The best presents for astronomy and space fans
Celestron StarSense Explorer 114mm Dobsonian Telescope
Cost: £299.99 / $349.95
From: Celestron, Wex Photo Video and other good retailers
1Celestron has reinvented the tabletop Dobsonian telescope with StarSense Explorer – the first tabletop Dobsonian that uses your smartphone to analyse the night sky and calculate its position in real time. The 114mm-aperture Celestron StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app’s user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. It’s like having your own personal tour guide of the night sky.
Celestron NexStar 5SE
Cost: £999.99 / $799.00
From: Celestron, Very and other good retailers
2 Celestron’s signature orange-tube NexStar series combines advanced features and excellent optics in one easyto-use computerised system. The NexStar 5SE is the perfect choice for your first Go-To telescope, offering striking views of Saturn’s rings, the cloud bands on Jupiter, geographic features on the Moon and much more. The NexStar 5SE’s unique, patented single-fork arm mount is perfectly portable and makes setting up quick and easy.
Aligning the telescope is simple thanks to Celestron SkyAlign technology.
Diamonds Everywhere
Cost: £16.99 / $24.99
From: Collins
3 Feed cosmic curiosity with Diamonds Everywhere by astronomer Tom Kerss, a stunning photographic guide to 101 facts about the universe. Did you know that there are probably more stars in the Milky Way than every human that has ever been born? That some stars are so cool, you could touch them without burning your hand? Or that the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way are destined to collide? This book is the perfect Christmas gift for earthlings who love to learn.
ESA Patch Beanie
Cost: €22.90 (approx. £19.95/$24.49) From: esaspaceshop.com
4 A fitting beanie for space enthusiasts featuring the official European Space Agency (ESA) patch worn by ESA astronauts. Made from 100 per cent acrylic, with a one-size-fits-all approach, this beanie is designed with everyone in mind. The beanie is available in either royal blue or navy blue and the patch includes the flags of 22 ESA Member States. The ESA patch was redesigned in 2020 to include two Associate Members, Latvia and Slovenia, and one Cooperating State, Canada.
Celestial Buddies
Cost: From £18.22 / $21.99 From: celestialbuddies.com
5Have you ever wanted to give the entire Solar System a great big hug? Now you can with these adorably squishy celestial buddies. Each member of the Solar System has been transformed into a unique character, from feisty Mars to our loyal Moon, and even Pluto and Charon haven’t been left out. Each buddy comes with its own little tag consisting of entertaining and interesting facts, making them both fun and educational.
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