Buying Binoculars for Skygazing

Binoculars Cost Less Then Telescopes and Can Provide an Amazing View of the Heavens

Ever tried to observe the beauty of the heavens through a telescope? Pretty darn difficult, isn't it? Most people who buy telescopes give up on them within a few months. The problem is that you're told all the fantastic things you can see with a telescope-like the moons of Jupiter and Saturn's rings-but most people are lucky if they can locate a full moon. Which is why you might be better off thinking about doing your sky gazing with binoculars.

Believe it or not, with a good pair of binoculars you can still, at least theoretically, see some of Jupiter's moons and even a few asteroids. Binoculars tend to be far less expensive than telescopes and you don't have to be an astronomy major to figure out how to set them up. An even bigger advantage than price may be comfort. The two-eyepiece design of binoculars is just plain easier on the eyes on the looking through that single eyepiece on the telescope. In addition, you get the full three-dimensional effect.

The ideal binoculars for sky gazing are the 7x50mm and 10x50mm models. The magnification of the binocular is indicated by the 7 and 10 figures, while the 50 figure is the aperture, or the diameter of the front lenses. Most daytime binoculars are 7x35, for instance, because the aperture doesn't have to be wide enough to allow in much light. The 50mm aperture allows much more light to enter, thereby making the night sky much brighter than it would be with the 35mm model.

The 7x50mm model is less expensive than the 10x50mm, but if you're serious about finding really cool things in the sky, better to shell out the extra bucks. The bigger binoculars will allow you to see craters on the moon better, as well as some of the fainter stars. There is a downside to the bigger model besides the cost difference as well. Because they are bigger, they are also heavier and therefore more difficult to steady. Since the things you'll be looking at are small, a steady hand comes in mighty…well…handy. Another difficulty to consider with the larger model is you have to press your eyes closer to the eyepiece and this can be somewhat uncomfortable.