Binoculars Help!?

Question

I wanted a pair of binoculars for look at the moon, and casual stargazing. But I didn't want to have to use a tri-pod. Also I wanted to keep the cost reasonable, so I though this pair was pretty good, please give me your feed back on what you think. And if you think there is another better pair with about the same price please give me the link!

http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-outland-lx-10x50-binoculars.html

Also what will I be able to see with this pair. And could I also use it during the daytime?

Answer 1

10x50 is a very popular size for astronomy, and these sound like a good value.

As for what you can see, you'll be able to see the lunar maria and major craters, and the moons of Jupiter. Saturn may look oval if you look carefully, but seeing the rings takes higher power. You should be able to see 60 or more of the Messier objects, plus a number of other clusters, nebulae, and galaxies. You won't see much detail at only 10 power, but in a number of places you'll be able to see multiple objects in a single field of view. Also, some large objects show up best in binoculars. In a dark sky, the Milky Way is beautiful and fascinating. Many of the larger dark nebulae in the Milky Way are most easily seen in binoculars.

These will also work well in the daytime. They're a bit bigger than what some birders prefer, but if your primary use is astronomy, I'd stick with these rather than something like 8x40's.

Answer 2

I still think this is a good choice, and no you don't need a tripod. At least 43 of the Messier objects are brighter than Magnitude 7.0 - you should be able to see those easily. These would include well known objects like M8 Lagoon Nebula, M11 Wild Duck Cluster, M13 Hercules Cluster, M31 Andromeda Galxy, M42 Orion Nebula, etc. The Moon will be great as long as it's not full. Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn will clearly show up as planets.The Pleiades, Hyades, Double Cluster, and the Milky Way will be gorgeous. Go ahead! You won't regret it!

Answer 3

These are what I usually recommend for astronomy. The 50mm apertures will give you nice bright images, and the 10x magnification gives you enough power to resolve detail without becoming too hard to hold steady. I have an older, more expensive pair of Celestron Pro 10x50s, which I bought about 10 years ago, and have found to be excellent both for astronomy, and for general daytime observing. I haven't seen this model myself. One similar model which has gotten extremely good reviews is the Orion Scenix 10x50:
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=307&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=09333

Answer 4

Good Choice.

I have 10x50's too. Good for astronomy and birding too.

When you hold them, try to brace yourself against your car or something and always remember that you will be more steady if you hold your hands more towards the far end of the binnocs instead of placing your hands on the binnocs nearer towards your face.

Answer 5

!0X50 is too powerful to hold steady, you will have dancing images. An excellent choice would 8X 50, or 8X40, the magnification is good enough to bring the moon close and you will have a much easier time holding a steady image and the stars of the Milky Way will dazzle you.

Answer 6

THEY look more then ample. you should try them at night and see for yourself. look with your eyes only then look with the binoculars...see the huge difference. and yes, they will work for daytime use.