Question 1

My 6 year old is interested in astronomy. Would this or the Celestron up close binoculars be better for him?

Accepted Answer

I bought this for my son when he was 7.  He wasn't able to find things on his own.  If you get it in place, all of my kids are able to look through the telescope and see what it is positioned on.  I believe you will be able to see things closer with this telescope, but your 6 year old will probably need assistance positioning the telescope to see things in the sky.  You will also need a table or something to set it on.

Question 2

Can anyone suggest particular eyepieces that would improve this telescope?

Accepted Answer

Make sure you get the 1.25" diameter eyepieces! Tele Vue brand eyepieces have earned a great reputation for clarity without distortion. A 2x Barlow extension (by Tele Vue or anyone) would double your viewing options. As for regular eyepieces (like a Plossl), higher magnification for distant viewing, lower mag for the moon. Divide telescope focal length (300 mm for this telescope) by the eyepiece in mm to get magnification. So, the 20mm eyepiece gives 300/20 = 15x magnification. The 4mm  gives 300/4 = 75x mag. Add a 2x Barlow extension to those eyepieces gives you the option of 30x and 150x. If you also buy a 30mm Plossl (lower mag for nearer objects), you get 300/30 = 10x mag ... add the 2x Barlow to it and you have 20x mag.

Question 3

compare TO CELESTRON FUNSCOPE

Accepted Answer

The Funscope is an Orion scope (not Celestron). The Orion Funscope generally gets better reviews for better quality optical and lenses.

Question 4

I live in NYC. How much will the city lights affect what I can see?

Accepted Answer

Light pollution definitely affects a lot.  You would be able to get close ups of the moon, and might be able to see faint outlines of the larger planets when they are closest to the earth - but as for any type of deep space viewing (which using this specific scope - I wouldn't think possible), you couldn't do it with such a light polluted area.When I want to really view stars, I take my 8" Dobsonian out camping - even then, I need to take the scope far away from our campfire because the light from the fire distorts viewing to such a large degree.

ASIN	B001UQ6E4Y
Additional Features	Tribute to notable astronomers, easy to use, stylish design
Best Sellers Rank	#5,805 in Camera & Photo Products ( See Top 100 in Camera & Photo Products ) #96 in Telescope Reflectors
Brand	Celestron
Built-In Media	20mm Eyepiece, 4mm Eyepiece
Coating	Aluminum;Silicon Dioxide
Compatible Devices	Camera, Smartphone
Customer Reviews	4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,437)
Exit Pupil Diameter	3.8 Millimeters
Eye Piece Lens Description	Brandon
Field Of View	38 Degrees
Finderscope	Reflex
Focal Length Description	300mm (12")
Focus Type	Manual Focus
Global Trade Identification Number	00050234210249
Item Dimensions D x W x H	9"D x 9"W x 16"H
Item Weight	3.7 Pounds
Manufacturer	Celestron
Manufacturer Part Number	21024-CGL
Model Name	FirstScope
Model Number	21024
Mount	Altazimuth Mount
Objective Lens Diameter	76 Millimeters
Optical-Tube Length	70 Millimeters
Power Source	Battery Powered
UPC	050234210249
Unit Count	1.0 Count
Warranty Description	2-YEAR WARRANTY
Zoom Ratio	15 or 75

FirstScope Telescope

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