Comments on: Choosing binoculars – part 1 http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/ Down Under, Looking Up Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:17:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Stephen http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-1666 Stephen Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:11:15 +0000 http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/#comment-1666 While i agree with everything, my primary asto-binoculars are 8x21. There are 3 P's to picking an astronomical instrument. Price, Portability, and Performance. These 8x21 roof-prism binoculars cost $50US, weight 3.5 oz (100 grams) and perform nearly as well as much larger binoculars under my heavily light polluted skies. They're small enough to fit in a pocket, and so there's hardly any excuse not to have them. These days, however, i do more astronomy with a 10 inch (254 mm) reflector. The 8x21's are handy for finding daytime planets and larger asterisms. Saturn is my favorite object for comparison of optics. Naked eye, it's a dot. In 8x21 binoculars, it's a line. In a 8x42 binoculars, it has some sort of odd ear like things on it. In a 22x60 spotting scope, the rings are clear. In the 240x254 reflector, the Cassini division is evident. The Huygens probe saw ice rocks 5 cm across on Titan. While i agree with everything, my primary asto-binoculars are 8×21. There are 3 P’s to picking an astronomical instrument. Price, Portability, and Performance. These 8×21 roof-prism binoculars cost $50US, weight 3.5 oz (100 grams) and perform nearly as well as much larger binoculars under my heavily light polluted skies. They’re small enough to fit in a pocket, and so there’s hardly any excuse not to have them.

These days, however, i do more astronomy with a 10 inch (254 mm) reflector. The 8×21′s are handy for finding daytime planets and larger asterisms.

Saturn is my favorite object for comparison of optics. Naked eye, it’s a dot. In 8×21 binoculars, it’s a line. In a 8×42 binoculars, it has some sort of odd ear like things on it. In a 22×60 spotting scope, the rings are clear. In the 240×254 reflector, the Cassini division is evident. The Huygens probe saw ice rocks 5 cm across on Titan.

]]> By: Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » 17th Carnival of Space Available http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-1647 Centauri Dreams » Blog Archive » 17th Carnival of Space Available Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:19:11 +0000 http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/#comment-1647 [...] The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla. Astronomy Down Under offers some useful advice on choosing binoculars for celestial observing, while Brian Wang’s scenario for space technology in 2057 looks at [...] [...] The Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla. Astronomy Down Under offers some useful advice on choosing binoculars for celestial observing, while Brian Wang’s scenario for space technology in 2057 looks at [...]

]]> By: Astronomy Down Under - Down Under, Looking Up » Choosing binoculars - part 2 http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Astronomy Down Under - Down Under, Looking Up » Choosing binoculars - part 2 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 01:11:43 +0000 http://www.netwhatever.com/astrodownunder/2006/06/06/choosing-binoculars-part-1/#comment-6 [...] Choosing binoculars - part 1 [...] [...] Choosing binoculars – part 1 [...]

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