Binoculars with that budget.

r/telescopes read the pinned buying guide. For a decent scope you need to spend $250-$300. Maybe you can get lucky on FB Marketplace for under a $100.

Call your local university or City college… ask for the astronomy dept, they will be more than happy to show you the comet on a really big telescope… for free!!

Search for a group in your area that does "star parties". They love to share with noobs. It's a great way to learn more.

Offerup or marketplace you can negotiate prices and may be able to get a good deal

Even my binoculars I spent over $150 on

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EDIT: For this comet binoculars are wanted. It'll be barely visible to the naked eye. (Thank you u/aspheric_cow )

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Comets generally look pretty cool just to the naked eye. I wouldn't buy anything just for this event. Binoculars or monocular (7x or so) do improve the view, while a telescope will just show a big fuzzy blur without adding more detail. (This was my experience from a couple of comets that were visible around 1997 or so.)

Or, as someone else posted, you can search for a local amateur astronomy group and see if they have any viewing events / star parties planned for this.

The idea of the college of astronomy club is the best. Now you will have a contact there to see other celestial events. This would also be a great father son activity. Going star gazing with astronomy club once a month is something he will always remember. Also he will now have a cool thing to know that his friends don’t. As he gets older he can point out stars and constellations to friends.

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Please don’t waste your money on a cheap telescope for one event. I’ve been an amateur astronomer for over 30 years and can confidently say that viewing a comet through a telescope is actually disappointing. Comets are best viewed through binoculars.

If you really want a close up view of the comet head, the people in any local astronomy club will be more than happy to let you look through their large, expensive scopes for free. The people already suggesting this are 100% correct. Plus, most will be delighted to show you more of the skies wonders if you ask.

I don’t know what light pollution is like where you are, but getting to a place where there is very little light pollution and a clear night is going to be as important as what you are looking at the comet through. The moon is getting out of the way and there’s a good chance at a place with very little light pollution and clear skies you’ll be able to see it with ordinary binoculars or just the naked eye. Also of note is that being at a location like that before sunrise is going to be awesome on its own. It’s also a great time to see satellites passing overhead because the soon to be rising sun will be reflecting off the satellites but the sky will still be pitch black. There are great satellite tracking apps and night sky apps that will help you with where to look for the comet, satellites and other celestial objects. Good luck!

Depending on where you live, some libraries rent out telescopes.

I'll sell you one for $30. I got it for Christmas but need money for a laptop. I'll send pics if your interested :)

Go watch it with the naked eye. Take the 40 bucks, and invest them on gas, soda and food. Find the darkest area you can reasonably drive to (darksitefinder.com), and go there with your family, to a nice park, beach, or any other nice area. Make a picnic out of it. Just lay on the grass and enjoy watching the stars. Just being well outside a city will make the sky look amazing (because of light pollution).

If you have the luck of getting a clear sky, you'll have a great time and be able to see it just fine. If you have cloud covering instead (welcome to the world of astronomy, the weather is always a harsh mistress), you'll still have a great time outside with your family, and your kid will never forget it.

Check your local library. Ours has small telescopes to lend with a deposit.

This. There are groups that will meet up in areas near Julian for example. You can see far better out there, and I have seen some really awesome telescope set ups before.

Man find like a nearby university or stargazing club

Hate to say this, but this isn't a very bright comet and there's nothing special about it. Your kid will no doubt have many chances to see brighter comets than this. So don't feel like you should put a lot of effort into viewing this one in particular. Save your money and put it towards a trip to see the total solar eclipse next year.

If you still want to try, as others said, contact your local astronomy club. Or see if any of your friends have good binoculars - maybe you know someone who is into bird watching?

This one will be barely visible to the naked eye, unless it gets much brighter than predicted (always a possibility). You want binoculars.

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As a NYer I can tell you the trip to the Planetarium is always amazing for kids. My nephews love it when they visit and got to meet Neil Degrasse Tyson when I took my kid the first time.

I thought this one was predicted to be magnitude 5.5. That's not a naked eye comet.

This. These guys are in every city/region over 75k people.

Everyone here is right about finding a local star party or observatory that does public nights. If you happen to live near Rhode Island (assuming you live in the US) I volunteer at an observatory there. Frosty drew observatory. Check it out and come out we will give you an incredible show.

Especially if the noob is a parent with their child... People with telescopes love letting kids look through their telescope (as long as they are old enough not to move anything).

A telescope won’t help here? I have a decent one

You can see up to magnitude 6 objects in ideal atmospheric conditions, and if no bright objects are nearby in the sky.

