Astronomers! Binoculars.

[stoop]

It's right overhead these late fall/winter nights.

I remember it having this really prominent M-shaped asterism that you don't usually see much in pics from telescopes but which was probably the primary feature in my 7x50s. Super cool.

 

[Ad Astra]

Bump for relevant rehash!

AA

 

[MaineYooper]

For a variety of reasons, my star gazing has diminished lately. So I want to get back into it with binoculars. I have an inexpensive pair of Olympus 8 x 42, which gives me a nice field of view and are lightweight. But as with shaving, I am always looking for more gear!

 

[malocchio]

I'm searching for a good pair of stargazing binoculars as well... Need good eye relief and exit pupil, I wear glasses and I'm 72....I want under 29 oz for hand holding Looking at the the 8X42 Maven C1 , Kowa BD2 Wide Angle , and Athlon Argos G2 UHD.......

 

[Ad Astra]

My Oberwerks are super cheap, as these things go.

In Europe you should have some great (better) optical choices ...


AA

 

[Frozenshades]

I have had past thoughts of looking into a light weight pair for travel. Maybe I should revisit that thought. I always enjoyed using telescopes as a kid but stopped doing much stargazing as I got older. The amount of light pollution here kills the motivation, but away on vacation, perhaps…

 

[Ad Astra]

Bump again; wow, I started this eight years ago! This binocular-only astronomer ... has lost out on some planetary alignments and other sights since then. So (ahem) an Orion 102mm 4" Dobsonian reflector has arrived. As always, it's cost and storage as driving factors, or there'd be a car-towable telescope. Anyways.

This modest device will let me use my old 1.25 eyepieces which have been languishing (and probably cost more than this scope). A collimator is enroute. And a better Barlow. And image corrector - but I swear that's it!

Spring, too, isn't best for astronomy. But I had a recent vision scare, and there are sights I'm not done seeing, so.

Let's get some DSOs (deep-space objects) going! Who else is a current skywatcher?


AA

 

[Ad Astra]

Mars transited the Beehive Cluster (M44) last night. Despite the 99% full moon, could see the cluster faintly in the 9x60 binocs. Pulled out this cheap Dobsonian scope, popped in an eye piece I salvaged from old 7x50s, adjusted the focuser and smiled. BAM! The whole Beehive was there, couldn't count them. Mars floating just above. An amazing sight.

Swung it north to Dipper stars Mizar and Alcor. Between them was a single faint star, which I noted. Celestron software didn't even show it but Stellarium did. Mag 7.59! On a full moon night! There is hope for this cheap scope after all. TBF, it is perfectly collimated, but that's faint. Also saw Saturn's moon Titan a few mornings ago, probably at viewing limit.


AA

 

[Ad Astra]

If you are ever facing a drought situation... Farmer with drying up crops, dust bowl blowing away your soil etc.... I have the surefire answer. No Toltec-style sacrifice needed, either.

Buy a telescope. This will assure 100% solid cloud cover, resulting in torrential rains for weeks on end. Your lawn will love it.

You want to actually see something, visit APOD:

Astronomy Picture of the Day

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

apod.nasa.gov

AA

 

[SamplingNature]

If you are ever facing a drought situation... Farmer with drying up crops, dust bowl blowing away your soil etc.... I have the surefire answer. No Toltec-style sacrifice needed, either.

Buy a telescope. This will assure 100% solid cloud cover, resulting in torrential rains for weeks on end. Your lawn will love it.

You want to actually see something, visit APOD:

Astronomy Picture of the Day

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

apod.nasa.gov

AA

Sad, but true. And there's no drought buster for me like a meteor shower...