Telescopes and astronomy have always had a bit of a stigma. People tend to link amateur astronomers with the awkward brainy nerdy type! And nothing could be further from the truth. Amateur astronomy and the love of telescopes is just not like that.

We live on an average sized planet in an average sized solar system that revolves around a very average star. And this star rotates inside a universe that is very average among millions of other galaxies in the universe. Don't you think this is an amazing and awe inspiring thing? Doesn't it make you contemplate the universe, the creation of the universe, and our place as tiny little human beings in it?

It gives me a very profound feeling of awe and humbleness to view some of the spectacular things outside of our little area of space and time.

Taking a telescope, or binoculars out at night and viewing some of the magnificence of the universe is a pursuit that takes me out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life and brings me to a place of deep contemplation and appreciation for the absolute beauty and magnificence of this mysterious universe we live in. The telescope is the tool of the philosoper and the seeker of things in our reality and not just a toy for nerds to play with.

If you have never spent any significant time under a deep night sky I highly recommend you give it a try sometime. It will change your perception of yourself and the world we live in forever.

If you don't have a telescope or binoculars you can still experience much of the awe and magnificence of the universe. Did you know that you can see several planets and a couple of different galaxies with the naked eye?

I suggest you grab a starmap from somewhere and head out tonight. It will change your life.

Orion GoScope II 70mm Refractor

I like this telescope for a few different reasons. First off it is small and manageable in size. Yet, you still get a 70mm main lens which is a bit of a bump up without the bump up in price. And you get a bunch of accessories to go with it including a prism that makes it easy to view from comfortable positions or easy to use during the day on things other than the sky.

Celestron 21087 PowerSeeker 80AZS Telescope

And for better performance, but more cost this telescope is by one of the premiere telescope making companies. And the main lens is even bigger (80mm) so this telescope is an even better performer. And being a short tube scope we still get that wonderfully larger field of view.

So that's it. That was our fun romp through the universe of introducing a child to astronomy and telescopes. I hope this was helpful for you. But.... one thing I can say is that I bet this article and all of this about telescopes and celestial objects probably piqued your interest too! Have fun with the new telescope whichever one you end up getting!

Here are more telescopes on Amazon.

Orion 10028 StarBlast 70mm Altazimuth Travel Refractor Telescope