Great Expectations

[guti14]

So I followed some advice on here and rather than jumping in with a scope, i have got myself some 8 x 40 binos and hope to learn the skies with them first before I look further into the scope, probably be birthday (August) or Christmas this year.

What I want to know though is what I should expect to see. I have managed to use them for 5 minutes of clear sky so far if that and grabbed a look at Jupiter which simply showed as a slightly larger pin [removed word] in the binos. Is this correct?

I'm not disappointed with what I saw but would like to know if that's what I can expect from the binos or if I should be able to see slightly more? As per the title of the thread, i suspect I am expecting to much from the binoculars.

Not expecting Hubble scope standard of images obviously.

[Cornelius Varley]

At 8x magnification Jupiter will be a small bright disc and you should also see up to four small dots, which are the Galilean moons. With a telescope Jupiter will become a larger disc and with good seeing you should be able to see banding and some colour.

[Steep]

Try to find something to rest the bins on while you are looking through them to give yourself the best chance of catching detail.

[Tiago]

1. Download Stellarium or any other free planetarium software you prefer. This will tell you where to look for what, and help you learn the sky as you do it.

2. Search the aforementioned software for some nice bright Deep Space Objects such as M42, M45, M31 and so on. I saw all of those on my 12x50 when I first started out. Do not expect much out of planets with binoculars - they'll only be slightly brighter dots.

[Astro Imp]

For all you need to know about using bins and what to see have a look at The Binocular Sky:- http://binocularsky.com/

[RichieP]

I would concentrate on finding as many DSOs as you can. Most of them will be just small fuzzy patches in binoculars, but if you learn where they are you will have no problem in knowing what to look at when you finally do get a scope.

Richard

[guti14]

Thanks for the help guys and the link.

Glad it isn't just the binos that I have producing a bad image.

I have downloaded stellarium and had a bit of a play with it tonight and looking forward to getting out and playing with it and the bins.

[Pappy Nick]

Hi ...

If your Bins will take it I thoroughly recommend getting a tripod (and adaptor). I use a little "portable" one that I've had for years. It's not very high though so I have to either stick it on the picnic table in my garden, or sit on the floor (old camping mats come in very handy here :-))

HTH

[ronin]

Binoculars do not deliver high magnification, they deliver wider views then a scope but that wide view does actually not mean that constellations will be fully visible. The Plough is far too big for any binocular and the Plough is just a part of the Great Bear. Very few constellations will be fully visible in binoculars.

Binoculars are good for locating clusters, they pick up enough light for them to become more apparent, however the view will not knock your socks off. I find them more useful to confirm that I am looking at the right part of the sky for the required cluster. Then I point the scope at the same part.

To get detail, bands, of Jupiter you need about 60x, later in the year Saturn appears at a convenient time and for that 120x is good, Orion needs much the same a Jupiter. None of which you will get with binoculars.