Binoculars For Astronomy - How To Purchase Binoculars For Viewing The Night Stars In All Their Glory

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Astronomy, binoculars
• Date: Jul 1,2008

By Paul Maxey

Whether you’re a beginning amateur astronomer or a seasoned veteran, if you’re not using binoculars for astronomy you’re most certainly missing out. I’ve enjoyed stargazing with binoculars for many years and, during that time, have evaluated many different types of binoculars. While being an amateur astronomer can bring with it a high cost of entry, it doesn’t have to if you approach your new hobby appropriately from the beginning.

The truth is, many phenomena in the night sky can be seen with minimal equipment and even with the naked eye. In fact, a good pair of binoculars can take you a long way before you even begin to consider buying a telescope. One of the main advantages I’ve found over the years with binocular astronomy, as opposed to the traditional telescope, is the sharpness and clarity. By viewing with both eyes simultaneously, you can see as much as 35-40% more detail than you can with a telescope.

When it comes to astronomy, binoculars can be used primarily for locating objects in the night sky, for viewing them, or both. Each application requires a different set of priorities when determining the binocular specifications. That said, here are several factors you should consider:

* 1) Mounting: Your first priority for viewing the night sky is whether you will hold them or mount them on a tripod. Binoculars that will primarily be hand held should be lighter. This generally means they will have less magnification, but they will also have a larger field of view, allowing you to view more of the sky at one time. Mounted binoculars can have a much larger objective lenses, meaning much higher magnification. But, this naturally means a smaller field of view. Another consideration is that binoculars mounted on a tripod will provide greater image detail than binoculars that are wobbly and constantly trying to maintain focus on distant objects.

* 2) Aperture: You can use virtually any binoculars for an occasional look at the night sky. But, binoculars with large objectives (50mm and larger) are much better suited for more serious astronomical purposes than their smaller and more compact relatives due to their greater light-gathering ability. Nothing quite compares to viewing celestial objects through a pair of giant astronomy binoculars. The view is much wider than that of a telescope allowing large objects, such as nebulas and entire galaxies, to fit in their field of view. Keep in mind also that the older you are, the less likely it is that your eye pupils will be able to open to larger exit pupils. Hence, 7×50 binoculars (7 mm exit pupil) may not be appropriate for you. Your best bet may be to try 10×50 (5 mm exit pupil).

* 3) Magnification: Once you begin looking at binoculars with a magnification of 10x and higher, they can get heavy very quickly, making for an incredibly shaky image. Again, consider mounting them on a tripod so you can go for a larger magnification.

* 4) Lens coatings: Lenses are coated to improve light transmission through the lenses. Binoculars that are not coated can lose as much as 50 percent of the light that enters them. Frankly, there’s no excuse for anything less than “fully multi-coated” (FMC) for astronomy. This simply means that all air-to-glass surfaces are coated multiple times. With multi-coating now featured on very low-grade binoculars it is very inexpensive.

* 5) Eye relief: If you wear eyeglasses, you’ll want to find binoculars with the proper eye relief. Many models provide long eye relief, allowing you to see the complete field of view with or without eyeglasses.

* 6) Field of view: This is how much of the sky you can see through the binoculars at any one time. Most that offer extremely wide views do so by compromising the quality of the image. A wider field of view can also be obtained with more expensive eyepieces.

As is evident from the above, not all binoculars are suitable for stargazing. As with anything, you must find the right balance of features and price for you. But knowing your options in advance will greatly aide you in finding the best pair of binoculars for you or the budding astronomer in your family to enjoy the wonders of space and science.

If you want to read more, see our quick review of binoculars for astronomy by visiting http://www.buydiscountbinoculars.com, a popular binoculars website that provides tips, advice and resources to include information on Apogee binoculars, Leupold binoculars and more.

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Zhumell 20×80 SuperGiant Astronomical Binoculars - Bestseller!

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A Beginner’s Guide to Telescopes

• Author: admin
• Filed under: binoculars
• Date: Jul 1,2008

By Angelo Valenti

For a backyard astronomer you have many options on what type of telescope to use in your endeavor. With all types of pricing, you may decide to go cheap on your first telescope, which is not advised. A cheap telescope may hinder you enjoyment of star gazing. Telescopes come in a wide variety of prices, starting with the cheap knockoffs, to the professional models that may cost thousands of dollars. If you are a beginner, you may first want to do some research to find the right starter telescope that fits your needs and budget, you should be able to find a decent starter telescope for just a few hundred dollars.

The telescopes we are going to concentrate on are Reflector, Refractor, and the Schmidt-Cassegrain class. Descriptions of each follow below.

Refractor Telescopes

The first telescope a beginner may think of are reflectors. That is the style that we are most accustomed to seeing, and cheap ones can be found plentiful in department and discount stores. But with a quality refractor telescope, This is where the comparison ends. A refractor telescope is usually a long, thin tube, mounted on a tripod. Because of this design, Refractor telescopes are portable and easy to move, and are simple to use. Refractor telescope are generally used for viewing the moon, sun, and planets.

