How to Stargaze with Binoculars by Aurora with Central Coast Astronomy and Supercharged Science
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- Stargazing: www.centralcoastastronomy.org/...
How to Use Binoculars for Stargazing
How can you tell if your pair of binoculars are good for stargazing? And what's the difference between a $50 pair and a $500 pair that are the same size and magnification? Does it really matter?
The more expensive pair will have clearer, crisper images. Around the edge of the view will continue to be clear without any distortion, but this isn't as important for stargazing as it is for day use. A little out of focus is okay. If the edge is way out of focus, try a different brand.
Stargazing binoculars generally are between a magnification of 7x to 10x. The objective lenses (the larger lenses) are usually between 35mm to 60mm, although I don't recommend anything larger than 50mm because it gets hard to hold steady the longer you look through them. I wouldn't go any smaller than 7x35 for stargazing. 7x50 or 10x50 are a perfect size for astronomy.
For older stargazers, exit pupil size matters. This is the size of the bright disk of light you see in the eyepiece when you hold up the binoculars. A 7x50 pair of binoculars will have an exit pupil of 50/7 = 7mm. If this number is larger than the size of your pupil (when adapted to the dark), that will be light that doesn't enter your eye. If that's you, then look for binoculars with an exit pupil of 5-6mm. You can easily (and carefully!) have someone measure the size of your pupils using a ruler.
In general, you don't use eyeglasses when you look through the binoculars. The binoculars can adapt to your eyes, unless you have an astigmatism. Try looking both with glasses on and off to see if you need to keep them on when stargazing. If you find you do need to wear eyeglasses when using binoculars, then look for a pair that has at least 15mm of eye relief (most binoculars will have this already).
When you pick up a pair of binoculars, look at the light reflected in the objective lenses. They should be mostly dark, if they are white or red, try a different brand. Now look through the lens at the prisms inside. If they have a good anti-reflection coating, you'll see a rainbow colored surface. If it's white, try a different brand.
I've outlined the main points above, and then I thought it might be easier to show you a video how to test for everything you need to know to be sure your pair is good for the night sky (and chances are, they are!) - Наука та технологія
You are way fun. Students should appreciate you very much. Cheers!
Thanks for watching!
Binocular astronomy is under appreciated but it must be said that binoculars compliment any telescope but could never replace it.
10X50 binoculars would have a brighter view than a 50mm telescope because you use both eyes but a 50mm telescope would show much more because of the ability to use higher magnification.
10X50mm binoculars would show Saturn as a bright star, 50mm telescope at 50X would show Saturn's ring separated from the planet. Saturn's rings can be seen as low as 20X in an 80mm refractor, this is the power of increasing aperture, more aperture = higher resolution and a brighter view.
A 60mm telescope has around the same brightness as 50mm binoculars at the same magnification (though the 60mm telescope would have a slightly higher exit pupil), the binoculars would probably have a much wider field of view but the telescope would have a much more comfortable view with a 90 degree diagonal on a tripod with no neck strain from looking up that happens with long periods of using binoculars. An expensive parallelogram tripod can solve this for binoculars but at this point, might as well use a telescope.
Binoculars may have wider fields of view at low power but this becomes irrelevant at higher than 10X because short focal length refractors exist and you can use 2 inch eyepiece with extremely wide fields of view.
Most objects in the sky are not very big but my ST80, 130 Helios and Skywatcher Explorer 200P telescopes fit most of the largest objects in the sky comfortably in the field of view at higher magnification because of the 68 and 82 degree eyepieces i use. Even a 32mm plossl in these telescopes would show most of the biggest objects.
Binoculars are very worth owning but they are not a substitute for a telescope.
I'll also add that i used 10X50 binoculars in my comment because 7X50 are nice but they have a 7mm exit pupil and if your eye pupil only opens lets say, 5mm, then you are receiving 2mm exit pupil less light which is the same as using smaller binoculars and smaller binoculars reveal less detail. 10X can however be shaky for some people, all you can do is try binoculars and keep the ones you are more comfortable using but everyone should own a pair.
Thank you for your comment!
"if your eye pupil only opens lets say, 5mm" -- Which would likely be the case for anyone over 40 (pupil doesn't open as wide as you start aging).
I prefer bino's any day of t h e week. Telescopes are great, just not my preference. Don't forget my friend, not everyone has the same style, in others word's, it's called preference for...... What works for you, that's more important than what your using.
@@1maticsports675 The video was about regular binoculars not bino viewers for a telescope which are more niche among those who use a telescope.
