Beginners Guide to Astronomy
Binoculars
By Shawn Grant
Why binoculars? Binoculars give a perspective to the universe that cannot be matched with the naked eye or a telescope. Binoculars aren't better than telescopes or the naked eye it is equally just as important. They give more light gathering than the bare eye and have a much wider field of view then telescopes. Research has shown that when using both eyes more resolution is gained and more light is gathered, everything looks better in stereo. This gives binoculars a special place with the amateur's accessories.
Some of us have a decent pair of binoculars lying around the house and may not think to point them to the wonders of the universe. If you don't, a fine 7 X 50 or 10 X 50 can be purchased from an astronomical dealer for $100 or more. Don't buy from a department store they are generally over priced, cheap and don't have the proper coatings required for astronomical use. 11 X 80 binoculars are an excellent choice. They give more magnification and light gathering but still have very wide field of view. These cost about $350 or more but still generally less expensive than telescopes. It will be handy to have a camera tripod or some other sturdy mount. This will keep your arms from getting tired and much more detail is gained due to steady binoculars.
Exploring the solar system with binoculars is a great treat. The moon reveals many of its craters, Mountains and valleys to the curious observer. Find a book such as Peterson's Field Guide or many other publications that have a map of the moon. Use the maps to identify the features of the moon. Many nights can be spent on this activity alone. The phases of Venus can be watched with as little as 7X. It is a lot of fun to watch as Venus gets closer to the crescent shape its angular size increases. As the planet becomes more full it gets smaller. Jupiter's satellites can be monitored with binoculars. It is fun to watch the 4 largest satellites do their celestial dance around the great planet of Jupiter. Many Asteroids are visible in binoculars. Remember when the Comets Hale Bopp and Hyakutake were visible. These comets were much more rewarding with a simple pair of binoculars then they were with a telescope. The web site mentioned above has finder charts to some currently visible comets. Many comets have been discovered with binoculars, in fact binoculars have an advantage because of the wide field of view.
Binoculars give unique views of deep sky objects that cannot be matched by anything else. There are several large open clusters that are too big to fit in most telescopes' field of view. The Pleiades and many others are fine examples. Large nebulas like Bernard's Loop and The California Nebula are great treats in binoculars as they are a little too big to be seen nicely in a telescope. If one hasn't seen M31 with Binoculars they are missing a great sight. Binoculars give a wide enough field of view to fit the whole galaxy in. There are many other galaxies that are treasures with binoculars. Dark Nebulas are seen in their full spender in binoculars. Take a look at some of them for they are often overlooked.
The AL offers two great certificates for binocular observers the Messier Binocular and the Deep Sky Binocular. These lists are a good start but by no means the end of your binocular trek. There are also great books on binocular observing. One of the best is Touring the Universe through Binoculars by Philip Harrington. This book is as close to a complete guide to binocular astronomy as one can get. It doesn't just list the brightest and easiest objects to see. It also list objects that are unknown or overlooked and real challenges. This book will prove to be a valuable reference for a lifetime. One more important tip have fun and enjoy yourself.
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