The Universe in the Palm of Your Hands - Stargazing With Binoculars

Do you like the idea of exploring the universe from your own backyard? The truth is that you don't need a telescope to get started! Lots of people find that simply buying some astronomy binoculars will help you get the view of the heavens that you are after. When you are looking for telescope binoculars and if you are in a place where you want to really figure out what your options are, you'll find that there are a number of different options available to you. Check out some of the specifications that you can use to ensure that your astronomy binoculars are precisely what you are interested in.

Magnification

When you are looking at the magnifying power, you will see it given as two numbers, maybe something like 6 x 30 or 7 x 35. The first number is how many times the object that you are looking at is going to be magnified, while the second number refers to the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters. What sort of magnification do you need when you are thinking about doing some star gazing? While a higher magnification will let you cut through light pollution more effectively, remember that ti will also narrow your field of vision, making it much harder to figure out "where you are." Higher magnification will also heighten the movement of the stars. If you are working with hand-held astronomy binoculars, a magnification of 10 is usually the highest level recommended.

Objective Lens Diameter

The second number refers to how wide the lens is. The wider the lens, the more powerful the telescope binoculars' ability to gather light. It gives weight and bulk to the objects that you are seeing, and you'll find that this adds a very real, very 3D effect to objects you are seeing. This measurement is also known as the aperture, and the larger the aperture, the brighter the image is, and the better the resolution is.

Roof vs Porro Prism

The prism is essentially a triangular piece of light-reflecting glass that has polished edges. It serves to fold the path of the light and it flips the image so you don't see it upside down. The traditional prism that you will have available to you is the porro prism, which is shaped like a Z. It's great for astronomy, and it will reflect the path of the light three times. A roof prism model, on the other hand, is more compact, the path of the light is longer as it will fold four times. Like a porro prism is good for astronomy, a roof prism is preferable for things on the ground.

BaK-4 vs BK-7 Phase Coating

You should also have a look at what is used to coat your astronomy binoculars' prism. BK-7 refers to a coating made of boro-silicate glass, while BAK-4 uses barium crown glass. The latter is usually preferred for the purposes of star gazing is it has a higher density and because it reduces the amount of light scattering. Using BAK-4 phase coating gives you a sharper picture.

Take some time to figure out what handheld astronomy binoculars are best for you!

For more information on handheld astronomy binoculars, please visit Telescope Binoculars.