Don’t bother buying, you’ll just be frustrated trying to align it. Go to a star party or a local colleges astrology dept and let an expert do the heavy lifting. You and your kid will enjoy it more!

Check with your local library. They may have one to check out.

This is indeed the way to go. They will usually have way better kit than you would otherwise have access to.

A lot of libraries have telescopes you can borrow for free.

Craigslist or FB market place. You can get a 250 dollar scope for 50 bucks cash. Got a 127 eq for 60 bucks a few years back

Find your local university's astro soc - if they've any gumption they'll have a star party and far bigger tools than you could want.

Most are pleased as punch to have normal folk just turn up to take a gander.

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A telescope can help if it has very low power.

It’s pretty borderline especially for a diffuse object.

Certainly, but isn't it always? You go outside with your telescope to watch something awesome that has a narrow window, and all you get is wet.

I didn't even know about this, so I will have to make a similar effort. Thanks for bring this to my attention!

My father worked for a while at a planetarium and later led star walks. I used to go with him. They're some of the most enduring memories of my childhood. So I second this idea.

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Thank for the info, though I don't suspect there are that many in the area. Very sporadically populated, high poverty rural area. Would be great for star viewing though. Not a lot of light pollution.

From what I can find out. There are 4 observatories in the state. All are around 4 hours away sadly. Idk if any are open to the public but the distance removes any need to research further in that area. Thank you for the advice though.

https://librarytelescope.org/

See if your library or one near you participates in this program that lends telescopes.

Thanks. I see several people saying binoculars, not telescope. They say it will be more blurry or something with a telescope. What exactly makes that occur. I wouldn't have thought there would be any difference.

check at your local library, ours has a telescope you can checkout for free

Thanks, that would be interesting to try. I hadn't really considered satellites. We are in town, but it's a small town and we have family further out of town we see every week. I figured we would try there. I don't know how to describe the amount of light pollution, but we can see the milkyway on clear nights. Heck, some nights even in town, since it's a small town.

Pro tip, use a credit card and buy one from Amazon. Use the scope and then return it after using it because it wasn’t what you expected.

Also I don’t think they want to drive far away to look at something they can’t even see we’ll.

I think you’ll be good! Definitely for satellites.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/satellite-tracker-by-star-walk/id1248172706

This is the app I was talking about. I think it was a couple bucks….it’s cool and the same company makes a night sky one but it’s a little more money.

Neat site. I was reading that because it's just about a swamp here that the humidity is going to mess up the visibility. Shame, because I have family in a dark blue area, and I can go like 10 miles north and be in a gray to dark gray place.

Man, I am strapped right now. But if I had the cash I would just buy you a decent telescope for you and the kids or even send the money for you to get it. Its nice having one around to look at any time, and it's nice seeing the kids exploring and learning.

Wish I could! We are way down south, bordering Arkansas and Texas. Not much of anything here, which I've read is good because of light pollution. Unfortunately I saw that humidity will mess things up. It's humid here even in winter so.....

You don’t need a whole observatory, just someone with a good telescope already- when they say contact local school that’s what they mean. I second what others have said also about looking up local “star parties” on google or Facebook.

I will certainly give it a try!

What day(s) are you doing this?

Friday nights. Google frosty drew observatory.

I appreciate the sentiment anyway. I don't even know how interesting my kid would find it. She has glasses but still has a hard time sometimes seeing stuff. Folks have been saying get binoculars instead of a telecope. Something about it being blurry? If I get some binoculars I'm going to get some sort of tripod or something, because there's no way I could find it, and then have her find it as well. I would have to set it up before hand.

She's 9, and she reads at nearly a 7th grade level, and she's smart but she also has adhd. Not so much with the hyperactivity, but her attention span and short term memory is bad (mine too). I think she may have some undiagnosed autism (we don't really live in a place with the best medical care.we had to dive like 3hr round trip just for a doctor to see her for 30 mins and tell us ADHD a few years back). Lots of reasons, trouble telling others emotions and tone of voice, other stuffx but the relevant thing is that issue where when you are trying to point to where a thing is and she can't figure out where you are pointing to. It's the weirdest thing, especially considering how smart she is ,(not just the parent in me talking. Her teacher says she's like, really smart.) Anyway, unnecessary tangent aside.....

I think I need to get a pair compatible with some sort of tripod like contraption that I can affix them to. I think I can find one for about 10 bucks, and it'd be small enough to move it around to see other things. More overshairing with internet strangers, but we definitely will be checking out the moon, as her name is Luna. 🌙 Hopefully we can find some decent enough to see other things 🪐 , if nothing else we can watch birds and stuff. 🐦

Thanks. I'm kinda computer dumb but I think I would need an iPhone and I have a Samsung, but I'm sure there is some sort of equivalent app for it. I will definitely look onto it because that's cool and I never thought about trying to see a satellite. Would be good practice because I figure you get many more chances with them, lol.

