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sabaithaime

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sabaithaime

sabaithaime

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A couple of people have recommended binoculars to begin my journey into astronomy.

My ten yr. old niece is also interested in astronomy and we are going to begin exploring the heavens together.

Binoculars seem like the way to go. A number of people and sites including Sir Patrick Moore recommend starting with 10 50's

I would like to know where I can find binocular/telescope specialist retailers in my area. I live in the harrow, Middlesex, London area and am happy to travel for a quality retail experience. I would be happy to pay anything from £100 - £500 to get set up

Random questions

Do we need a tripod to start with?

Do we need a tripod with 10 50’s?

If so does that change the binocular option from 10 50’s to something else?

Friends have said that they balance their bins in a suitable stick and don’t bother with a tripod.

I want to learn about astronomy and I learn best from been shown what to do and experiencing the doing. Are there clubs/groups in our area where we can learn more?

Warm regards

Tony

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ronin

ronin

Posted
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Personally I would say just get the now almost standard birding binoculars at 8x42.

If you want something to "mount" them on then a camera tripod is the obvious - you may need a small adaptor, also look at a monopod.

Next is - What do you expect to see ?

Ask this as binoculars will not show Jupiter or Saturn as anything other then a small disk of no detail. The view is wider then a scope but you will not get a constellation in a set on binoculars - a constellation is bigger then binoclars show. Binoculars are good on globular and open clusters.

I say this as very often it seems the recommendation is get a scope or binoculars they do the same. They don't. They compliment each other but one is not a replacement for the other. If I want to look at objects up there I use a scope, if I want to look round I use binoculars. Part of my concern is money you spend on one means less on the other or a longer wait.

Somewhere around Harrow I am sure is an Astronomy club - may be worthwhile dropping in if convenient. I suppose that the Baker Street Irregulars who meet in Regent Park is too far ?

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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10x50 will certainly be too much for your ten year old niece. The 50mm aperture makes them heavy and 10x magnification needs a very steady hand. The two things interact. I'd make 8x42 a maximum.

You can tripod mount them with an adapter onto a camera tripod very effectively for observing at lower elevations but at higher ones you need a dedicated bino support such as a parallelogram mount. (This Googles.) These are great but quite costly and unweildy. They do have one highly relevant feature, though; you can raise them or lower them without moving from the object so people of different heights can share the same view.

The other thing to have is a good set of charts.

Olly

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/22435624_WLMPTM#!i=2277139556&k=FGgG233

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opticalpath

opticalpath

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You asked about specialist retailers near you. The Widescreen Centre near Baker Street tube station is one place quite close.

I agree with Ronin's point. Binoculars are a good way to start and I would not argue with that oft-quoted advice. But they will only show so much. My personal experience as a youngster was that whilst I enjoyed scanning the skies with bins, I only became *excited* about observing after my first view through my own first (VERY modest!) telescope that showed more detail on the Moon and planets than the bins could possibly reveal.

My advice would be to purchase modest bins, but hold back on a bigger purchase until you have had the chance to look at the night sky through some telescopes. The best way to do that is to join a local astronomical society. They often have observing evenings where you can look through different telescopes, ask for advice and find out just what sort of instrument might suit your interests and budget. Sometimes, societies even have telescopes that members can borrow. There is a club near you: the West of London Astro Society http://www.wolas.org.uk/home

Have fun!

Adrian

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glowjet

glowjet

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Hi Tony and welcome to SGL to you and your Niece, an evening trip from Harrow on the Underground along to Regents Park, to meet up with the Baker Street Irregulars, may pay dividends in obtaining first hand knowledge from experienced Astronomers, could help answer a lot of your queries, especially as you said in your intro, you learn best by being show what to do, enjoy your Astronomy :)

John.

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nameunknown

nameunknown

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Posted

Hi Tony,

I'd second bino's if you are absolutely new and not sure. They are always good for birding and other terrestrial use. Finding your way around the constellations is really best done with the naked eye (or with glasses in my case).

You may have missed a trick with the niece - I know someone who called their baby girl "Rigella" (and she now has a daughter called "Bellatrix") - which guaranteed that both of them can spot and name every navigational star that is visible. If your niece gets beyond: The Great Bear, Orion, Cassiopeia, the great square in Pegasus, Cygnus and the Summer Triangle and can point out Andromeda on a clear night, that;s step one. If she can point out Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn, that's step two

Then it really is a case of "what do you want to see?" and "how much money do you want to spend?". Once you get serious, expect 1-2k for a sturdy mount (always the important bit) and a first scope (i.e. you could have an unforgettable 10-day holiday in Venice and Rome (with much easier photography) for the same money).

Rgds

P

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Tony and welcome to the forum.

Some good advice above regarding binoculars but I would like to expand on Adrian's point of considering a scope. Unless the binoculars are tripod mounted (irrespective of size) they aren't going to be any good for sharing the view. Binoculars are great for providing wide views of the night sky which is great for learning the constellations etc and can also certainly help with your ability to star hop with the aid of a good star map - but the moment you hand over those binos to someone else to use then you're back to where you started. When observing with the "little people" they most certainly have expectations of wanting to see stuff and here, even a cheap scope will outperform most binoculars. It is for that reason that I agree with the suggestions above regarding the need for you and your niece to participate in a couple of public observation nights to allow you to get your eye in at the eyepiece to see what's on offer and whether enough interest can be created to want to proceed further - always better to "observe the sky before you buy!" :grin:

Clear skies and enjoy the forum

James

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MorningMajor

MorningMajor

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Hi and welcome from me too - some great advice already given and I would echo James above with respect to bins not being great for sharing, especially with a youngster who may get frustrated if you find an object that they then may have trouble finding for themselves (mind you, it's a great way of learning!)

Good luck

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JamesF

JamesF

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If you're happy doing woodwork then a parallelogram mount isn't at all difficult to make should you go down the binocular route. There are plenty of examples in the DIY section.

James

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