Through my 12x50 binos, I can clearly see that Saturn is extended in the plane of the ring system. When I have the bino's mounted on my bino mount, my mind tells me, or interprets the image such that I can resolve the rings – only just. I am not certain if this is wishful thinking based on seeing the planet through a 'scope, or whether I am actually seeing the real extension of the rings.
The bino’s are Leica 12x50's so optically they are very nice.
In my 12x60s I know it is not round - a nice yellow football! I need to go to my 20x80s before I can convince myself I can see the ring system and the gap between rings and planet.
What's the jump to 20x80's or 30x100's like? Can you see features on Saturn or Jupiter? I can see what I think is M42, sort of hazy cloud in Orion too, just wondered what power is better to resolve some of these...
What's the jump to 20x80's or 30x100's like? Can you see features on Saturn or Jupiter? I can see what I think is M42, sort of hazy cloud in Orion too, just wondered what power is better to resolve some of these...
Cheers,
Ben
Both planets are easy in my Vixen 30x125 giant bino's.
What's the jump to 20x80's or 30x100's like? Can you see features on Saturn or Jupiter? I can see what I think is M42, sort of hazy cloud in Orion too, just wondered what power is better to resolve some of these...
Cheers,
Ben
I'm at the cheap end of the market. Bought both from AOE - $129 for the 20x80s and $419 (I recall) for the 30x100s. No, I don't see surface features on Jupiter or Saturn. I've got more testing to do with the 30x100s, but these particular ones don't do as better a job on Saturn as I had hoped.
But for nebula like M42, these bigger binoculars are great! But don't expect to see the horsehead or flame nebula through these binoculars. And faint nebula and galaxies are smudges - but great to be able to know that you have found them and seen them. They were also great to see the coma of Comet McNaught up much closer. And the Moon is a great sight as well.
Re M42 in 12x60s - they should do a better job than you describe. Suggest you find a dark sky location - from the big city, M42 is not going to be great. Then practice averted vision - you'll see more that way. Same for Omega Centauri and 47 Tuc globular clusters - have you located those as yet?
It's great fun with binocs Ben, a lot easier to look at this and look at that so you can make yourself a list of things to view with a telescope at a later date, (thats what i try to do) but with binos stability is everything, are you using a mount or something else??. I think one gets a false impression of Saturn if your binocs are not mounted on some type of mount but thats just me.
Just to add my couple of cents worth, I have 20x80 Triplets and I can't see any separation in the rings of Saturn, but I can see the rings. M42 comes out super clear for me, at my reasonably dark site. I clearly see the nebulous gaseous region with two extremely large and bright stars close together with a number of other smaller stars in the region. I am recalling this purely from my memory not observing notes from my diary.
I can tell you that M42 in by bins looks awesome, especially when the seeing is extra good, on the night I last looked and saw it, it was amazing and I only regret that I am not advanced and setup enough yet to take a photograph.
As eric has mentioned some celestial objects are stunning, I saw 4 clusters in 30 minutes, last week and each one was uniquely different, I have not drawn (sketched them) but am seriously thinking of doing this. Each one has some characteristic about it which is slightly different from the next.
It is hard to describe the subtle and minute changes in words, because primarily those changes come in the form of density of stars, there magnitude at the centre and in the edges, the overall shape and something I have started teaching myself to do is to spend some time looking near the cluster i.e. looking at the surrounding area.
If the surrounding area is almost totally devoid of stars, then the cluster itself stands out more and has a more defined outline or shape. On the other hand if it is jammed in close to other features, it tends to stay in your memory for the combination of the clusters actual design as well as it's immediate surroundings.
I have not spent much time yet observing through my binoculars because the weather has been lousy most of Jan/Feb here in Sydney, but I am determined to observe intelligently.
Let me explain that a little. 8 years ago I had a stint of two years doing astronomy, mostly theoretical for study I was doing, therefore the actual observing was to accomplish a certain credit towards a pass mark. I did of course enjoy it but my motives were clear and when the study finished I moved away from astronomy. At that stage I was not truly into it.
Then of course when McNaught inspired the peoples of the planet, I too was swept up once again but this time for the right reasons, for the sheer beauty and adventure of it, not because it was beneficial for me in terms of getting better grades.
