Excerpt from space.com
Most people have two eyes. Humans evolved to use them together (not all
animals do). People form a continuous, stereoscopic panorama movie of
the world within in their minds. With your two eyes tilted upward on a
clear night, there’s nothing standing between you and the universe. The
easiest way to enhance
your enjoyment of the night sky is to paint your brain with two
channels of stronger starlight with a pair of binoculars. Even if you
live in — or near — a large, light-polluted city, you may be surprised
at how much astronomical detail you’ll see through the right binoculars!
Our editors have looked at the spectrum of current binocular offerings.
Thanks to computer-aided design and manufacturing, there have never
been more high-quality choices at reasonable prices. Sadly, there’s also a bunch of junk out there masquerading as fine stargazing instrumentation. We’ve selected a few that we think will work for most skywatchers.
There was a lot to consider: magnification versus mass, field of view, prism type, optical quality
(“sharpness”), light transmission, age of the user (to match “exit
pupil” size, which changes as we grow older), shock resistance,
waterproofing and more.
The best binoculars for you
“Small” astronomy binoculars would probably be considered “medium” for
bird watching, sports observation and other terrestrial purposes. This
comes about as a consequence of optics (prism type and objective size,
mostly). “Large” binoculars are difficult to use for terrestrial
applications and have a narrow field of view. They begin to approach telescope quality in magnification, resolution and optical characteristics.
Most of our Editors’ Choicesfor stargazing binoculars here are under
$300. You can pay more than 10 times that for enormous binocular
telescopes used by elite enthusiasts on special mounts! You’ll also pay
more for ruggedized (“mil spec,” or military standard) binoculars, many
of which suspend their prisms on shock mounts to keep the optics in
precise alignment.
Also, our Editors’ Choices use Porro prism optics. Compact
binoculars usually employ “roof” prisms, which can be cast more
cheaply, but whose quality can vary widely. [There’s much more about
Porro prisms in our Buyer’s Guide.]
We think your needs are best served by reviewing in three categories.
Small, highly portable binoculars can be hand-held for viewing ease.
Medium binoculars offer higher powers of magnification, but still can be hand-held, if firmly braced.
Large binoculars have bigger “objective” lenses but must be mounted on a tripod or counterweighted arm for stability.
Here’s a detailed look at our Editor’s Choice selections for stargazing binoculars:
Best Small Binoculars
Editor’s Choice: Oberwerk Mariner 8×40 (Cost: $150)
Oberwerk in German means “above
work.” The brand does indeed perform high-level optical work, perfect
for looking at objects above, as well as on the ground or water. Founder
Kevin Busarow’s Mariner series is not his top of the line, but it
benefits greatly from engineering developed for his pricier models. The
Oberwerk 8×40’s treat your eyes to an extremely wide field, at very high
contrast, with razor-sharp focus; they are superb for observing the
broad starscapes of the Milky Way. Just 5.5 inches (14 cm) from front to
back and 6.5 inches wide (16.5 cm), the Mariners are compact and rugged
enough to be your favorite “grab and go binoculars.” But at 37 ounces,
they may be more than a small person wants to carry for a long time.
Runner-Up: Celestron Cometron 7×50 (Cost: $30)
Yes, you read that price correctly! These Celestron lightweight, wide-field binoculars bring honest quality at a remarkably low price
point. The compromise comes in the optics, particularly the prism’s
glass type (you might see a little more chromatic aberration around the
edges of the moon, and the exit pupil isn’t a nice, round circle).
Optimized for “almost infinitely distant” celestial objects, these
Cometrons won’t focus closer than about 30 feet (9.1 meters). But
that’s fine for most sports and other outdoor use. If you’re gift-buying
for multiple young astronomers – or you want an inexpensive second set
for yourself – these binoculars could be your answer. Just maybe remind
those young folks to be a little careful around water; Celestron claims
only that the Cometrons are “water resistant,” not waterproof.
Honorable Mention: Swarovski Habicht 8×30 (Cost: $1,050)
From the legendary Austrian firm of Swarovski Optik,
these “bins” are perfect. Really. Very sharp. Very lightweight. Very
wide field. Very versatile. And very expensive! Our editors would have
picked them if we could have afforded them.
Honorable Mention: Nikon Aculon 7×50 (Cost: $110)
Nikon’s legendary optical quality and the large, 7mm exit pupil diameter make these appropriate as a gift for younger skywatchers.
Best Medium Binoculars
Editor’s Choice: Celestron SkyMaster 8×56 (Cost: $210)
A solid, chunky-feeling set of quality prisms and lenses makes these
binoculars a pleasant, 38oz. handful. A medium wide 5.8 degrees filed of
view and large 7mm exit pupil brings you gently into a sweet sky of
bright, though perhaps not totally brilliant, stars. Fully dressed in a
rubber wetsuit, these SkyMasters are waterproof. Feel free to take them
boating or birding on a moist morning. Their optical tubes were blown
out with dry nitrogen at the factory, then sealed. So you can expect
them not to fog up, at least not from the inside. Celestron’s
strap-mounting points on the Skymaster 8×56 are recessed, so they don’t
bother your thumbs, but that location makes them hard to fasten.
Runner-Up: Oberwerk Ultra 15×70 (Cost: $380)
The most rugged pair we evaluated, these 15x70s are optically
outstanding. Seen through the Ultra’s exquisitely multi-coated glass,
you may find yourself falling in love with the sky all over again.
