Re: what's YOUR use for binoculars? — by Ed Zarenski

Few poeple claim to be able to hand hold 15x70s. Although I rate a pair of Oberwerk 15x70s or my Fujinon 16x70s near the equal of a low power telescope, I am not among those that can hand hold such a size and I use these sizes mounted. So I will relate to you how I grew to enjoy binocular astronomy with my handheld Orion 10x50s.

Many a night I would gaze upon clusters such as the Pleaides and the Hyades. I learned intimately the positions of the stars that make up these wide asterisms. I would spend evenings lying about searching out all the globulars I could find. In a night M3, M92, M13, M5, M10, M12. On another night M4, M22, and all the populated open clusters of Sagitarius. The M24 star cloud, then afterwards M16, M17 and M18 all at once.

I found M33 in my 10x50s for the first time after looking for months using a scope. I learned then that exit pupil sometimes provides for the best view, not power.

Countless open clusters, some in areas of the sky that take on a whole new perspective when viewed at wide low-power views, like the Monoceros area, the Cygnus/Vulpecula area and Sagitarius.

Along the way, I learned star patterns much better than I ever had just using a scope. Afterwards, I could starhop navigate some areas by sight alone.

Double stars do not escape my binoculars, although at 10x the views are just the wider ones about 20" or more. But dozens upon dozens of doubles, not just the Alcor/Mizar or alpha Capricorn wide doubles.

Nebula seem to jump out in binoculars, more-so than in a scope. M27, M16, M17, M42 in the smaller binocs, but even more in larger binocs.

Of course the Milky Way, especially thru Cygnus and Perseus, in binoculars is a sight to behold, especially the densely populated rift thru Cygnus.

And back to open clusters, those in the Milky Way fields thru Auriga and Gemini, M38, M36, M37 and M35 are outstanding even in 10x binoculars. Or the fields thru the Cassiopeia / Perseus border, where near delta Cas you can see four clusters at once near M103 then just nudge little by little your way thru the area of Stock 2 and the Double Cluster, a beautiful contrasting pair.

Galaxies do not escape the 10x binoculars. I've viewed M81/M82 as a pair and even spotted M51 with 10x50s. Numerous others make it a tour thru Ursa Major, Canes Venatici and Coma Berenices. You can't pass by here without stopping to view Mel 20, Berenices Hair.

All along the way you get to see the patterns of the constellations as if you were traveling the map of the constellations in a chart book. You will pick up so much more than you ever could with a scope, you will gain a new appreciation for the patterns in the sky.

And all that with 10x50s.

With 15x70s and 16x70s, every category of objects increases twofold. Twice as many stars in the clusters, more and fainter nebula, galaxies and globulars. Doubles down to 8". I've seen the four stars of the Trapezium separated with my 16x70s. I've seen M101, portions of the Veil and the North America nebulas and the Swan.

So, what I use my binoculars for is to view the sky in a more intimate way, with a lot less work than any scope. Maybe the key is to just let your eyes learn how to see on a different scale.

The article above is quoted with the author's permission from "Re:  what's YOUR use for binoculars?" (a CloudyNights.com forums thread)