You may have heard of them, or maybe not, but telescope binoculars are gaining in popularity as a stargazing tool. You may wonder what the major difference is between a telescope and telescope binoculars. The simple answer is one eye!

What’s the Difference – Telescope Binoculars vs. Telescope?

With telescope binoculars you peer through the eyepiece with both eyes open, while a traditional telescope uses only one eye. An obvious difference, but an important one.

If you view the night skies through a telescope for extended periods of time at each sitting, you may experience eye fatigue from only using the one eye while the other is usually shut. This obstacle is overcome as the binoculars allow for both eyes to be open during viewing.

Telescope binoculars are similar to traditional binoculars, only with a much longer focal length. Also, the lense and prism system may be different to allow for better viewing in low light situations.

The Difference Between Binoculars and Telescope Binoculars

If you are contemplating the use of binoculars for your astronomy endeavors, make sure that you understand how the magnification and light gathering capabilities are measured. Binoculars are usually listed with two numbers, for example 10 X 50. This indicates a magnification factor of 10, meaning the object will appear to be 10 times larger than the original.

The second number reflects the diameter of the objective lens, in this case 50, determines the light gathering capability of the lens. So, while an objective measure of 30 may be good for daytime viewing, a 50 would typically provide much better viewing at night.

To be effective as telescope binoculars, a magnification of 100 with an objective opening of 70 or more is preferred.

To Mount or Not to Mount

The one caveat here is that the longer the magnification and lens opening, the greater the probability that you will shake when being held in the hands. This is where a tripod or mount will reduce this problem and is essential with longer lenses.

Much like a telescope, these specialized binoculars can be used to spot smaller objects in the heavens. However, you can quickly lose sight of the object if moved, even slightly, requiring you to start your setup all over again.

So, when selecting telescope binoculars, it is best to have the capability to mount your stargazing instrument to a fixed object, such as a tripod. This will allow for better stability and help keep the binoculars pointed in the same viewing direction.

If you are new to astronomy, the first investment you need to make should be a beginner telescope. Of course you could buy a telescope with all the advanced features with a big price tag, but we would suggest that you start with a telescope that is a little less complicated, easy to use, and more affordable.

Why Start With a Beginner Telescope

The reasons we suggest that you start on a smaller scale is that you want to avoid the frustration of attempting to use an advance telescope without training and experience. A beginner telescope will afford you with a great number of opportunities to view the stars and planets while you learn the basics of stargazing.

While you may find telescopes with all the “bells and whistles” you could ever imagine, making your choice of a beginner telescope should be an educated one. Avoid spontaneous decisions and do your homework – it could be the difference between starting a new exciting hobby and losing interest and wasting money.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing a telescope can be a difficult process for the novice. If you do not make the right choice, you may lose interest, or worse yet, your child may lose interest in astronomy forever. Choosing a telescope that allows for optimal viewing of celestial bodies and entering the amazing world of astronomy is an important step. Since knowledge is important in choosing the right telescope, we suggest that you first determine what you will be using the telescope for – general viewing of the heavens, a photographic journey of the stars, or watching the neighbors (just kidding!).

Telescopes can be a very affordable investment. If you are searching for a child telescope, you may want to stay with a low-end model. If you are looking for a beginner telescope for an adult, you may want a few more features. For just a little more money, you might be impressed with the results.

Recommendation for the Novice Astronomer

We have found that the Meade 114EQ-ASTR telescope provides a nice balance of price and features. This is a great child telescope, (preferably an older child), and will let the budding astronomer grow into all of its features.

However, it has many of the features of the more expensive telescopes and is perfect for the adult to get them started on their new hobby. You can read more about this very affordable beginner telescope by reading our Meade 114EQ-ASTR telescope post.

Online telescope viewing is another marvel brought to us through the magic of the Internet. And for those of you who haven’t made the investment in a mid-range telescope, there probably is no better way to capture images of the stars, planets, and systems than through an online telescope. Imagine being able to request images of a specific planet on a specific day and time using a multi-million dollar telescope at one of the major observatories. Sounds unreal, but it is exactly what is available to you at one of the participating astronomy observatories.

Here is the opportunity to view new worlds beyond our own by accessing an online telescope, all through the today’s Internet. But exactly how is this done? This post will help you discover one of the most exciting developments in the field of astronomy and how it affects the many amateur astronomers around the world.

The Online Telescope Process

The process of using an online telescope for viewing the stars and planets is relatively easy once you understand what information is required. You first will need to coordinate the viewing times and dates. Participating observatories will coordinate your request, generally initiated through an email from you, and schedule the event. You should receive an email back from the observatory confirming the subject sighting, date and time.

The online telescope camera will record the viewing of the requested location or object and post them at a particular website address. You will be notified via email of the location to view your pictures. Usually, you can just simply click on the imbedded link in the email and you will be sent to the viewing page for detailed photos provided by the camera of the online telescope.

Just having access to some of the top observatories’ telescopes for your own personal stargazing needs is incredible. The only thing better than viewing the universe through the online telescope images would be to have your own live online telescope. Unfortunately, this option would cost millions of dollars and, for most of us, exceed our stargazing budgets.

Viewing Options for an Online Telescope

When you make your request to the observatory, you can ask that the online telescope be utilized in a few different ways:

Provide Astronomical Coordinates

The first viewing method will be specific to certain coordinates. The coordinates may correspond to the position of a specific star, planet, solar system, etc. If you are confused about the specific coordinates to provide the online telescope observatory, catalogs are available of the celestial bodies and their respective locations.

Request by Object: A Specific Planet, Star, or System

Another method that might be slightly easier is to request a specific star or planet be photographed by the online telescope. The observatory can also provide a more general image of larger areas of space. In addition, the participating observatory may grant requests for the use of different colored filters for your images.

Here is your chance to experience the power and quality of a multi-million dollar telescope, and it is at your disposal! If you want to find a participating observatory, just do a search on Google or other search engine using the terms ‘online telescope’ or ‘camera online telescope’. And remember — this can be your first step into a whole new dimension of amateur astronomy as you peruse the heavens with some of the world’s strongest telescopes.