The aperture of a refractor telescope is an important consideration for optimum viewing. This is the light gathering lens diameter. Generally, you would want have an aperture of 70mm, but you may prefer a larger diameter for a larger view.

Reflector Telescopes

If you are interested in viewing far away galaxies, distant star clusters or nebula, theReflector Telescopeis the one for you. Reflectorsuse mirrors in the base of large tubes for gathering light. An addition of a mount, or Dobsonian moves up and down to adjust for altitude, and it also pivots, a very easy design to use.

6″ and 8″ are popular sizes, but larger sizes are available. Price per inch, reflector telescopes are an inexpensive option for viewing deep sky objects.

Schmidt-Cassegrain

A telescope that brings together the technologies of both reflector and refractor telescopes is called a Schmidt-Cassegraintelescope.

These are the telescopes that you would use in astrophotography. A camera can be easily mounted to the eyepiece allowing breathtaking shots of the cosmos. Use of a computer and software allows you to program objects and coordinates for easy viewing. The Schmidt-Cassegrain pricing is about midway between refractor and reflector.

Angelo Valenti

This guide is designed to help the beginner astronomer make the right decision on what type of telescope may serve there needs. We make no claims to the superiority of any brand of telescope.
For more information, telescopes and accessories, please visit http://telescopefanatic.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angelo_Valenti
http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Beginners-Guide-to-Telescopes&id=1171471

Best Beginner’s Telescope

Celestron AstroMaster 114 EQ Reflector Telescope

Top Recommended Telescope

Celestron 11 Inch CPC Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope

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Stablized binoculars

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Buyer's Tips, binoculars
• Date: May 5,2008

Stabilized binoculars are becoming very popular because they have the ability to minimize the inevitable motion while viewing caused by movements such as shaking hands, moving vehicles, vibrations, etc. Not all stabilized binoculars are created equal though, and they differ in the mechanisms used in stabilizing the image.

One of the mechanisms includes the so-called active systems. In active systems, the movement in the binocular is determined using a sensor. With the help of the sensor, other areas of the binoculars’ system are changed to give the user a stable view. Passive systems require the user to manually set the stabilization of the binocular either by the help of a gyroscope or disengaging some parts of the binoculars’ casing.

There are actually three types of stabilized binoculars to choose from:

Gyro-stabilized

This battery powered stabilized binocular has a passive system and stabilizes at a very fast rate. It is, however, quite bulky and heavy.

Vary-angle Prismatic (VAP)

These stabilized binoculars have microprocessors that accept signals from special sensors. Whenever a signal is received by the microprocessor, it automatically stabilizes the image as its initial response. While it also requires batteries, it is more compact and weighs less than gyro-stabilized binocular.

Cardanic suspension

This is the latest innovation when it comes to stabilized binoculars. Cardanic suspension type of stabilized binocular has a prism system which is mechanically suspended that allows the image to be clear and stabilized once viewed by the user. These are quite a bit pricier than the first two types of stabilized binoculars, but they are quickly becoming the most popular due their light weight. They also do not require batteries or any external power.

Of the 3 types, we recommend the cardanic suspension models. They are rapidly becoming one of the fastest selling binoculars in the market today- and for good reason.

Our recommendation:

Canon 10×30 IS Image Stabilized Binoculars

This is a great informational video about the “Canon 10×30 IS” and provides

and excellent general introduction to how these instruments work:

Consistently the best deals on the Web…

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More on choosing a binocular

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Buyer's Tips, binoculars
• Date: May 5,2008

Shopping for a new pair of binoculars for you or yours can be very overwhelming, given the large variety available. Our article: Choosing a binoculars - beware the ‘power’ hype!, covers a lot of ground, but we felt that an additional article on the main types of binoculars would be helpful to our readers and would assist them in choosing a binocular that best suits their needs.

Astronomy binoculars

Perfect for novice astronomers, especially since they are much more portable than most good quality telescopes. Since these binoculars are usually of very high power and have large diameter lenses to capture as much light as possible, it is recommended that they be used with a tripod. Good optical quality is a must with these, and fully multi-coated lenses are essential.

See our review on Zhumell’s 20×80 SuperGiant Astronomical Binocular

Marine/Boating binoculars

Astronomy binoculars make work well for this application, but specialized boating binoculars have rubber armored housing and waterproof construction. Since sea spray is notorious for damaging sophisticated equipment, it is best to find a pair of marine binoculars that will be best protected. Power and lens diameter are also similar to astronomy binoculars, since they are often used under low-light conditions.

Hunting and Birdwatching binoculars

Nikon 8×42 Monarch ATB

Generally, low power and fairly large lens diameter is the order of the day here. The best powerXaperture for hunting and birding binoculars would be 7X50, 7X35, 8X30, 8X40, and 10X50. All of these choices are great for pinpointing the animals’ location and details due to the low power but high magnification and light transmission, without the need for a tripod. It is best to choose a binocular that has a specialized focusing feature,sicne the subjects’ details and tiny movements are of the utmost importance in both hunting and birding. Moreover, choose a pair of hunting or birding binoculars with an extended eye relief feature so you can comfortably view your subject for long periods of time. As with marine binoculars, it is best to choose a birding and hunting binoculars that has a rugged housing or rubber armor construction.

