Background information
Be like Daniel Gyro Gearloose for once: When children become inventive
by Michael Restin
A telescope has bought me closer to my daughter and the stars
9.4.2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Philipp Rüegg
The birthday present which turned into an unexpected father-daughter hobby.
So far, my knowledge of space is pretty limited and primarily second-hand information. The source being my seven year old daughter. From an early age, she was fascinated by planets, astronauts and rockets. She writes astronomer as her dream job in every friendship book. That’s why when she asked for a telescope for her birthday, it quickly became clear it wouldn’t be something she’d soon forget about.
Since I’ve never actually looked through a telescope, let alone owned one, I had to do some research first. Then the inevitable happened. In a very short time, I immersed myself in the endless expanses of countless astronomy forums, read test reports on eyepieces, learned what focal length means in a telescope and which filter is best suited for the moon. The closer I got to a suitable model for my daughter, the more obvious it became that I’d buy one for myself.
For my daughter I finally decided on the Celestron Starsense Explorer 114Az. An easy-to-use telescope that, with the accompanying app, should be perfect for your first observations of the sky.
I bought myself a used Celestron Starsense Explorer Dobson 10", which I got for a good price from a friendly senior couple. The 25 kilo device was too heavy for them to constantly lug back and forth. With a length of 1.3 metres, the telescope is actually huge. Not quite as big as my daughter’s joy when she received her long-awaited birthday present, though. It probably wasn’t too difficult for her to guess what was behind the wrapping paper.
Big eyes and tough screws
Stargazing is very dependent on the weather. Luckily for us, it was practically cloudless on her birthday and the following week. So we, or rather I, dragged our telescopes into our garden for the next few evenings. It’s the perfect spot because we have a relatively clear view of the starry sky.
The telescope was originally in her room. However, the fingerprint-covered window panes aren’t particularly conducive to the already light-polluted sky. It’s also within easy reach of her sometimes somewhat boisterous younger brother. So it now lives in the garage, together with my telescope.
On top of the perfect weather during her birthday week, there was also a full moon. It’s by far the most rewarding object to be gazed at with a telescope – both with my daughter’s beginner telescope and with my rocket launcher.
And we were amazed – with the emphasis on we. My daughter wasn’t the only one with big eyes when she looked through her telescope for the first time. The feeling’s indescribable, seeing moon craters with your own eyes. For the first time in a long time, I felt this wild fascination for space. The same fascination that makes my daughter want to pick out all the clothes, toys and backpacks with a space theme.
On a basic level, using the telescope is relatively simple. Remove the protective cap, point the red dot at the desired target and then admire the object through the eyepiece. But, for a first grader, there are still a few hurdles to overcome. You need a relatively large amount of force to loosen the adjusting screw for fine adjustment. And since the telescope’s very small, it’s easy to move it unintentionally. That’s why, for now, I’m setting it up for my daughter.
The Starsense app that comes with it, on the other hand, can be used by all children. I clamp a smartphone in the holder, align it briefly and the app shows me where the telescope’s currently looking. Then my daughter can simply click on an object on the star map and the app uses arrows to show where the telescope needs to be moved. More often than not, we simply look up at the night sky and choose a target.
The night is ours
The fact that my daughter’s still allowed outside late at night without her brother or mum naturally adds to the excitement. Her highlight so far has been a visit to the observatory in Winterthur. It was hopelessly overcrowded that evening and the view of Jupiter and Mars wasn’t at all exhilarating. Nevertheless, it was a great adventure for her and certainly not the last. We’re already making plans to visit the Gantrisch Star Park – the only dark sky location in Switzerland. In other words, a place free from light pollution.
The telescopes have more than one meaning to my daughter and me. We don’t just admire the night sky with them, they fascinate both of us. I share a passion for games, board games and Playmobil with her younger brother – things that I loved as a child. But I spent a long time looking for similarities with my daughter. That’s why I’m all the more pleased that we’ve finally found a common hobby in observing the night sky.
It’s just a shame that summer time means it gets dark later. That’s great for being outside at night, but bad for a seven-year-old stargazer who should be asleep by nine o’clock. But spring break is coming soon and we can try out the new eyepieces I’ve ordered. Of course, because we both wanted them and not because dad couldn’t stop himself…
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
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