Astronomy Binoculars - The Skies The Limit Articles | AstroGuide | Calendar | Classifieds | Constellations | Forums Meteors | Moon | News | Photography | Planets | Shop | Other Sites

Astronomy Binoculars - The Skies The Limit

Astronomy Binoculars - The Skies The Limit

Astronomy binoculars don't play by the same rules as other types of binoculars. For instance, while marine binoculars should be waterproof, hunting binoculars should be rugged, astronomy binocular doesn't need to be any of those things.

Why?

Because an astronomy binocular is usually in one place and therefore are much more sheltered than other types of binoculars. You probably won't be lugging your astronomy binocular up a tree with you or be taking it out on a boat.

Binoculars for astronomy are usually powerful. But sometimes you can get away with a lower powered binocular that has a large objective lens. For instance, some people use a 7X50 binocular to view the heavens. You might not be able to see the planets that are farther away, but you will be able to see the moons and constellations much better than you could with the naked eye.

If you want something that will see the planets and stars that are further away, you are probably going to have to spring for a tri-pod mounted binocular or a mounted version. These binoculars are much bigger and more powerful than their hand held little brothers, and are the best binoculars for your needs.

When buying astronomy binoculars, there are a few things to keep in mind. First thing you should do, is look through the lenses and see if there are any scratches or imperfections.

You should also shake it, and see if you feel or hear any rattling. Sometimes a dud-binocular can get through quality control, or they may be damaged in shipping. Also, try moving anything on the binoculars that are supposed to move, and see if they are loose or sloppy.

If you are buying a hand held binocular to look at the skies, make sure it isn't so heavy that you can't hold it for long periods of time. Most astronomy junkies will look at the stars for long periods of time and a heavy binocular is no good, if this is what you are planning to do.

You should also visit some astronomy web sites or binocular reviews and see what the astronomy enthusiast are using. Ask them for advice if given the opportunity and try to learn the good points and bad points that come with each of the makes of binocular you are looking at.

You should also know your budget. Some astronomy binoculars can cost a small fortune. These expensive binoculars might be the best binoculars for your needs, but let's face it, not everyone has the extra money. Know your price range, and buy the best binoculars that you can afford.

And finally, try to make sure that the binoculars you buy can take some light pounding. Although, the binoculars you use for astronomy probably won't take the kind of beating as your hunting binoculars, you still don't want them to get broken from a little bit of light jostling or from accidentally dropping or bumping them.

Remember that binoculars for astronomy tend to be very powerful and they don't usually have a huge field of view. These powerful binoculars used for astronomy can't be used effectively while hunting or bird watching. They are meant to look at the night skies and not much else.

Also, because they are so powerful, every little jiggle of your hands tends to be magnified. This can be very annoying, and you should make sure that these kinds of binoculars come with some kind of mount.
Good luck. Nothing else really matches the brilliance that can be found in our very own night skies.

About the Author
Scott Gray is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast who loves to provide useful information about the different types of binoculars including wholesale binoculars

Additional Information
Web www.astronomy.net
About Astronomy Net | Advertise on Astronomy Net | Contact & Comments | Privacy Policy
Unless otherwise specified, web site content Copyright 1994-2016 John Huggins All Rights Reserved "dbHTML," "AstroGuide," "ASTRONOMY.NET" & "VA.NET" are trademarks of John Huggins