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https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-clubs-organizations/

You may be able to find some astronomy clubs here? There are other resources online where you could find groups who meet up in the area who have star parties. You’d be surprised how many groups are out there. Even in an area like yours, especially if you live in an area with dark skies.

You could also check with your local library. Some libraries have telescopes that people can sign out. If they don’t have any telescopes, then they may know of Astronomy Clubs?

Check with your local colleagues to see if they might be having a viewing

From what I understand, the comet can be seen with a pair of binoculars as well. Any sporting goods store would have a few decent types in stock.

Heh. I work at a university dept of Physics and Astronomy and this is the first I've heard of a green coment... thanks!

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Wow. It's been all over the internet (suggested articles and all) anytime I go online. I must have triggered whatever on the algorithm I guess 🤷

This is true. Source: I am a person with a telescope who loves letting other people look through it.

I was also at a library in a pretty small town this weekend and they had a telescope and binocs to lend out. Library of Things. See if your local library system has any you can borrow.

Comets are large so you need a low magnification. Big telescopes can only work at high magnification - and also, cheap amateur telescopes are designed only for high magnification, because most people just look at the Moon and Saturn and that's about it. Binoculars usually have reasonable low magnification, like 8x to 12x. (Don't buy zoom binoculars that go up to very high magnification like 30x, those are trash.)

Comets are also dim and diffuse, and we can see dim objects much better if we use 2 eyes rather than just 1.

tbh My biggest sin is Hubris, and if I have money the thing I'll be proudly showing to other people is how good my telescope is at seeing some astronomical object. I'm always tried to soothe it by thinking that hey, at least my hubris makes at least one more person interested in science, it could be worse.

OCA in Anza typically loves new people and are really friendly. https://ocastronomers.org/
I used to live directly below their site on the mountain in Anza (Aguanga)

I was gonna ask where you were so I could loan you some binoculars.

Sadly I’m way far north, so I hope you can find another solution!

I hope she enjoys it, we will have to see. Got her head in a book all day, (which I ain't complaining), I just think she would find it interesting. I should get her a book but I'm not really sure where to start. I know it's probably pretty basic of me, but I read Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson and liked it. But even though its been a while, and memory isn't great, I don't think she has the foundation for that even. They really haven't even started much, if any, science, so most of what she knows in that department has just comes from me watching documentaries and talking about stuff. Our education here in Oklahoma is absolutely pathetic, (and that way by design I suspect, but that's a whole nother conversation).

I am an absolute novice, but if you have the time and feel like it, I would love to know why having a lower power would be beneficial. It seems counter-intuitive, which is why it's interesting. No worries if you don't feel like it. You would likely have to r/explainlikeimfive/ anyway.

Thanks man. I'm sure we will figure something out. I could go as high as maybe $60 if anyone could tell me if they were the right kind for the job. There's just so many.

Thanks.

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Local astronomy club. They are always great people who meet at a park nearby to stargaze with telescopes.

Thanks. I checked the addresses for every one in the tri-state area. Closest was more than 2 hrs away. Anyone with any sense gets as far away from here as they can, if and when they can. Unfortunately I'm just a stubborn jackass,, and I just dig my heels in deeper, but I never claimed to have any sense. I'll ask my library about the telescope. I know they just started having sewing machines that they loan, so it's not just books anymore at least.

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Almost any time. Not the 20th at 6pm thru the 22nd at 6m, or the 3rd at 6pm thru the 5th at 6pm, (although I think by then it may be gone already). Family is OK with us going out to their place to give it a shot anytime, and if that doesn't work out we can try to find a place North of town, but that might be hard due to the trees. I was seeing that it was up closer to the horizon, so that could be an issue.

Sorry man, I'm WAY out of the area. Just for kicks I Googled how long it would take, if I drove nonstop with no breaks or to get gas, to get there. Assuming no traffic delays, I could get there in 23hr and 55 mins. I don't think we are up to that! 😄Thanks anyway.

That is a really useful site! Again, nothing even 2 hrs away, but I'll check with the library anyway just in case. Thanks.

You're a great mom btw, it's so heartwarming to read this!

Also, this could be an astronomy club at a high school or college. May even be able to talk to science teachers of the child as they may do this stuff as a hobby at their house

Is it still in the night sky? Never had the chance because its cold outside and my warm clothes are in the wash rn

Buy a nice telescope from a big box store that has a generous return policy….

Check for local observatories, even some small colleges have them.

