Gifts for stargazers and budding astronomers
Presents for someone who looks up, by budget, from a red torch to a smart telescope. Nothing here has been tested hands-on; each is a type of thing and what to check.
Already own a smart telescope? The accessories for each scope list what fits their model: EQ heads, power banks and dew shields.
Stocking fillers (usually under £25 or $30)
- red LED head torchRed light keeps night vision; white light costs twenty minutes of dark adaptation every time it goes on.
- planisphereA rotating star map for any date and time, no battery or signal needed. Buy one made for their latitude: about 51° N for the UK, 40° N for most of the US.
- hand warmers long lastingWinter is the best season for deep sky and the coldest to stand still in.
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Under £50 or $50 (usually £25 to £50)
- Turn Left at Orion bookThe classic beginner’s guide to finding things in a small telescope, organised by season.
- thermal flask 1 litreA hot drink at 2 am is the difference between one more target and packing up.
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Under £150 or $150 (usually £60 to £150)
- 10x50 binoculars astronomyThe traditional first instrument: wide, bright, and good for the Moon, the Pleiades and the Andromeda Galaxy. Heavier than they look, so a tripod adapter helps.
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The big present: a smart telescope
A smart telescope images galaxies and nebulae from a back garden in an evening, with a phone as the screen. For a first one, the ZWO Seestar S30 Pro has the widest field and the easiest start, and the DwarfLab DWARF 3 is the smallest to carry. The buying guide puts every model on one table, by what they want to photograph and by budget.
Before you buy
- A cheap “500x” telescope is the classic wasted present. Magnification claims on a box are a warning sign; a wobbly mount makes anything unusable.
- The sky matters more than the gear. A trip to a dark site shows more than any upgrade. Why.
- See what they could image. The tonight planner shows what is up from their location this week.