Are you a stargazer and love spending time with celestial bodies. One of the easiest ways to tour outer space is to scan the night sky with a pair of binoculars. You can enjoy this experience in the comfort of your home. Astronomy binoculars serve best, they give you a clearer view of the celestial bodies.
Stargazing binoculars are similar to eyeball expansion, it keeps your brain focused on the task and gives a clear view. Stargazing has some positive effects on one’s personality. By owning a pair of good binoculars you can see 50 times more stars than your naked vision. This phenomenon happens due to magnification and vision narrowing driving a flow state.
These binoculars provide clarity, astronomers use this to see the movement of the celestial body to study them. Binoculars provide a wide range of vision as it has two eyepieces. Binoculars are a one-time investment so you need to know what things you need to see before owning it.
Things to keep in mind before buying a binocular
Check the specifications
Understanding a few types of digits can help you agree on which binoculars fit the best for you. There are one or two ways of understanding the field of view. It might say 5.7 degrees or 298ft at 1000yds.
Unless you have a brief understanding of the usage of the compass to avoid marine collisions, stick to 1000 yard field width. This is an easier and convenient way to measure. If the field width comes in degrees, simply imply 52 feet for 1 degree.
What is the meaning of “x”?
In every binocular, you will see a stamp that says 25×100, 12×70. Here two numbers are insulated by an ” x”, this x originally means by. The first digit shows the power of magnification and the second digit is the metric diameter of the front lens.
So, 25×100 imprinted in a binocular means that this device will make a celestial body look 25 times larger with a 100m objective lens, that helps to provide a wide view.
Big or Small?
The size of the binocular is very important. You can measure the diameter of each eyepiece by dividing the objective size with the power of magnification.
These bright holes are known as exit-pupils. Higher the power of magnification smaller the exit pupils. For example, 8×60 gives you 7.5mm exit pupils whereas 12×60 has 5mm exit pupils.
Spend your money wisely, as the price increases with the power of magnification. Make sure to keep your needs on the priority checklist before investing in a stargazing binocular.
Additional tip
The exit pupils must approximately resemble your eyes pupils. Pupil changes with time. A middle-aged man roughly has a 5mm pupil diameter whereas a child has an 8mm of pupil diameter.
Low magnification power tends to have a bigger set of the eyepiece that generally does not fit into eyes.
Power of Magnification: Less or More
As you know there are many configurations available in the market as there is no size that fits everyone. Some stargazers prefer powerful magnification while others want a wide range of view for an impressive sky walking experience.
You will even find more powerful monster binoculars that give extensive clarity and a wide range of vision. If you want a pair for your house and travelling then the handy binoculars are ideal. For home use, you can buy a pair that has a 50 mm wide view and 10x of magnifying power.
Waterproof feature
As 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and it keeps changing its state. Sometimes it happens due to weather change, water condenses onto binocular lenses. While other times it rains or you drop it accidentally.
So waterproof binoculars are the main concern for today’s generation. Modern binoculars have rubber-clad to protect it against water particles. Low budget binoculars have many drawbacks as the air is loaded with water the lens will get foggy. Choose the one that has nitrogen purged before manufacturing.
Tripod Adaptability
So you want a stable surface for your stargazing session as you are tired of all the zigzagging. Modern stargazing binoculars have a screw mount point for backing up.
Camera tripods are depressing beyond 30 degrees, you can only see a part of the whole sky. For binoculars, there are unique armed gears that fit and even come with the tripod stand. The most amazing ones are articulated parallelograms that can swing smoother via a wide spectrum of angles.
Conclusion
Spending time under the sky brings peace and stability. Stargazing binoculars are the most convenient way to stare and witness the movement of celestial bodies. The power of magnification and the metric diameter is the vital element of a binocular.
Choose the binocular whose eyepiece fits your eyes completely. Bigger eyepieces so not provide extensive clarity.
Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.
Hey Luciana Taylor,
This is a really great blog post, you describe in detail the stargazing binocular. I’m a regular reader of your blog.