CHILDREN
!

INFINITY-76 P

!
The INFINITY-76P is a great way to introduce youngsters to astronomy.  It comes attractively boxed, suitable for giving as a present.  It is a small table-top model, about 12" by 10" at its widest, its body made of strong blue plastic.  It is easy to move about, but also has a stable base.   There are no fiddly bits likely to get lost, and focusing is very simple - you just turn the eyepiece.  Unlike most children's telescopes, it has good optics which are not plastic, so you get a good clear image of the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and star fields. 

76mm (3”) f/300 Reflector

  • Magnification: x30
  • Diameter of Primary Mirror: 76mm
  • Telescope Focal Length: 300mm (f/4)
  • Eyepiece Supplied: x30 Erecting (*Provides upright image suitable for terrestrial use)
  • Parabolic Primary Mirror 
  • Helical Focusing
  • Complete with Neckstrap
  • Table-Top Cradle
  • Gift Box


Included in The Independant's 'Ten Best Telecopes' feature, chosen by Robin Scagell, Vice President of The Society for Popular Astronomy. 

MERCURY 607

!
A traditional 60mm refractor on an AZ mount.  Easy for youngsters to use, so popular with under 10s.  Also suitable for terrestrial viewing as it comes with a 1.5x erecting eyepiece which turns the image the right way round.  10mm and 20mm 1.25" eyepieces and x2 Barlow lens.  Focal length 700mm, so usable magnifications up to 140x with optics supplied.  This is enough (and not too much) to have an unblurred image of Saturn and Jupiter and great views of the Moon.  

CAPRICORN 70 (EQ1) REFRACTOR

!

This equatorially-mounted refractor is a good way for older beginners to start in astronomy.   Its 70mm (2.75") aperture is one of the traditional sizes for an adult's or teenager's first telescope and it has 36% more Light Gathering power than a 60mm.  The equatorial mount enables you to track objects easily (but is a bit too complicated for younger children).  At the same time it is small and light enough to be easily moved to different sites. 

The Capricorn's focal ratio is 12.8 and this gives nice crisp images of the Moon and planets.  It comes with two multi-coated eyepieces -10mm and 25mm; and a 2x Barlow lens.  These give magnifications of x36, x72,  x90, x180.  (In astronomy, a well-resolved image is more important than a huge amount of magnification.) It also has a 6x24 Finderscope and an aluminium tray for holding eyeieces.