Bino viewers for a telescope have pros and cons too, they are comfortable to use but they also have a limited field stop usually 21mm and they reduce aperture by about an inch, i used one a few years back on a 100mm refractor and M13 had less stars in the bino viewer when compared without and then there is the cost of buying two eyepiece for each power and you are also limited on the size you can use which varies from person to person. And bino viewers are not cheap either.
Binocular telescopes have their own pros and cons, full aperture but extremely expensive and heavy and require two of each eyepiece and limited on FOV. My dream telescope would be a 100mm binocular telescope but mounting one is not easy due to the size of the tripod you need and when you consider all that, my 200P is more flexible despite requiring a an EQ5, shows more and only needs single eyepieces.
What we need in astronomy is a heavy duty but portable AZ mount, i am sure some exist but not in my country.
I love my binoculars but an APM 13mm 100 degree eyepiece in my ST80 gives me 3.25 degrees at 31X (or if you want to use the Stelarvue version which is labelled 13.5mm but same eyepiece for 3.38 degrees at 30X), you just cant get this in any binoculars.
Obviously preference comes into it but so does money and most telescopes sold are usually bought by people who aren't spending a lot of money. As i say, my post was to inform people that yes, they should buy binoculars, since that is what the video is about, they have a plethora of uses, buy some solar filters and you may see some large sun spots too but they are not a replacement for a telescope, with or without a bino viewer or binocular telescope.
I'll also add, that i have been comparing binoculars with and without ED glass and while ED glass makes a difference in telescopes, i can't tell the difference between with and without in binoculars which i think it likely to do with the low 10X magnification. That my experience but some do claim they see a difference.
@@allnamesaretaken guess I just like calling binoculars binos, but yeah I know the difference. My BINOCULARS😂are 10x50 and I wouldn't ever by a refractor telescope or any of that matter, my preference is using BINOCULARS, there better, I still love using binos as a nickname but I do clarify to people I know there BINOCULARS😂 I would never buy a telescope, for me, there not my style for gazing at the stars and planet's. Hope this cleared everything up.🙄
Great and very informative video! Thank you!
I just got some Celestron 15x70, but I'm not sure if I am using them correctly. I wear glasses and I am not sure whether I should take them off while looking through the binoculars. Also, many people in the reviews stated that they can see 4 of Jupiter's moons but I don't think I see that, maybe I need to make some adjustments?
Superb knowledgeable video 💖💖💖💖 thank you for sharing 🙏💖🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
You're very welcome!
I ordered a 10 x 50 with the BAK4. This will be part of our homeschool experience. We are looking forward to stargazing this winter after the temperature cools down here in SW Florida.
Enjoy!
I really enjoyed this video and learnt many things from it. Many thanks! 👍
Thank you for watching!
Phahaha
Your energy is fantastic, I use 10×50 binos, the sweet spot. This video is perfect for my son. Thank you for your great video and yes, binos are the best and easy to set-up, but like you said, people are just taken back on the knowledge, basic, on how they work and they need to be setup first before use. Great video again, I loved it, you were fantastic.🌎🌠
Thank you for your kind words!
I was very surprised by the difference between my 10x50s and cheap Celestron Skymaster 15x70s. I had to cut away the rubber in front of the right eyepiece on them to get to the prism screws though. They were way off when I got them. I took a few shots of whiskey, cut away the rubber, braced them against a pole and focused on a sign down the highway and turned the screws until the images matched.
I can see so much more contrast of light details in the Milky Way with the big ones. Instead of just stars I see bright areas like nebulas that I missed before. I love using the big binos when hunting wild ripe fruits from great distances too and getting better details of new birds at my feeder.
I found a nice cheap tripod for them too...the Joilcan AH75. I use it with my Celestron 70 Travel Scope too. The tripod that came with it is useless for optics and very difficult to use even on the moon. I actually gave up trying to see the moon using it. LOL!
This is super useful.
Thank you :)
You're very welcome!
So very true about the telescope vs the target. Not once in my immense thought process did it even occur to me. How will I actually find this stuff, that is.
Well it didn't take long to dawn on me after my sadistic brother asked why the F do you only look at the moon and Jupiter all the time. This was when manufacturers were pushing large accurate settings circles and first generation goto like the Orion Sky Wizard I installed on my C8 allowing me to push to any given target. Honestly if you really took your time and did the extra steps the target was normally near the field of view.
But I ended up selling my Sky Wizard equipped Celestar 8 to help finance one of the new Super Scopes, the APO of course. At the time anything that used glass even a hair above crown flint was automatically designated an APO, and it puzzled me why I still could see so much false color. But I felt assured each time I saw that huge silver stamp that said...APO.
