Messier objects with binoculars ?

[rory]

I'm looking at getting some 10x50's fairly soon, and while I'm aware they give nice wide field views , and are a useful aid. I'm interested to hear how many Messier objects YOU have seen with 10x50's ?

Also was there a favourite messier viewed through bins , or pleasant surprise where you wasn't expecting to see something ? Or even let downs after much expectation. ?

Look foward to reading you experiences.

[stargazerslivingroom]

My favourite Messier has to be M45...Just lends itself to viewing through bins.

Steve

[WaveSoarer]

They are absolutely wonderful for extended objects such as M45, as Steve has mentioned, the Beehive Cluster, Kemble's cascade and the coat hanger. These are too large to fit into the field of view of most telescopes. The limits of what you can see really depends on how dark your skies are and how much LP you have to put up with. On good, transparent, nights you should be able to see most of the Messier objects though you may have to get your night vision well settled and know exactly where you're meant to be looking. Under my semi-rural skies I've been able to easily see the dumbbell nebula and the crab nebula as well as a number of the galaxies. The andromeda galaxy, M31, is a really nice object in binoculars as is M33, the triangulum galaxy (though this is more of a large fuzzy blob).  On good evenings I've been able to see the eastern section of the veil nebula without too much difficulty. A good set of binoculars under dark skies are fantastic and you'll be surprised by what you'll be able to see. I don't have any firm favourites but the globular cluster, M13, is always good to view even on evenings when the sky isn't great. The double cluster is also a highlight.

They are also good for low magnification views of the planets. Although you'll be able to see the moons of Jupiter, you wont be able to see any detail on the planets themselves as they are just too small. I was out last night viewing Uranus (which I've also viewed previously with my telescope - it appears as a small blue/green disc at high mag.) and Neptune (for the first time). I'll try to keep an eye on Neptune over the coming weeks as it will start to move quickly against the background stars.

[WaveSoarer]

Incidentally, I always have my bincoculars to hand when I have my telescope set up as they are really good for checking star hops without the complication of the inverted view from the finder. I quite often do a bit of surveying for future sessions when the sky is only offering gaps in the cloud.

[rory]

I can imagine the Pleiades and andromeda galaxy being popular bino targets. What of the other messiers though ? Has anyone viewed for example m81/82 or the Leo galaxies ?

I've seen Uranus through my old dob and even that only shown a small green/ blue disk. Not seen Neptune myself as yet.

[Matt2011]

The Orion Nebula is a good target and The Hyades in Taurus also, Would also look for M13 in Hercules and my Helios 15x70 Apollo's HD show it well but should be fine through your 10x50s. 

[Stu]

I can imagine the Pleiades and andromeda galaxy being popular bino targets. What of the other messiers though ? Has anyone viewed for example m81/82 or the Leo galaxies ?

I've seen Uranus through my old dob and even that only shown a small green/ blue disk. Not seen Neptune myself as yet.

M81/82 quite easy in binos as long as your sky is not too light polluted. Can't add much more to WaveSoarer's comments, all those targets are great in binos.

M13/92, 15, 3 & 5 are lovely globs, easily visible.

Mel 111 is a nice big open cluster. I've managed M1 from a dark site, and M33 and 101 are often best in binos from a dark site. I also see to remember getting M74 but that's a vague memory!!

I had some lovely views around Sagittarius over the summer, looking from Durlston Head in Dorset out over the see. Loads to see in binoculars, M8, 20 and 22 amongst them.

Plenty to see, oh, almost forgot, I've had fun following the recent nova in Delpinus in binos as it faded gradually from mag 4.5 to below mag 9.5 when I lost it. Finally.... Asteroids, some of the brighter ones like Vesta and Ceres are eat in binos, just a mater if marching star fields and then watching them move over the course of a few nights.

Enjoy

Stu

[Stu]

Apologies for poor spelling towards the end. Tired thumb!

Stu

[BinocularSky]

Rory, if you go to http://binocularsky.com/search.php and filter it for 50mm aperture, your latitude, a decent horizon height (say 10 deg, to cut out the stuff that is washed out in the horizon murk) and magnitude +8 (the easier stuff), you will get ninety or so objects that are available to your binoculars - clicking on each one will take you to a finder chart, description, etc. In addition to the stuff mentioned above, the following are good at this time of year:

Stock 2 (Muscleman Cluster)

NGC 752

The Leaping Minnow

M35, 36, 37, 38

The Garnet Star

Albireo

NGC 253

The Helix Nebula (but get it early in the evening, early in the month!)

...and late month or late evening:

NGC2264

M41

Hind's Crimson Star

[rory]

I'll sure chech that out. Thanks for the link.

