Astronomy binoculars and telescopes and other astronomy accessories and are the core of amateur astronomy.
What helped me familiarise myself with the night sky was a good set of binoculars. It was only after using them for a couple of years that I upgraded to a telescope.
We’re all warned out the quality of 60mm telescopes sold by department stores. But my folks didn’t know any better, and that’s what they bought me one Christmas, and to a 12-year old kid, it opened up the universe.
Astronomy Binoculars For Beginners
Binoculars have a role to play in astronomy. A quality pair costs less than a telescope and is a good entry point for someone who wants to learn the night sky.
They don’t provide the same magnifications as a telescope (but magnification isn’t everything) but binoculars do show a much wider field of view which makes it easier to navigate across the sky.
Because of this wider field of view, you also get to see the ‘big’ picture. And, because you’re using both eyes, there’s less eyestrain.
Binocular viewers are available for telescopes and those who use them (even though they cost a couple of hundred dollars and you need two eyepieces for each one) swear by them (rather than at them!). However, since these are a piece of specialised equipment, they will cost more than a pair of binoculars.
A typical pair of binoculars will be 10x50s (10x magnification and front lenses 50mm in diameter). More powerful models are available – and these are classed as “astronomy binoculars”. 20x60s are available from $150 upwards and you can get 20x80s for as little as $90 (yes, cheaper than 20x60s).
Binoculars for astronomy are quite heavy and you can tire easily aiming them at the sky for any length of time. Also, because of their higher magnification, any shake in your hands will also be magnified and stars will dart around in the view.
If you plan to look at the sky for extended periods, you’d be advised to use a tripod with a binocular adaptor. This lets you securely mount the astronomy binoculars on it and easily point them around the sky without strain.
Binoculars are also great for looking at large scale celestial objects such as comets. The Moon through 20x binoculars is a revelation, bringing it close enough to see landscape features particularly along the terminator but also, you’ll see it in three dimensions, something a telescope can’t do as you only look though one eyepiece instead of two.
Astronomy binoculars are available from a wide range of manufacturers: Barska, Zhumell, Celestron, Meade, Canon, and Pentax.
Serious amateur astronomers may want to invest in top-brand models from Nikon, Vixen, Kowa and Fujinon. Expect to pay $1,000 and upwards to $5,600 depending on the make and model. Why would anyone want to pay that kind of price for a pair of binoculars? They’re the best instrument for comet hunting for one. The 3-D view they give makes you feel like you’re out in space. The better models use interchangeable eyepieces so you can change the magnification and field of view.
Conclusion
You can start using a pair of binoculars much more quickly than setting up a telescope so if you have very changeable weather where you live, they might be a better option for sky watching. Of course, you can throw a pair of binoculars into your luggage very easily and view the sky from your holiday destination with ease.
All in all, astronomy binoculars are a much better option for casual viewers because of their portability, usefulness for both terrestrial and astronomical observing and the fact that they are cheaper than a decent telescope.
As with almost everything else in life, with binoculars you get what you pay for. Low quality binoculars can cost under $10, and others in excess of $5,600. My experience says astronomy binoculars will cost at least $90 if you want a quality pair worth having.
Gary Nugent has been creating astronomy software for over a decade and his popular Night Sky Observer site features many astronomy articles. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.
categories: amateur astronomy,astronomy,science,binoculars,telescopes,hobbies,hobby