My first Obervation Report - Binoculars

[that_guy (Tony)]

Today, I've received my 7x50 AOE Waterproof binoculars (not that I'll be using it if its raining ) Testing on Terrestrial objects showed MASSIVE contrast difference to my crappy 15 bucks 10x50 i picked up from korea. I picked these up for 70 bucks second hand from dannat. I was real lucky to have absolute clear skies for first light and awesome seeing pin point stars!! I am one happy lad This "report" that is if you can call it that. Is real short cos theres not much targets with my limited view of the southern sky and horrible light pollution from maccas across the street

1. First up, M42. It was really strange how I got more of a hype from looking at this through the binos then when i did the first time with my old 8" dob. Beautiful contrast with pinpoint stars, no colour fringing what so ever. The field of view was real wide and gave it even more eye popping background along with the inner star formation of M42. Again, pure awesomeness. I'll be back for more in new moon

2. Next, Omega Cen. This was my first ever DSO I saw in my entire life from a telescope. Stars were so tightly packed it looked like one massive star through my binos. the wide field meant i could enjoy the surrounding stars as well as the cluster. Sorta like cake frosting around the chocolate chips in the middle sorry i get hungry when im excited hehehe. I went back to this target over and over and over again still not believeing my eyes I love these new binos

3. Third, Eta Carinae. asodhaoijoaisjcoaijsfjoaqwr. No words can describe how i felt when I saw this fill up my FOV. The nebulosity literally jumped out at me with open clusters surrounding it. I could easily make out the entire outline and inner nebula detail and form. or was it just my imagination? haha dont answer that! i dont want to know and to think I nearly forgot where this was.... Gah! I felt stupid when I was scratching my head asking myself where the heck eta was Again, the widefield meant jamming everything in there with room left for more

4. Praesepes. Albeit drowned by moonlight next to it, I could easily make out more then 2 dozen stars forming the open cluster varying in colours. Oh, and I found these by accident when I was just strolling around the galaxy. The stars were pinpoint almost feeling up 2/3 of the view.

5. Second last is the Southern Pleiades. These managed to tightly fit just on the corner of eta car Field of view and it was AMAZING!!! the large nebulosity of eta on once side, bright colourful cluster of stars in another. Phaw.... what a night. did I mention I love these binos?

6. Sixth and the last is THE MOON!!! haha yeah, i know. It's not gonna be a long description of what the moon looked like cos everyone knows what it is a circle blob of light that everyone hates when observing. I made out details in larger craters as well as outlines of smaller and feinter ones. I took small 10 second peeps cos it was sorta blinding my eyes and making me feel nauseated hehehe. When its less bright, ill have another peek at these

Well, This is it. Hope you enjoyed it. and I'll be seeing you lot around this section quite alot now

Cheers
tony

*EDIT* your prob wandering, if its still clear why the heck are you inside typing? the reason is.... I have school tomorrow talk about party pooper... I wish i was out there atm, but ill never wake up in time for school :\

[astroron (Ron)]

Good on ya Tony, one very happy report
Well done
Look forward to more in the future

[Suzy]

Tony I'm as pleased as punch for you that you are having so much fun and loving your binos. Yay! I get to have some else share in bino obs on here - I'm excited!

I'm working on another report myself. A couple of nights ago, we had excellent seeing conditions, not seen for a very long time, and I chose to use my binos. I couldn't resist the opportunity to give the binos a run under great conditions.

Don't forget in the Australian Sky & Telescope magazine, Les D has a section on bino observing.

I look forward to many more reports on here Tony, thanks so much for the report.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Excellent reporting Tony.
One day, when your financial again, you should invest in the adaptor that allows you to fit them to a tripod. Great for when you're tracking down a comet or wanting to share the view with others.

[Liz]

Woohoo Tony, well done!!

[Paddy (Patrick)]

Great report Tony. It is quite amazing how wonderful things look in binos - as you say you get the context for the DSOs. AS you say the M42 area is stunning with binos as you get the abundance of stars in the area.

Great to hear that you're planning more obs reports!

[Brian W (Brian)]

You are tempting me to upgrade my binos... an old set that is good for star hopping but that's about all.
Brian

[that_guy (Tony)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Good on ya Tony, one very happy report
Well done
Look forward to more in the future

Cheers Ron theres gonna be heaps more observing now that I have a grab and go

Originally Posted by Suzy

Tony I'm as pleased as punch for you that you are having so much fun and loving your binos. Yay! I get to have some else share in bino obs on here - I'm excited!

I'm working on another report myself. A couple of nights ago, we had excellent seeing conditions, not seen for a very long time, and I chose to use my binos. I couldn't resist the opportunity to give the binos a run under great conditions.

Don't forget in the Australian Sky & Telescope magazine, Les D has a section on bino observing.

I look forward to many more reports on here Tony, thanks so much for the report.

Thanks Suzy, bino observing is the best! thinking about selling all my gear and buy binos instead (kidding ofcourse)

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

Excellent reporting Tony.
One day, when your financial again, you should invest in the adaptor that allows you to fit them to a tripod. Great for when you're tracking down a comet or wanting to share the view with others.

I'm gonna try to convince my mum to lend me 20 bucks so i can head over to local astro shop. They have one for 20 bucks... haha

Originally Posted by Liz

Woohoo Tony, well done!!

Cheers Liz

Originally Posted by Paddy

Great report Tony. It is quite amazing how wonderful things look in binos - as you say you get the context for the DSOs. AS you say the M42 area is stunning with binos as you get the abundance of stars in the area.

Great to hear that you're planning more obs reports!

I had no idea what I was missing. I don't know how I managed to live without one (well, a proper one anyways haha)

Originally Posted by Brian W

You are tempting me to upgrade my binos... an old set that is good for star hopping but that's about all.
Brian

Go for it Brian! It'll be the best purchase youll make this year

Cheers
tony

[that_guy (Tony)]

oops, i forgot to add the jewel box cluster :\ aha

[orestis]

Hi Tony,

Wonderful report and welcome to the club of visual observers.
I hope to get myself a pair of good binoculars to get myself out there when there is only small gaps in the clouds.I haven't observed for quite sometime,its either school work or clouds.

Hope to get back under the stars soon,
I miss them so much.

cheers Orestis

[astrospotter (Mark)]

A wonderful aspect of bino viewing is that you get the closest experience to naked eye viewing in terms of the complexity of setting up.

This allows you to make a decision on what you want to look at and then get yourself to that target very fast once you get good at pointing the binoculars right where you are looking. You can easily scan from Eta Car over to nearby amazing star clusters 3532, 3114 and of course Southern Pleiades. Over to Crux and coalsack and jewel box. Of course both clouds are a must. Easy, Fast, Fun!

I have not been down there since last March but my very first southern sky night was right off the plane from California, USA and driving up from Adelaide to Port Augusta. We drove down Horrocks pass from the wine country on B86 towards A1 north and it was night and I decided right then to drive back from the motel after my wife and I had settled in the motel. Only had my trusty Canon IS binos up at a nice little parking lot where there is a Horrocks pass memorial monument but for me from the north seeing these things the first time in binoculars was just amazing and allowed me to browse 20 or more objects that I had never seen before but had longed to see for over a decade. It was bliss.

The rest of my trip offered wonderful nights through a 12" binTel dob that of course were far more detailed and another story but the 1st night out with binos I will never forget that rush of 'Wow, I am FINALLY here!'

Nice report and since you are fairly new to this I expect you may have had a similar feeling is why I bring this up in this reply.

Nice Report!

Mark