I would guess that very few among us haven’t peered up at the heavens on a clear, crisp night and watched the stars twinkling and working their magic on our imaginations. I would also guess that fewer still have taken this occasional bit of stargazing” to the next level by purchasing a telescope and actually becoming an amateur astronomer.
There are plenty of folks out there who would love to enjoy the beauty and mystery of the night sky in more detail but lack the desire to purchase, set up and use a telescope. If you’re one of those folks, a great alternative is buying a pair of quality binoculars.
While you’re not going to be able to enjoy “Hubble quality” deep space views through a pair of binoculars, you WILL get plenty of stunning views of the moon, several of the planets in our solar system and a number of galaxies and nebulae. Trust me, it will be well worth the effort and investment if you really enjoy looking at the night sky.
If you do decide to buy a pair of binoculars for engaging in amateur astronomy, I highly recommend that you purchase a decent tripod as well. Even though binoculars are relatively light, your arms will tend to get weary as you hold them up to the sky for minutes on end.
The most popular binoculars for astronomy are 10 x 50’s. The designation 10 x 50 simply means that the binoculars have a magnification of 10x and an objective lens diameter of 50mmm, a combination that provides what is generally regarded as the best mix of magnification and field of view for general astronomy.
You can pick up a cheap pair of 10 x 50 binoculars at most any discount or sporting goods store, but in the long run you’re likely to be much more satisfied with a pair of quality binoculars that are well constructed and come with a high quality set of optics. In a nutshell, name brands actually mean something here. In the field of astronomy, “great” is always better than “OK”, even for the amateur. You needn’t spend a fortune, but you do need to spend enough. How much is enough? Well, that’s where a little research comes in. Here are a few links to get you started:
- http://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/binoculars-for-astronomy.php
- http://www.binocularsbest.net/
- http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=binocular_astronomy?atc=ggldlp&gclid=CNGgsPHqgqcCFSVe7Aod03nvcw
About the author: Carl Grinstead is a long-time “serious amateur astronomer” who loves sharing his hobby with others!