at the sky then he might pursue the hobby.

 

Not sure how he'll use his education,seems likely that he might go on to a PhD one day like most with a Master's in Physics.. 

[aa6ww]

Id get him a small 80mm ED refractor like the Astrotech 80ED and a simple Alt-as mount like the twilight alt az mount

 

--  Ralph

[dnrmilspec]

+1 on the SeeStar.  Seems made for this situation.  

[sevenofnine]

Welcome to C/N! 

 

The usual telescope recommendation is to just buy a Dobsonian reflector. The most recommended size for a beginner is 8"-10" aperture. You get the largest aperture per dollar/euro spent with this type of scope. However, these scopes are big so a smaller table top might be the most appropriate for a student that usually has very limited storage space. First Light Optics in Europe has a good selection to choose from:

 

https://www.firstlig...dobsonians.html.

 

Another idea already mentioned is the Seestar S50 or S30 smart telescope. You don't look through an eyepiece but the image is transferred directly to your cellphone. Both scopes are compact enough for easy travel and lots of fun to share photos like these with friends. Good luck! 

 

https://www.firstlig...telescopes.html.

 

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Edited by sevenofnine, 05 June 2025 - 08:46 PM.

[3C286]

Hi there, 

 

I'm a very proud mum to a son who is about to graduate from a Physics degree. I would love to buy my son a telescope but I know absolutely nothing!

 

He's going on to do a Masters degree in Uppsala Sweden, and I would love to get him a telescope but I'm utterly lost!

 

My budget is up to about £800 and just wondered if anyone could help, thanks very much 

 

Marie 

Dear Marie

 

Congratulations on your son's upcoming graduation. It's a lovely idea to get him a telescope. It could imagine that it might be nice if it's something that he can cherish for a long time?

 

Looking back to my 20s, I was moving house every year or so and I didn't have much space our shared house so something compact would have fitted well with my lifestyle. It would also have been more practical if it came in a proper case to protect it and for ease of storage. 

 

The SeeStar is compact but it'll probably be outdated within 5 years or so.

 

A Canon 12x36 image-stabilised binoculars go for around €800. Compact and requires no set up time. For most of us, binoculars are our most-used scope. See: http://www.scopeview...n12x36ISIII.htm

 

As suggested by aa6ww, an 80mm ED refractor might be a good one? You can see more with larger aperture scopes but most of us have a small refractor or two in the 70-100mm aperture range. 100mm refractors are wonderful but start to get large and need a bigger mount.

 

The Sky-Watcher EvoStar 80ED often comes up for sale second-hand (if you happen to find one) for around €400 and comes in a nice case. You'll also need a mount and a tripod:

https://www.astrosho...-ed-ota/p,15056

 

TS 80ED is just the OTA and you'll need to get the other bits separately and they can add up:

https://www.astrosho...-ed-ota/p,51028

 

A bit more expensive but a Celestron C5 might be another option? It comes in a case.

https://www.astrosho...0x127mm/p,16072

 

 

BTW, you quoted your budget in GBP, are you in the UK?

 

I hope gives you some ideas

Tak

[Notdarkenough]

Another vote for SeeStar 50

[SeattleScott]

The Seestar is pretty slick, extremely compact, and well within budget. That being said, it kind of sucks for the Moon and planets, and you lose the experience of visual observing. While absolutely worth considering, another alternative would be a Celestron Nexstar 6” SCT. Enough aperture to do justice to deep space objects (under reasonably dark skies at least), can be used for imaging like Seestar with the addition of a focal reducer and camera, and is quite portable and compact, yet still a nice display piece in a dorm room. It isn’t as dead simple to use as Seestar, but certainly not that complicated, and one can add on Starsense to make it just as easy to use as Seestar. So at the end of the day, basically it can do everything Seestar can and more with the right accessories. The downside is it is much bigger than a Seestar, and it is probably already at around your budget, without the additional accessories for taking pictures, or even filling out a lineup of eyepieces to give a broad range of magnifications. So the Seestar is super compact and a nice all-in-one solution (yet the enthusiasts still find ways to pour money into Seestars through 3D printed adapters for various astronomy accessories), while the SCT is going to be more of an ongoing expense. If you are concerned about needing something to buy him for birthday, holiday, getting him the SCT will solve that problem. There are ways to add on to Seestar, but you kind of need to get connected to the online user groups and learn where to get the 3D printed adapters and stuff.

[Dave Mitsky]

It's true that the Seestar S50 is not designed to do worthwhile planetary imaging.  However, it can image the Moon and the Sun, albeit with only the resolution of a 50mm aperture.  Surprisingly good deep sky (DSO) images can be obtained, especially with post-processing of the raw data.  Browse the very long thread starting at https://www.cloudyni...tar-s50-photos/ to see numerous Seestar S50 images.

[Dave Mitsky]

Here's a Seestar S50 image of B33 (the Horsehead Nebula) that I captured last year from the Bortle 5 Naylor Observatory.

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[Brent Campbell]

Either the SeeStar or a really nice pair of binoculars.  

[daveb2022]

Perhaps a gift certificate and a good introduction to astronomy book? 

 

Another idea might be the intro book, but throw in a planisphere and a set of wide-field binoculars. 

https://www.cloudyni...i-23x40mm-r4721

[balcon3]

One thing to keep in mind is that Uppsala is very far north. For half the year it never gets dark and for half the year it is dark most of the time but cold. I don’t think he’ll be lying on his back looking at the stars with a pair of binoculars very often! Another thing is that it is really difficult to know where his interests will take him. I do agree that one can’t go wrong with a pair of decent 10x50 binoculars. They are very useful both for astronomy and for hiking, bird watching ,etc. I think if I were in your situation I might budget 300£ for a set of binoculars, since it is always nice to get an actual physical gift. My parents gave me a pair (8x42) when I graduated from university, and I used them for 20 years, Then I would see if there is an astronomy shop in Uppsala. There might be since it is a university town. I would get him a £500 gift certificate for that store and he can go there whenever he wants, talk to the staff, and buy something for himself that he is excited about. If he buys it himself the chances are much greater that he will he make meaningful use of it.