Oberwerk’s method of suspending their BAK4 glass Porro prisms offers
greater shock-resistance than most competitors’ designs. While more
costly than some comparable binoculars, they deliver superior value. Our
only complaint is with their mass: At 5.5 lbs., these guys are heavy!
You can hand-hold them for a short while, if you’re lying down. But
they are best placed on a tripod, or on a counterweighted arm, unless
you like shaky squiggles where your point-source stars are supposed to
be. Like most truly big binoculars, the eyepieces focus independently;
there’s no center focus wheel. These “binos” are for true astronomers.
Honorable Mention: Vixen Ascot 10×50 (Cost:$165)
These quirky binoculars present you with an extremely wide field. But
they are not crash-worthy – don’t drop them in the dark – nor are they
waterproof, and the focus knob is not conveniently located. So care is needed if you opt for these Vixen optics.
Best Large Binoculars
Don’t even think about hand-holding this 156-ounce beast! The SkyMaster
25×100 is really a pair of side-by-side 100mm short-tube refractor
telescopes. Factor the cost of a sturdy tripod into your purchase
decision, if you want to go this big. The monster Celestron comes with a
sturdy support spar for mounting. Its properly multi-coated optics will
haul in surprising detail from the sky. Just make sure your skies are
dark; with this much magnification, light pollution can render your
images dingy. As with many in the giant and super-giant class of
binoculars, the oculars (non-removable eyepieces) focus separately, each
rotating through an unusually long 450 degrees. Getting to critical
focus can be challenging, but the view is worth it. You can resolve a
bit of detail on face of the new moon (lit by “Earthshine”) and pick out
cloud bands on Jupiter; tha’s pretty astonishing for binoculars.
Runner-Up: Orion Astronomy 20×80 (Cost: $150)
These big Orions distinguish themselves by price point; they’re an
excellent value. You could pay 10 times more for the comparably sized
Steiners Military Observer 20×80 binoculars! Yes, the Orions are more
delicate, a bit less bright and not quite as sharp. But they do offer
amazingly high contrast; you’ll catch significant detail in galaxies,
comets and other “fuzzies.” Unusually among such big rigs, the Astronomy
20×80 uses a center focus ring and one “diopter” (rather than
independently focusing oculars); if you’re graduating from smaller
binoculars, which commonly use that approach, this may be a comfort.
These binoculars are almost lightweight enough to hold them by hand. But
don’t do that, at least not for long periods. And don’t drop them. They
will go out of alignment if handled roughly.
Honorable Mention: Barska Cosmos 25×100 (Cost: $230)
They are not pretty, but you’re in the dark, right? Built around a
tripod-mountable truss tube, these Barskas equilibrate to temperature
quickly and give you decent viewing at rational cost. They make for a
cheaper version of our Editors’ Choice Celestron SkyMasters.
Honorable Mention: Steiner Observer 20×80 (Cost: $1,500)
Not at all a practical cost choice for a beginning stargazer, but you can dream, can’t you? These Steiner binoculars are essentially military optics “plowshared” for peaceful celestial observing.
Why we chose NOT to review certain types
Image stabilized?
Binoculars with active internal image stabilization are a growing
breed. Most use battery-powered gyroscope/accelerometer-driven dynamic
optical elements. We have left this type out of our evaluation because
they are highly specialized and pricey ($1,250 and up). But if you are
considering active stabilization, you can apply the same judgment
methods detailed in our Buyer’s Guide.
Comes with a camera?
A few binoculars are sold with built-in cameras. That seems like a good
idea. But it isn’t, at least not for skywatching. Other than Earth’s moon,
objects in the night sky are stingy with their photons. It takes a
lengthy, rock-steady time exposure to collect enough light for a
respectable image. By all means, consider these binocular-camera combos
for snapping Facebook shots of little Jenny on the soccer field. But
stay away from them for astronomy.
Mega monster-sized?
Take your new binoculars out under the night sky
on clear nights, and you will fall in love with the universe. You will
crave more ancient light from those distant suns. That may translate
into a strong desire for bigger stereo-light buckets.
Caution: The next level up is a quantum jump of at
least one financial order of magnitude. But if you have the disposable
income and frequent access to dark skies,
you may want to go REALLY big. Binocular telescopes in this class can
feature interchangeable matching eyepieces, individually focusing
oculars, more than 30x magnification and sturdy special-purpose tripods.
Amateurs using these elite-level stereoscopes have discovered several prominent comets.
Enjoy your universe
If you are new to lens-assisted stargazing, you’ll find excellent
enhanced views among the binocular choices above. To get in deeper and
to understand how we picked the ones we did, jump to our Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose Binoculars for Sky Watching.
You have just taken the first step to lighting up your brain with star fire. May the photons be with you. Always.
Skywatching Events 2015
Once you have your new binoculars, it’s time to take them for a spin.
This year intrepid stargazers will have plenty of good opportunities to
use new gear.
On March 20, for example, the sun will go through a total solar eclipse. You can check out the celestial sight using the right sun-blocking filters for binoculars, but NEVER
look at the sun directly, even during a solar eclipse. It’s important
to find the proper filters in order to observe the rare cosmic show.
Observers can also take a look at the craggy face of the moon during a
lunar eclipse on April 4. Stargazers using binoculars should be able to
pick out some details not usually seen by the naked eye when looking at
Earth’s natural satellite.
Skywatchers should also peek out from behind the binoculars for a
chance to see a series of annual meteor showers throughout the year.
Source Article from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AscensionEarth2012/~3/s08acHhICjg/the-best-star-gazing-binoculars-for-2015.html
The Best Star Gazing Binoculars for 2015
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