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This is the best answer. Your kid will learn so much, be able to view the skies through the telescope and probably also get to see a lot more stuff.

I agree! I am not even what I would consider an amateur astronomer but do go out star gazing with the kids a couple times per year for different events. Had a friend who really wanted to see the total eclipse and needed a second driver since his plan was to drive non-stop for 16 hours, see the eclipse, then repeat the trip in reverse. On a whim my wife and I decided to go with him, and when we finally arrived and were standing in an empty field I thought we had made a dumb decision. However, an hour later when the eclipse happened it was so amazing! I had seen partial eclipses many times, but the full eclipse was transformative! My favorite celestial event, I would say. Ironically, we have since moved near to where we had seen the eclipse, so now we will have to make another long road trip back to where we just moved from to see the next one!

The aperture (size) of the telescope's main lens or mirror determines how much light it collects. If you use a high magnification, you are taking that finite amount of light and spreading it over a large image, so the image gets dim. This makes it difficult to see dim objects like comets. But if you use too low a magnification, some of the light is wasted, so for example, if you use 8x magnification on an 8-inch telescope, the view is no better than 8x50 binoculars. Worse actually, because you're only using one eye. So for viewing large diffuse objects, binoculars are ideal. If you can afford large astronomical binoculars (like 16x80) those are ideal, but even a common 8x42 works very well (and don't need a tripod).

Check if your county library or local libraries have a library of things. I think mine has a telescope.

The best way. Join a club. And make some nice friends of all ages.

My local library lends great telescopes, maybe yours does too?

Not a bad way to be. Nothing wrong with having something nice and REALLY nothing wrong with having something nice and sharing it with others.

Do you have a recommendation for a good beginner but not toy telescope?

It's good to get enjoyment out of others enjoying themselves.

Often we find ourselves more privileged than others. In those instances it is our moral obligation to share the benefits of our privilege .

Wanting because you want to out-do someone or something is very different than wanting something so you can make others happy

10x and over is very hard to hold by hand. Get a tripod, or at least a monopod, to go with it. Stabilized binoculars are very nice, but hugely expensive. There are cheap Chinese scope + tripod combos with provision for phone mount close to your price range.

By the 2nd of February I’ve heard you will be able to it with the naked eye.

Do not go with high magnification, go with a larger aperture (the second of the two numbers). A 10x50 is a reasonable compromise for beginners with limited budgets, if you can find an 8x60 or 10x60 it would be even better. Do not get higher magnification than 10 if you do not have a stand to hold the binoculars or have learned and gained experience sky gazing with them.

When holding binoculars, keep your elbows close to the body. It might be better to sit in a lawn chair or something you can comfortably recline in so you can hold them steady for a longer period of time.

make sure you use metal components to secure your binoculars to a tripod if you're using one. plastic flexes too much and created blur.

If no group in your area maybe a post on Nextdoor app to see if any neighbors would share telescope views?

Orion Starblast II 4.5 with the 25mm eye piece too much? We just got my son one for Christmas. Haven’t had a chance to try yet on the comet due to rain.

Look for a small reflector; 4"-6". With a Dobsonian mount. (Up/down and sideways.) They grab enough light to see neat things, but are easy to carry and set up. Most will come with a 20mm -22mm eyepiece. That's a great wide angle, low magnification choice. Maybe you'll want a 10mm-12mm or something to get closer looks of the moon, but I prefer the lower power ones for nebulae and clusters.
I think Sky and Telescope had a 4-1/2" beginner scope that was nice. Look at Telescopes.com and see what they have. Try a local astronomy club. They love to share and someone might even have one to sell.
And a good finder scope. I like the TelRad but the Rigel is nice. (You can ignore this if you can make the one that comes with the scope work.)
Then find a decent book for small telescopes. I like "Turn Left at Orion", but there are others. These will help you actually find nebula, star clusters, etc. rather than just trying to find stuff.
Go to astronomy web sites and see what they say. Figure a few hundred dollars at least for the whole thing.
You can store them in the garage or shed. Keep it covered so dust and mice don't get in it and it'll last for years.

Not bad. That's 18x magnification.

Where you live? I am in NYC. Might have a present for you.

You’re in Oklahoma? If you’re on Twitter you could try reaching out to @OkieSpaceQueen. She does portable planetarium shows. AFAIK no telescopes, but she might know where you could find one or a star party or something.

I went comet watching with a group from observatory for free. Check if you have one nearby and if they offer something similar.

Check your local library to see if they have telescopes available to check out. I know it sounds odd but some do have things like this. Mine even has small kitchen appliances available.

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4 hrs for a once in a lifetime opportunity with your child isn't very far at all.