Sports binoculars

Nikon 8×40 Action Ultra-Wide-View Binoculars

These offer a spectator a much-needed close-up view of the sport when seats aren’t optimum. Typically, the best binoculars for outdoor sports events have lower power and medium lens diameter, e.g. 7X32, 7X35. Wide angle binoculars are the order of the day here, as they enable the viewer to follow a play without having to move their head too much. Remember, comfort is everything for sports applications.

General use binoculars

Zhumell FC Compact Binoculars

Many people want to purchase an instrument that they can use for more than one application. These general use binoculars aren’t perfect for all applications, but if you choose a quality brand, they are fine most of the time. For convenience and portability (there is nothing as frustration as wishing you had your binoculars with you), we recommend one of the compact models. Those you can bring along anywhere, just in case…

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Choosing a binoculars - beware the ‘power’ hype!

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Buyer's Tips, binoculars
• Date: Apr 7,2008

Basic Binocular Components:

Objective Lenses: The ‘front’ lenses collect light, and therefore enable high-resolution observation of distant objects

Prisms: Since the objectives form images that as upside down mirror-images, special prisms are used inside the binoculars to invert the image so that you see it in its correct orientation.

Eyepieces: The main function is to magnify the image formed by the objective lens.

Main considerations

• required power
• required/preferred image brightness
• field-of- view
• primary purpose
• usage conditions
• comfort (very important)
• COST/budget

Key Binocular Specifications

• Primary specs, e.g. 7 x 35mm
• 7 = Power/magnification = the number of times an object is enlarged
• 35mm = diameter of the further lens in millimeters. Larger lenses capture more light and result in a brighter image.
• Additional specs (optional)
• B = eyepieces are suitable for people who wear glasses. The user can use these binoculars while wearing your glasses without losing much field-of-view.
• GA = binoculars are rubber covered to protect against wear and tear
• BA= binoculars are rubber-covered and have fold-down eyepiece cups.
• WA = Wide-Angle design of the binocular’s eyepieces - able to increase a binocular’s of view by as much as 60%.
• most often given as field with at a certain distance, e.g. 140m at 1000m (the actual width of the view 1000m away is 140m across)
• sometimes expressed in degrees, but in general 1 degree is approximately equal to 17m at 1000m. So if WA=10degrees, then the view at 1000m would be 170m across.

More about power, brightness and field of view

Magnification, or power, is perhaps the most misunderstood and overly ‘hyped’ binocular feature. Higher powers can be useful, but almost always results in duller images and a binocular that is quite difficult to get a steady image with if handheld.
Also, the lower the magnification:

• the wider the field-of-view
• the brighter the image
• the easier to use without a support (e.g. tripod)
• the closer you can focus.

While powers of 7x to 12x are the most popular among regular binocular users, we recommend choosing the lowest magnification that would suit your needs, as it will make your entire experience much more satisfying. There is nothing as bad as needing a tripod when you don’t have one (due to your binocular’s limitation and not due to viewing conditions).

Lens diameter also an important consideration, since it is the primary determinant in the size/bulkiness of the binoculars. Again, find that happy medium - don’t go overboard with lens diameter and you’ll be much happier with your purchase. The field of view decreases as magnification increases, so select a binocular with lower magnification or a binocular classified as wide-angle if field of view is important to you .

The Prisms

The size, design and quality of the prisms used in the binocular design affect what you see and how clearly an image appears across your viewing area. You may prefer one binocular over another because of the design.

Porro Prism

These are the “traditional” binocular design with offset prisms and are the most cost-effective. They are however bulkier and less durable than roof prism models.

Reversed Porro Prism

This design allows for a compact binocular that easily fits in your hand.

Roof prism

These have parallel barrel, are more streamlined and very durable, but good optical quality in this design is quite expensive.

Size

Binoculars can be classified as either full-size or compact and is affected by the size of the objective lens. Full-size models offer the greatest light gathering ability and over-all optical performance. Compact models are more portable than full-size models and work well during daylight hours, but not during twilight or in deep shadows.

Cost

We recommend that you buy the best quality binoculars you can afford since poor quality binoculars can be a great source of frustration. They also lead to eyestrain and headaches, which will force you to get get a better quality binoculars at much greater cost than if you chose quality right from the start. Again, power can be a price-booster - buy the least magnification for your purpose - the image quality will be much better in any case. Also remember that you can get better quality for your money by buying a used model that was well cared for. Amazon.com for example often offer new and used options, and you get the benefit of them ‘enforcing’ customer satisfaction criteria.

Waterproofing

Since binoculars are used in often unpredictable weather conditions, we recommend buying a waterproof model if you can afford it. They cost a bit more as they are actually submersible, but you’ll be able to use these binoculars without fear of getting them wet.

Summary

• don’t fall into the ‘more power is better’ trap
• opt for a wide angle binocular if you need it
• make sure that the binocular is comfortable to use
• preferentially buy a waterproof model
• a ‘second-hand’ instrument can be a very good deal

Recommended binoculars

Nikon 8×40 Action Ultra-Wide-View Binoculars

Great value for money!

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