So now when I observe, I have this belief that I don't just want to look at a group of stars, but I really want to study it. I start on the baseline premise that no two clusters are the same and indeed they are not. I want to see then record the differences and when I return at a later date, I have this sense of reacquainting myself with an old friend.
I know that what I have written here would sound dumb anywhere but an astronomy forum, however I believe that to some degree I am on the money and that most people here consider their DSO's as old friends, some better friends than others.
No I am not crazy but when I am alone I find myself looking up at a star and saying hello to it (No it's doesn't answer back yet). Perhaps I am not like others in this group, perhaps I am a lone Looney, but I rather think that we like our stars, and express some degree of affection for them, even if we would not actually say that unless amongst other like souls.
All I can tell you is that I have binoculars, not a lot of money, about 1/90th of the price of my car and it is the singularly best money I have ever spent and it has given me the heavens and the earth and a lifetime of imagination, wonder and fun.
If you stay long enough on each object and think about what you are seeing and in your head say what you intend to write down, I find it helps me. I only use normal words like big, very big, bright, round, football and so on, I am after all just an ordinary person so I speak to myself (think) using the same words that I can readily relate to and recall later when filling out my diary.
This gets back to my original point that you can see great detail in some objects up to the limits that your equipment can handle, however if you don't spend long enough on each object and really take a serious analytical look, you may actually miss seeing detail that is there.
Like having your equipment clean and in good working order, well adjusted so too do you need to be in good shape. I believe you need to be in the right mood, stress-free and ready to see great details. Once in this phase, after your night vision fully kicks in, you can see plenty through good binoculars.
I don't know good from bad with respect to binoculars, I just know that with mine I can see a great deal, but I need to always be mindful that I place myself in the best possible position to see details, this means geographically as well as personally.
I apologise for drifting on and off topic several times, but I think that sometimes the problem is not necessarily the equipment, but could be the mood or circumstances the observer is in. For the great view, the perfect view, all things have to majestically line up, the seeing excellent, good equipment and most of all, an eager and appreciative observer
I understand what you mean about your approach to "observing intelligently". I have always been interested and amazed at the incredible sights available, and my enthusiasm would tend to push me ahead of myself.
My plan this time is to start with the binos and learn the sky. I've got my parallelogram mount working with a set of survey legs and that has made heaps of difference. I'm in town, so I will try and scout out some darker skies without being too far from home.
I've observed M42 a couple of times and appears as a whispy cloud around some pinpoint stars. Did this a couple of nights in a row as I initially thought it might have just been a cloud). The Pleiades look spectacular and I can see Saturn as a yellowish football. I'll try the averted vision thing erick talked about. I found a small cluster near the Southern Cross, but haven't found Omega Centauri and 47 Tuc globular clusters yet. I think someone compiled a binocular list? I'll try and work through something like that.
Have started using Cartes du Ciel, which is excellent, and with my planimetric map, I'm getting around the sky slowly, building up a bit more each night.
You've inspired me to get the observational diary going. I'd thought about it before but have been slack. I can see a big benefit for reference and learning and as toetoe suggests, I can start to build up a list of things to view with a telescope later.
My long term equipment plan was:
1. Binos 12x60 and mount (tick)
2. 8" Dob for observation (and maybe muck about with a webcam or try and stick my EOS350 to it...)
3. 80 or 100mm ED Refractor (one day for pics)
Wondering if I should put in a 1a of a bigger set of binos, but I think I will use these ones for a while. Now I can start to see some of these features, I think, wow, what if I had just a little be more...
They are very nice, a bit old fashioned in terms of sheer size and bulk, weighing in at 11kgs. There is a bit of CA around the brighter objects and the FOV is only 1.6 degrees.
A nice feature is the 45 degree eyepieces which make viewing at the zenith more pleasant, but still not the same level of comfort and ease as a motorised reclining bino chair.
Under dark skies, M42 and Eta carina are simply stunning, literally out of this world.
They are very nice, a bit old fashioned in terms of sheer size and bulk, weighing in at 11kgs. There is a bit of CA around the brighter objects and the FOV is only 1.6 degrees.
A nice feature is the 45 degree eyepieces which make viewing at the zenith more pleasant, but still not the same level of comfort and ease as a motorised reclining bino chair.
Under dark skies, M42 and Eta carina are simply stunning, literally out of this world.
