What type of binoculars are best for stargazing in a light-polluted area?

  • Stargazing
  • Thread starter joej24
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In summary, to improve your stargazing experience in a light polluted area, you will need to increase the aperture size of your binoculars. A wider aperture will capture more light and allow you to see fainter objects, helping with light pollution. Magnification is not as important, as the objects you are trying to see are not small, but rather dim. Therefore, a pair of 10x60-70 binoculars would be ideal for tripodless stargazing. However, if 10x50 is your only option, it will still work well enough to explore the night sky. And for objects within our solar system, a telescope with serious magnification will be necessary.
  • #1
joej24
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Hi, I've become interested in astronomy but there are many street lights near my house. My
10 X 25 binoculars don't really help at all too. Would a pair of 10 X 50 's better suit me for stargazing in this situation or is light pollution the problem?

From where I live, the sky is dark enough to see the Small Dipper constellation however.
 
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  • #2
The first number represents magnification, and the second represents aperture size. For star gazing the second number should be as high as possible. A wider aperture will capture more light and allow you to see fainter objects (which will help with light pollution). Magnification, on the other hand, can actually be a bad thing if you aren't using a tripod. You may find 10x to be too much magnification. I'd say 7x50 is ideal for tripodless star gazing.

Also, if you live in North America, this is a pretty good map to help you find areas near you with less light pollution.
http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/index.php" [Broken]
 
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  • #3
Welcome to star gazing!

First of all feel free to ask questions. I'm pleased to help.
Second, a binocular 10x50 is not that "great". It works fine but it won't take long until you want to get even bigger to see more & better so I'll suggest you get an aperture of at least 60mm. Let's say 10x60-70.

Ignore the magnification (10) for this case because the magnification will be suitable for the binocular no matter.

But if is 10x50 is your only option, then just go! It's a big sky to explore:smile:!


Regards, Robin Andersson
 
  • #4
Is one that's 10X60-70 light enough to use without a stand? Why is the magnification not important?
 
  • #5
10x is manageable for most people. More than that tends to get exponentially more difficult without a stand. Aperature is more important than magnification irrespective of magnification. The same applies to telescopes. The main issue with aperature is portability - also true with telescopes. An instrument that is grab and go easy will be used more than one than that doubles as a bowflex.
 
  • #6
joej24 said:
Why is the magnification not important?

Because the objects you are trying to see aren't small, they are dim. For example the Andromeda Galaxy appears larger than a full moon in the sky. However, if you live in a populated area you've probably never seen it due to light pollution. There is no need to magnify it, but there is a need to amplify its light. Stars are point objects, which means even with a huge amount of magnification you won't see anything other than a point. The point won't be brighter with only magnification either. You need aperture size to collect more light to make it brighter.

See the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Messier_objects" [Broken], all of which are large enough to be seen with no or very little magnification (10x will be more than enough). However, many won't be bright enough to see without collecting more light than your eyes alone will be capable of.

The exception to all this is objects within our solar system (eg planets and moons). These objects can actually be magnified to the point where surface details appear. However, for anything other than our moon you are going to need a serious (and expensive) telescope, not binoculars.
 
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What factors should I consider when deciding on buying binoculars?

When deciding on buying binoculars, you should consider the magnification power, objective lens diameter, prism type, field of view, and image stabilization. These factors will determine the quality and suitability of the binoculars for your specific needs.

What is the ideal magnification power for binoculars?

The ideal magnification power for binoculars depends on the intended use. For general use, 7x to 10x magnification is recommended. For long-distance viewing, 12x to 16x magnification is ideal. Higher magnification may result in a narrower field of view and shakier images.

What is the significance of objective lens diameter in binoculars?

The objective lens diameter in binoculars determines the amount of light that can enter the binoculars, thus affecting the image brightness and clarity. Larger objective lens diameter results in brighter and clearer images, but also makes the binoculars heavier and bulkier.

Which prism type is better for binoculars?

There are two main types of prisms used in binoculars - Porro and Roof prisms. Porro prisms are generally more affordable and provide better depth perception, while Roof prisms are more compact and produce better image quality. The choice between the two depends on personal preference and budget.

Do I need image stabilization in binoculars?

Image stabilization is beneficial for binoculars used for long-distance viewing or in situations where a steady hand is not possible. It helps to reduce shakiness and results in clearer images. However, it also adds to the cost of the binoculars, so it is not necessary for all users.

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