I find your style very fun and informative and liked and subbed. Will check out your own site.
BTW, the book Turn Left at Orion and a Telrad made me the man I am today and put my brother in his place!
Thank you for your note!
Loved the vid 👍
Thanks! 😁
Hey abit late but are
Saxon 10x50 Wide Angle Porro Prism Binoculars adequate for astronomy?
Yes, those should work well.
Nice video! What should i choose, an 10x50 bak 7 porro, or 10x42 bak 4 roof? Its for astronomy.
Thanks! This guide provides a discussion on your question: binocularsguides.com/bak-4-vs-bk-7-prism-which-is-the-best/
8x42 BK4 over 300 $ would be my choice
I recently purchased a pair of Celestron 20x80 binoculars and a Celestron tripod. Did I make a good choice?
Yes, those are nice!
I got bushell 10x50's wide views,I got them then the other day because I remembered as a kid that I used a broken gun scope,and small binos,during my nightly fishing trips and wanna do it again.Im in my 20's and want to relive it the right way I figured I'd go with a 10x50 because I live in a city area but there's low light pollution areas so I figured that a 10 would give a better view in lightened conditions, instead of a 7 with a less dark area hopefully you understand
Well, 10x50 give you 10x magnification. While 7x50 give you 7x magnification. But, the performance in light polluted areas greatly depends on design of the prisms and the coatings. Technically lower power is better in light polluted areas.
Nice explanation. I just to ask that I do have ko is 20*80 binocular but I do not have tripod. Which one you recommend.
Thanks
We recommend the binocular tripods from Orion. Their website is www.telescope.com
I have a pair of Olympus 10x50 S Bins and a very lightweight and cheap pair of BNISE 12x25. Both Binoculars are very good. As you said I was disappointed with telescopes for there poor viewing experience and abysmal build quality and design or lack of it.
I ordered some Oberwerks 11x70 LW this morning. I'm ecstatic
We hope you enjoy them!
no more than D50mm for sky I agree. Coating is for daylight, evening comets, stars don t need any coated lenses and prisms, there is no significant internal reflection in not coated binoculars in the very dark night.
Hi I have a 10x50 binoculars are they better for the planets and stars...
Does your hand movement affect the image much?
10x50 are a good size. Hand movements may affect viewing. If you find that is the situation, a tripod will help.
Saludos desde la cdmx México en pandemia
¡Gracias por ver!
Just found your segment, have to say I've never seen anything except the moon, probably because I haven't a clue about what I'm doing. Stars that twinkle appear to jump around through binoculars why is that ???
As for planets never seen a thing, I currently own a pair of Leica binoculars which I've owned for more than 10 years 10 x 50 BA. Anyway I will keep watching, thanks in advance.
That can happen when you have a high magnification on your binoculars. Try resting your elbows on something and see if that helps make your view more steady.
Is Comet 8x40 binocular good for astronomy ??
The zoom is ok but go for some bigger lens!
The optics aren't optimized for astronomy, but they should still give reasonable images.
more like a coffee pot than any tea pot I have seen :)
Hello fellow stargazer,
I'm a 14 year old teenager and wanting to get into the magical world of astronomy. I was looking for binoculars to buy, but it seems to be a problem. I live in a light polluted area. Do you think the light pollution is going to worsen my experience? If yes what can I do about this?
Yes, light pollution is a big problem! The only thing you can do is travel to a place with darker skies. I still recommend binoculars, that way you have them if you get a chance to go to darker skies. Also, you can still enjoy the moon, even in places where the seeing is bad.
@@CentralCoastAstronomy thank you for your response
You definitely want to find skies that are as free from light pollution as possible. You'll still be able see things in the city but eventually you want to travel to darker skies. Something I'm looking forward to doing is to go camping. Not only do you get a great sky to star gaze, you also get to go on a fun adventure!
Binocular astronomy = Dots in the sky 🤷♂️
Telescope 100mm = Beginner's stepping stone
Please ¡¡ be my astronomy teacher!!
Very nice of you to say!
What emotion you answered me!
I just want to tell you that you inspired me to watch the sky and buy my first binoculars.
Thanks
love your toys in the back of you
Glad you like them!
🤨
Question: Would a 70 mm binoculars with a zoom of 13 to 39 be a good one to buy? Psalm 19
King James Version 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
We recommend avoiding zoom binoculars. The zoom feature is a significant point of failure and we find that it reduces the optical quality.
@@CentralCoastAstronomy Thank you. My 10 x 50 BAK4 work great. Any stronger might require a tripod. I like the freedom of hand-held binoculars.