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New binos


JohnM

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Evening guys

 

I'm very new to this and it's only my second post, after a the great advise I plumped for some binos over a telescope for my first experience in astronomy. I bought the celestron skymaster 20x70, what kinda objects should I be searching for and see on a clear night with these other then the moon?

Many thanks

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Should we ever get some clear skies there are 3 nice galactic star clusters in Auriga that should be visible in binos at this time of year, M36, M37 and M38 but their are many objects to choose from. Try seeing if you can spot Uranus? (Currently close to Mars, but you'll need a decent star chart to pick it out within the local starfield but there are many free planetarium packages that will identify it's position.)

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Good choice on binos John, you will enjoy those.

As Clive suggests the Auriga Clusters are nice and high at tge mo. Try M31, the Andromeda Gakaxy, this is akways a good sight in bins.

M42, the Orion Nebula and of course the Double Cluster between Perseus and Cassiopea. Oh and dont forget the Pleiades in Taurus.

Ther,s loads more up there to see with bino,s

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Congrats on the bino's. For many years I used an old pair of Carl Zeiss wide angle binoculars.

 

z6063npm.jpg

 

I don't know if you have a monopod or tripod for your binoculars.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DURAGADGET-Lightweight-Aluminium-Binocular-Binoculars/dp/B00MFPC2R2/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1612637187&refinements=p_28%3ABinocular&s=photo&sr=1-1

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-WT1003-67-Inch-Monopod/dp/B00FAYL1YU/ref=sr_1_9?crid=4ZR7W47YX9GY&dchild=1&keywords=binocular+monopod&qid=1612638212&s=electronics&sprefix=binocular+monopod%2Celectronics%2C184&sr=1-9

 

A planisphere can be useful, a bit old school, but still useful. The one on the left I bought while I was still at school.

 

bC24j4xm.jpg

 

This book is good for bino's and short tube refractors: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/david-chandler-sky-atlas.html

Edited by Nightspore
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Congratulations on the new binoculars John. I started with binoculars and they are a great way to learn the sky. I still grab my binoculars when I can't be bothered to set up a scope.

 

If you are wanting to find objects to view you could always buy the Sky at Night magazine, they print a monthly binocular tour. 

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Not forgetting the face on galaxy M33, which is best viewed in bino's like your's. M44 the bee hive cluster is spectacular, as is the Pleiades, M45.  It would be well worth looking for the two galaxies M81 & 82 in Ursa major, but you will need a dark sky for that. Getting to find your way round Cassiopeia and Perseus will keep you busy for a while and the Double Cluster is something well worth seeing. Try and find Kemble's Cascade in Camelopardalis,  that is a stunning, but large and difficult to find binocular object.

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An aperture of 70mm is great. I have bagged all of the objects above.

 

I would add: Melotte 20: star cluster in Perseus and Melotte 111, star cluster in Come Bereninces

 

M41 in Canis Major is harder

 

The Hyades are hard but only because they are too large to get the whole cluster in. Lower magnification "bins" are better.

 

Some sort of mount would improve your experience, too.

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Some great suggestions above John. I'd also reccomend Turn Left At Orion..

 

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/guy-consolmagno/turn-left-at-orion/9780521781909?gclid=Cj0KCQiAvP6ABhCjARIsAH37rbSJEQ8GZEQzDtO45tjfFeYN7ccUIUqiGBY5hiOlolFNh902ETgRN7MaAjgmEALw_wcB

 

It's a great book which guides you to specific common objects, I found it invaluable when I first used it. Works on the principle .. Find the twins Castor and Pollux, Call the distance between them one unit. Extend from the blue Castor through the yellow Pollux for three units. From that point go right one unit, and this will lead you to the Beehive (M44).

 

It defines what objects are best for what equipment, binoculars, small telescope and large telescope and gives a visual representation of the object as it will appear in your equiment.

 

Really easy to follow and loads of information.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/02/2021 at 18:15, Clive said:

Should we ever get some clear skies there are 3 nice galactic star clusters in Auriga that should be visible in binos at this time of year, M36, M37 and M38 but their are many objects to choose from. Try seeing if you can spot Uranus? (Currently close to Mars, but you'll need a decent star chart to pick it out within the local starfield but there are many free planetarium packages that will identify it's position.)

 

I find the Auriga clusters tough in my bins but reviewed the latest bins of similar size from Helios. Although they were heavy, they were optically superior to mine.

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