Astronomy w/ binoculars?

Question

I've read a bunch of posts from noobie astronomers wondering what type of telescope to buy and noticed many people recommend getting a goodset of binocuars first. How much detail can you actually see with a set of binoculars (bodies other than the Moon, say Mars or a nebula)? Do they make binoculars that mount to a tripod or do you just stay as steady as you can? What types and power are recommended for star gazing? Thanks much!

Answer 1

Binoculars can give the "noobie" spectacular views of objects in the sky and are much more rewarding than many of the cheaper telescopes with poor optics, difficulty in aiming, and overmagnified views. Binoculars can be mounted on tripods and a variety of other types of stands to keep the view from "jiggling". Binoculars allow the "noobie" to keep both eyes open while viewing. I've got both a telescope and three sets of binoculars. I use the binoculars most of the time because they are so quick to grab and use, lightweight compared to the scope, and easy to share with friends and family. They also allow you to quickly scan large areas of sky. Many times, when I only have a few minutes to gaze, I'll use the binoculars rather than the scope because I just don't have time to set it up.

Binoculars can run anywhere from under $50 to over $1000. For a "noobie" I'd recommend 7X50's or 10X50's. They're still relatively light and pick up a lot more light (brighter views) than 7X35's. The first number is the magnification. The second number is the diameter in millimeters of the lenses in the "big" end. 7-10 magnification gives good views of relatively large areas of sky. Higher magnifications, ranging from 12X-40X bring you "closer", but also shrink your field of view (how much you can see at once). Larger diameter lenses (70, 80, or 100) pick up as much or more light than many small telescopes, will have 20-25X magnification, and will require some type of tripod. The quality of the binoculars is the reason that you can get 7X50's for $40 or $300. Price isn't always a guarantee of quality, but generally, the higher the price, the better the optics, and the better the view you'll get from them. For a first timer, I wouldn't pay over $100. Use that pair as a learning tool, do some reading, do some gazing, join a local astronomy club, then decide whether to stick with the cheap binoculars or invest in really good ones or a telescope.

Answer 2

I tried binoculars on a bunch of space objects and was generally disappointed and at the end of the attempt nauseous and with aches all over. The Problem is that I can't keep them steadily pointed at an object in the sky. I just can't.

Now, you could upgrade that to a quality spotting scope with quality tripod. And now you have spent double the price of a reasonable entry level astronomy instrument... and you still don't get an astronomy instrument.

So what is the difference between a spotting scope and an astronomical telescope? You get a prism to turn the image upright and you get a hermetically sealed body. Both details will cost money. One does not need either for astronomy. They are essential for birding, though, and no astronomical tube will make a good birding scope. Which sucks because it means having to spend at least twice the money if one is interested in both. Just to get started!

I have a lingering suspicion about the "astronomy newbie binoculars theory". I think it is a historical artifact from a time when telescopes were very expensive, rare and the average astronomy happy kid had a ten if not hundred times better chance to get hold of good binoculars (because someone in the family was a nature lover or hunter) than of a real telescope. Many grew up with the binoculars and they saw most of the things in the sky first through two lenses rather than an 8" mirror. And the first impression is the lasting one.

But it is beyond me why anyone would think that hand-held binoculars (especially cheap ones!) can compete with even the cheapest of mirrors on a (no matter how wobbly) Dobsonian mount.

There is one thing good binoculars do MUCH better than cheap telescopes: to show wide sky fields. But heck... your binoculars might be better than the Hubble over a field of view of two degrees... which the Hubble is simply not designed for.

But then, how many bright objects are there in the sky with an angular size of 2 degrees? Very few, I believe.

More than any particular instrument, though, I wish for dark skies near my home. And I bet most professional amateurs will wish for the same. Once the light pollution turns everything you see into a bright fog, there ain't no difference between a $49.95 plastic tube and a twenty five grand semi professional home observatory. They are both useless.

Answer 3

Light gathering power is more important than magnification. And unless you're working from a tripod, don't go above a magnification factor of seven because your field of view will not be steady for any higher magnification. Get a set of binocs that say they are 7 x (biggest number you can find).

Binocular astronomy is mostly hunting galaxies, globular clusters, comets, and open clusters, mainly for art appreciation or to measure the sensitivity of your eyes.

If you like to figure the orbits of the major planets, you can use binocs to see and then draw the star field around a planet and then compare the drawing with a star atlas. And be sure to write down the observation time. Then you can use your data (t, RA, DEC) to find the orbital elements. So your binocs can give you a chance to have some Fun With Math.

Answer 4

Binocular astronomy is different from telescope astronomy. It concentrates on large objects and wide fields of view, rather than small objects and narrow fields of view. Binoculars used in astronomy range from about 7x50 to 20x80, with the most useful sizes being 7x50 and 10x50; I prefer the latter. You're mainly looking at deep sky objects: nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies. If you're primarily interested in close up views of the Moon and planets, then you need a telescope, but you will need to spend at least two or three times what a good binocular will cost. Even with a telescope, I use my binoculars all the time to plan starhops to objects I'm trying to find in my telescope.

I've observed Comet Holmes more than a dozen times in the past month, but most of the time with 7x50 binoculars, as their wide field gave me a much better view of this large object than my telescopes did.

Answer 5

OK I've got to throw my 2 cents in here.
Bino's ARE a necessary part of astro observing.
Visit any nearby star party and darn near everybody there will have a pair with them.
Some use only a pair of bino's on a tripod like these
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=mounts_and_tripods/~pcategory=accessories/~product_id=05374
Unfortunatly, Amanssci must have gotten a bed pair if he got nauseous.
What's needed is to make yourself comfortable. A reclining lawn chair can do wonders.
Check this out.
http://members.aol.com/DonMFox/binos.html

Answer 6

spotting scopes can see a lot, we had some in Korea that we could see 15 miles away, so any tripod mounted is best, the higher the last # the better it is,