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SinceDay1 · 03-12-2013, 10:37 AM

One of the primary considerations when using binos for astronomical viewing is aperture. You're going to be looking at faint and, at times, diffuse objects. The more light you can collect, the more you can visually resolve. I wouldn't really be looking at anything with less than an aperture of 40mm. As for magnification, 8x to 10x is about ideal if you plan on hand holding the binoculars. Above that and the field of view becomes so narrow that the ability to find and stay on objects gets pretty tough. I'd go with a fixed magnification as well. A decent zoom bino will cost large dollars and is of limited utility for astronomical purposes. You can get by with a decent pair of 7x35 field binos but 8x40's should be considered a minimum for a satisfactory astronomical experience. If you can handle the size and weight (~1 kg) of the Celestron Skymaster DX 8x56's, it's a pretty decent entry level pair.

https://www.all-startelescope.com/sa...roducts_id=234

03-12-2013, 10:37 AM	#3
SinceDay1 Crash and Bang Winger Join Date: Mar 2004 Exp:	One of the primary considerations when using binos for astronomical viewing is aperture. You're going to be looking at faint and, at times, diffuse objects. The more light you can collect, the more you can visually resolve. I wouldn't really be looking at anything with less than an aperture of 40mm. As for magnification, 8x to 10x is about ideal if you plan on hand holding the binoculars. Above that and the field of view becomes so narrow that the ability to find and stay on objects gets pretty tough. I'd go with a fixed magnification as well. A decent zoom bino will cost large dollars and is of limited utility for astronomical purposes. You can get by with a decent pair of 7x35 field binos but 8x40's should be considered a minimum for a satisfactory astronomical experience. If you can handle the size and weight (~1 kg) of the Celestron Skymaster DX 8x56's, it's a pretty decent entry level pair. https://www.all-startelescope.com/sa...roducts_id=234 Last edited by SinceDay1; 03-12-2013 at 10:43 AM.