I've been in the optics industry for a while now and have interacted with a good many clients who love gazing at the stars and moon at night. But they come to me, saying, 'I just want to appreciate the stars, and not have to fuss about setting up a telescope or figuring out how to polar align, locate objects'. So I tell them, in all honesty, there is really no wrong in that, and a simple solution might just be - binoculars! A pair of astronomy binoculars is a great way to save money, save space and is a great gear to pick up, put in the back of the trunk when you go camping. At night, when the sky is really dark, star-gazing with binoculars lets you view the stars a closer and fall in love with dark sky sites.
For the less technical, binoculars also eliminates the need to polar aligned your telescope or having to purchase filters and eyepieces for. They are also usually adaptable on a tripod and you probably want to get one with Astronomy Binoculars. I will explain a little bit more further down this article. For now, let's get to some basics.
The two important features you need to get comfortable with on Binoculars is their magnification and aperture. These are usually identified by the two numbers used to name the product. For example, the product named Saxon 25x100 Astronomy Binoculars features a magnification of 25 times, and an aperture of 100mm. The two numbers you always see in the product name of a binoculars almost always refers to magnification and aperture. Aperture also refers to the diameter of the lens (in millimetres)
For celestial viewing you need binoculars with a big aperture. The bigger the aperture, the more light is transmitted through the tube. You will notice most binoculars have an aperture ranging between 25 to 50mm. These binoculars usually fit easily into your hands and are great for general viewing. Astronomy binoculars, however, tend to be double or triple the size of normal binoculars because large aperture is required in such low light conditions to transmit more light. Look for something around the range of 80mm or 100mm in aperture, and you'll be fine.
Since these binoculars are going to be quite large and heavy (between 1.5 to 3kg), we recommend getting a pair that can sit on a tripod. Sometimes a tripod adapter needs to be purchase and other times it comes with it. It really depends on the brand and model you purchase. Because these binoculars are so heavy, get a tripod so that you can view with your hands free. A pair of binoculars fixed on a tripod also means your views are almost free of hand shake. Image trying to hold up a 2kg pair for a few hours - you are going to tire out eventually!
I hope these articles help you understand the most basic points about viewing the stars with Binoculars. Happy Stargazing!
To learn more about binoculars, check out our Binoculars Guide.
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