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We have a used everything store, they sell used binoculars and telescopes, and everything else. Ours is called Grey Bears, you might have the equivalent.

Do you have a local observatory? Ours is free to the public.

It is closest during Feb 2nd. Try going to local star gazing group. Most of them are really nice people and will actually be thrilled to show others all the stuff

True, but it is if you have health issues and need someone to come with you. Chronic pain makes that long of a trip have ramifications felt for at least a week, plus I try not to drive more than an hr without another adult who can drive because I have episodes where I get really sleepy and it's dangerous. Typically after a meal, but not always. I've read it's either to do with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome or MCAS, I forget which. Something where your blood sugar spikes, then over corrects or something and you get hit with what I call "the sleeps". I can usually hold it at bay for 20 to 30 mins but that's it. But I do see where you are coming from. For most folks it wouldn't be too big of a thing, i just dont think we could.

Thanks for all the useful info!

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Thanks anyway, but I'm WAY far off from you. Oklahoma. But I do appreciate your generosity anyway. It's great to see people showing kindness, the internet is not usually known for that.

Very helpful information. Thank you.

Understood. I wish you the best of luck and/or fortune. There are some really great suggestions here, hopefully it pans out, astronomy is a great hobby for young scientists.

If you're in a city a lot of public libraries also carry rentable telescopes

I won a 5’-tall 10” Dobsonian telescope in a raffle for $20, and am a passionate science teacher. I’d drive it there (within an hour or so) for a kid to get to see the skies.

I've seen Halley's as a 10 yr old it was a blob . I saw Hale-Bopp and that impressive. The last I saw was Comet NEOWISE and it took binoculars to see that one. You can use google play to find one.

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Just want to say, you sound like an awesome dad. Money isn’t everything. Your child will grow up to be inspired by you!

I hope somebody in the area sees this and can take you up on that offer!

I will certainly try. I've never seen a comet, so this will be the first time for us both. There sure are a lot of apps. Any suggestions for a beginner?

Thanks, I hope so. Not exactly a dad, but at least a better dad than her dad, so I'll take the compliment. (I apparently give off dude vibes online, lol.)

I hope it sparks her interest. It's just hard for kids nowadays it seems. (If not, I will at least have some fun!)

Bring a flask of hot chocolate, cups, and brownies.

Not saying these are bribes but it’s a good way to get people to stop and let your kid use their telescope while you plough them with sugar.

OK guys, y'all have been so much help so far, thank you! I'm going to try to see if my local college or library has a telescope (not likely but hey), but I'm going to buy some binoculars anyway. Could y'all help me pick? I have picked ones that have a 50mm aperture or better (I think). Btw, if you put a link for me, I have looked at it, thanks. I haven't found anything closer than 2hr in the tri state area. I'm still looking for "star parties" in the area. Anyway, these may be completely wrong for this, but here are some I've been eyeing:

(I know these first two are monoculars not binoculars, but they just seemed neat. The first one has some good reviews I read somewhere else, I just picked one of the same model with a tripod and stuff. I also worried that because my kid has glasses it would be better if i could use my phone to enhance the image, if thats possible in this situation)

16X52 Monocular Telescope Waterproof HD Monocular with Holder Tripod for Smartphone Dust-proof Anti-fog Shock-proof Clear BAK4 Prism Lens for Hiking Hunting Camping Bird Watching https://www.walmart.com/ip/1623626603

LAKWAR Monocular Telescope Kids and Adults, 50mm Large Objective Lens, 10X-30X Magnification Monocular with Tripod and BAK4 Prism for Wildlife Watching, Hunting, Camping, Scenery Watching https://www.walmart.com/ip/1809656423

Essentials(TM) 7x 50mm Porro Prism Binoculars https://www.walmart.com/ip/1673466977

BRIGENIUS 10x50 Binoculars BK7 Prism Bird Watching Sightseeing Travel Hunting for Adults Black https://www.walmart.com/ip/582414690

BEBANG 10X50 Binoculars for Adults, Compact Binoculars with Low Light Vision, Powerful Binoculars for Bird Watching Hunting https://www.walmart.com/ip/1152501360

NUOLUX Powerful Monocular 50X60 Telescope Portable Monocular Binoculars with Phone Holder Tripod and Compass https://www.walmart.com/ip/719408734

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Do you happen to know where the best location would be to go see the eclipse?

Probably Texas or Mexico. If you go further north along the eclipse path, there is greater chance of clouds. Alternatively, be prepared to take a road trip to any part of the eclipse path, and decide a few days in advance based on weather forecast. Wherever you go, you want to be as close to the center of the total eclipse path as possible to get the maximum duration.

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