part timer

Using binoculars is the very best way to get into visual astronomy .

Just be aware, it takes time to find objects to start with.  You need a star map of the area of sky you are looking at (binocular sky is useful here!).

You will probably not realise at first that you have seen an object! It's not going to look like an image from the net. Instead most objects are faint fuzzy and slightly golwing patches of sky.

Time and experience really help.

As recomended above, the best object right now to strt with is M13 in hercules. It is very bright and really easy to spot. It will look like a large fuzzy star. You can then move on to M92.

Be very aware that June is the worst possible time to look for deep sky objects as the sky is never actually dark.

Autumn is soon around and offers a plethora of new objects!

Aircraft chaff basically is lots of bits of aluminium foil dumped into the air, so that would fit.

Sorry but you can't not see the tyre!

Blimey, I think all my eyepieces are 'vintage' .

Wouldn't change any of them for the world though!

The big one is ex military 36mm very wide field, and my only 2". got it years ago at Leeds astromeet (also now defunct!). It doesnt have an eyecup so I tend to use a large LEGO tyre! (picture included!). Looks bonkers, but works really well and is almost made to measure.

Some others came from here. Seem to recall buying the 10.5 from F15?

The !.25" set are :- Tal 25mm, TV Plossls in 17, 13 and 10.5 and a Baader Ortho.

Just my vortex viper 10x42's

After using thse I just couldn't see the point in keeping all my old bins. They just blow them all away. and being so small there easy to hold as well!

First time I spent so much on binoculars and now I see why i should have done it before.

If i add up all i've spent on cheap bins it's not far off what I bought the vipers for!

The only other pair i kept were my original old soviet 8x30's which I kept for sentimenal reasons having used them since the very early eighty's.

Well this thread has been an inspiration to me!

I first googled some cases and foam, only to choke on the price (it seems a boring way to spend £30)

So I've had a look round the house and spent a cloudy evening knocking this up.

Cost me exactly zero and now I'm chuffed!

(the 10mm plossl in the picture is for 'illustration only' as it's replacement is in the post)

I don't think you would like the view if you could even get it to focus. I doubt even a coma corrector would help.