What will I be able to see with a pair of astronomy binoculars?

Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 10:00 am

Question by Venom: What will I be able to see with a pair of astronomy binoculars?
I was originally considering to just get a good telescope, but everywhere I go tells me to start off with a pair of astronomy binoculars. I never thought that I would be able to view any object in space using a pair of binoculars. I was recommended a 9x68 and it's in my price range. But what exactly will I see with this? Will the twinkle of light that is Jupiter in the night sky appear as a planet, or will it just be a slightly larger twinkle of light?

Best answer:

Answer by M.
Hi Venom -

You've asked an excellent question that deserves a good answer. I hope I'll be able to do it justice!

You may remember Galileo, the astronomer who made many famous discoveries in astronomy. His discoveries were made using a telescope which was constructed using the same principles upon which modern opera glasses are made - which is optically quite crude compared to how binoculars are designed today. Nearly every astronomer today keeps a binocular close at hand to scan the sky with prior to setting up a telescope and many simply use the binoculars. I'm in the crowd that likes stargazing with a good binocular, too!

Since you specifically asked about the planet Jupiter, let's consider planets:

Yes, you should be able to see Jupiter with its four moons when they're properly situated - although the moons may not be very large. If you miss one or more of the moons, they're probably between you and Jupiter, behind the planet or "buried" in its shadow, or so close to the planet so as to be concealed by the planet's brightness. Mercury is bright enough to be seen even when the sky isn't entirely dark - although it can be difficult to see due to its proximity to the sun. Both Mars and Venus should be able to be seen. You should be able to see the largest of Saturn's eight moons - Titan. Armed with a good sky map and binocular, you should be able to see Uranus (easier to locate after you've identified Mars).

Please don't limit yourself to only looking for planets, though! There's much, much more to the nighttime sky than planets!

With a good binocular the moon will be a new thing to you and, with observation, you should be able to identify over 70 mountains, crater rings, seas, and other unique elements of the moon's surface. It's amazing to see the moon through a binocular with very good resolution of details and light-gathering abilities! (Resolution of details and higher magnification power don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, you'll want to be familiar with what makes for good resolution - here's a good resource: http://www.opticsreviewer.com/how-to-buy-binoculars.html .)

Don't forget all the constellations you'll get to see in their turns - spring, summer, autumn, and winter. That will be a lot of fun right there. And if you're in a place dark enough to get a good look at the Milky Way...there's nothing like a binocular to bring out details of Orion and the beauty of the Milky Way on a clear, dark night.

Will a 9X68 binocular do the job for you? Perhaps so, but it depends on more than just the magnification power and diameter of objectives. You could get an excellent 8X42 binocular or a not-so-good 15X70 - and vice versa! I'm not bold enough to say anything about the binocular you're considering without knowing more about it than that it's a 9X68. I will say that I particularly like the info regarding astronomy binoculars on this page - http://www.opticsreviewer.com/astronomy-binoculars.html .

Well, Venom, I've probably gone on longer than you expected or intended for an answer to go on! Does this help at all?!?

I wish you the very best in enjoying a tremendous hobby!

M
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