Should You Consider Telescope Binoculars?

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Should You Consider Telescope Binoculars?

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

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.

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