Camping can be so much fun, especially if it is the whole family going on the trip. One of the best ways to enjoy the trip is to bring a telescope that has enough magnification that will allow members of the trip to see the night sky better. One of the concerns that people have when they think of bringing an astronomy telescope packing it. Some people think that in order to see better, a large telescope which is difficult to setup is needed.
Larger telescopes are often delicate and difficult to move around because of their lenses and their weight so a smaller one is needed when your intention is to transport it often. Recent innovations have made smaller telescopes just as good at bringing in details as slightly bigger ones. Aside from ease of transport and setup, the smaller versions are not so painful on the budget but still deliver on the magic of astronomy. There are several benefits to lugging along a telescope and it is not just the adults that will see these benefits. The following are three reasons to bring a telescope on your camping trip.
1. Share the Magic of the Stars
Family camping trips often have unwilling older children who wish they were somewhere else. Well, astronomy is a great way to bond with young and old members of the family. The family can enjoy gazing up to a clear dark sky, even without a telescope (if it’s not their turn yet!) and taking turns looking at the wonders of outer space. Even the most cantankerous kids will pause for just a while to wonder at the planets, the stars and constellations. There is something very exciting about actually looking at specific planets and stars with your own eyes.
2. Learn Astronomy
Gazing up into the sky and enjoying what you see is different from actually learning about astronomy and outer space. There are practical applications to learning about the positions of the stars; navigation being one of them. Learning aspects of astronomy can be handy for kids in school and for adults, it can open up your eyes to something really special that can be accessed on a clear, dark night using a good telescope, learn more about how to choose the best telescope for you over the web. A lot of people get hooked on astronomy because they borrowed a friend’s telescope out of curiosity and they never looked back. As a hobby, astronomy has so many possibilities.
3. Aside from Using a Telescope
To gaze at the night sky, some telescopes can also be put to good use during the day. Some adjustments may be necessary to use some telescopes during daytime but it can be done. Bird watching, mountain watching or just looking at the forest or countryside can be just as enthralling as stargazing. The small, transportable telescope can just as easily be used for daytime nature watching as it is for nighttime stargazing. Members of the family can take turns looking through the telescope and enjoying the views or whatever they wish to magnify. The tops of the mountains and clouds can be seen in great detail using this kind of telescope, read more about the different types of telescopes over at telescopeguide.org.
These are just three reasons to bring a telescope on your camping trip. The enjoyment of seeing the world and outer space through a new perspective can occupy the members of the family for hours.