Stardate 10:12:97
Getting Kids Involved In Science
The stars have always beckoned to the human race. Curiosity brought us down out of the trees, and out to the stars. Children especially have a deep longing to understand the world around them. Do they need expensive equipment and a pile of technical manuals to experience the joy of discovery? Not at all.
They will need books to answer the questions they have, and to inspire new questions. There are many good books on science written for children, including a series called Golden Guides. I frequently refer to those books myself in an effort to look up a needed fact.
Two of the best science shows
on television for kids are 
"Bill
Nye the Science Guy" and 
"Beakman's
World." Each
explores a different topic in every episode - for instance, air
pressure or oceanography.
Bill Nye entertains his audience with many visually exciting experiments, and rock music videos singing about science. The actors who work with Beakman use animal costumes, and unusual props and makeup in order to teach their subject.
The nineties offer children the wonders of the World Wide Web, with many very good sites available as a resource for the answers to children's science questions. For the first time in history, children may get answers directly from NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratories (who run the interplanetary probes). The latest findings from various interplanetary probes can be found at www.jpl.nasa.gov. Although many of these web sites are geared towards adults, children can understand much of what is discussed. CNN also has clear, concise reports in the science area of their web site.
The library, of course, is always a large source of information, offering kids a plethora of information available for immediate access.
If you have a child who is expressing an interest in astronomy, it is not necessary to buy him or her an expensive telescope. It is far more important to buy them one which offers good quality optics, and will not frustrate their budding efforts at astronomy.
There are three major designs in telescopes; refractors, reflectors, and mirror/lens systems (including Schmidt/Cassegrains and Makustov/Cassegrains). Of these, refractors are often the best choice for children, as they offer instant set up, are low maintenance, and are the easiest to use. Reflectors must acclimate to the weather, and require higher maintenance.
There are also three different mount systems available, alt/az (or altitude/azimuth), dobsonian, and equatorial. Of these choices, the alt/az and dobsonian mounts offer the greatest ease of use. Equatorial mounts are for more versatile, but are more difficult to use, and may frustrate a young astronomer. An alt/az or dobsonian mount is most likely your best choice when selecting a telescope for a youngster. If you do choose to buy him or her a refractor, then it will most likely be found on an alt/az mount. They are also commonly put on equatorial mounts, but these, as we've stated, are often not the best choice for a child.
The last aspect of choosing a telescope for a youngster which we will look at is the outside diameter of the eyepiece. This is often referred to as ocular size, and is measured in inches. Do not confuse this measurement with the focal length of the eyepiece, which is the number printed on the eyepiece, and is usually measured in millimeters. The two choices in ocular size for amateur instruments are .96", and 1.25". The .96" system is less expensive, and can provide decent quality images. The 1.25" system, however, is the standard for amateur astronomers, and offers better quality, easier to view images than are afforded by a .96" ocular system.
Clear skies, and good viewing.
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