[Jason71]

Well what have I seen with my Helios Naturesport-Plus 10x50. Only had these a few weeks now and I don't have a telescope plus totally new to star gazing.

The first I seen was the coat hanger which to me looked amazing , it was very clear and because it was my first I was quite happy with my self finding it. Then after a few days I spotted M45 the seven sisters. Which looked fantastic, the very bright and blue stars looked to me amazing. 10x more clearer than the coat hanger and I always have another look at it when the sky is good.

For the past few nights ( when it's been a clear sky ) I have been looking for andromeda and the andromeda galaxy and no good couldn't find it then the other night I was looking and just by chance came across what I think was the andromeda galaxy, just sitting above the constellation was a very clear grey fuzzy patch which seemed brighter in the middle . I looked at the app star walker and it did show it in that area so I spent half an hour looking at the which I was quite chuffed about lol .

This morning I spotted Jupiter but couldn't make out any detail on the planet because it was to bright. I could make out three small spots both sides of it though, two one side and one on the other side so I think they could be Jupiter's moons, if it was then I'm cuffed to bits lol.

Mars just looks like a red laser dot to me.

Couldn't see any comets this morning but may be my binoculars are not up to spotting them at the min.

So that's what iv seen so far, I'm sure il see more when I get a telescope but at the min I'm quite happy with my binoculars plus my mrs thinks I'm mad sitting out there with them lol.

[rory]

Seems like your having a ball with those bins Jason. Hard to believe your looking at another galaxy with your own eyes sometimes eh . Thanks for posting.

[Hobbes]

Amongst my Binocular favourites are Kemble's Cascade, The Double cluster in Perseus, The Andromeda Galaxy, The Lagoon Nebula (in the summer), The Orion nebula and I have a soft spot for the Auriga Clusters as they were the first DSO's that I found with my first pair of Bins.

You've got a lot of fun ahead of you.

[Jason71]

Seems like your having a ball with those bins Jason. Hard to believe your looking at another galaxy with your own eyes sometimes eh . Thanks for posting.

Yeh I quite enjoy it. I know what you mean about the galaxy's ,when you think how far away they are and how big they are it is quite hard to believe.

[rory]

I've not seen kembles cascade as yet , even though I've had a couple of scopes before now .

As for the MESSIER objects, I'm wondering if there's any that are out of reach of a 10x 50 binocular ? Given favourable skies I'd assume not as if imagine a half decent pair would be as good as anything that was used back then ?

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

M45 is always worth a look-perfectly framed in binos.Also,rather obviously,M42.The Hyades are also very pleasing.The 'Coathanger' and Auriga's 'Cheshire Cat' asterisms always raise a chuckle,as they look like cartoon drawings !  The trio of clusters in Auriga,M35,36 and 37 are interesting. The starfields in Cassioppea contain many fascinating objects- you can lose yourself amongst them! 

[Kainushi]

rory,

 

I hope I'm not late to the game.  I purchased 10x50 binoculars last summer for birdwatching, and  only recently have a I taken them out to look at objects beyond the constellation Orion, which is visible from my front doorstep.

 

I have had good luck this past week.  The Pleiades defy description; I could look them all night.  Within the past week, I have stumbled on the Beehive Cluster, and I've managed to find the Andromeda Galaxy three times.  I think it's moving to know that I am seeing light that is older than recorded human history.

 

- Kainushi

[WaveSoarer]

That's excellent Kainushi. As you have a lower latitude than we have in the UK, you'll be very well placed to observe many of the Messier objects that we struggle to see here. I hope that you have a good dark site to go to.

Dave

[rory]

hi all, well I did have a pair of naturesport plus from another forum member . but I can not get along with them at all . id previously owned some old pentax 10x50's and  struggled with them. I thought it was the bins not me.so when I had problems focussing  with the nature sports too, I knew its my eyes that's the problem. so I sold them on regrettably .

 I can cover one eye and get focus, then the other and use the individual focus on the eyecup.finally open both eyes for final adjustment ,but I cannot get a sharp image. only one eye or the other will show a sharp image. this only applies to astro viewing , I can quite easily use them in daylight for terrestrial use.

 ah well.

[Kainushi]

That's excellent Kainushi. As you have a lower latitude than we have in the UK, you'll be very well placed to observe many of the Messier objects that we struggle to see here. I hope that you have a good dark site to go to.

Dave

WaveSoarer,

There is slight light pollution here, but no complaints.  I need to invest in a tripod to spare my neck. :-)

[Martin Meredith]

They are absolutely wonderful for extended objects such as M45, as Steve has mentioned, the Beehive Cluster, Kemble's cascade and the coat hanger. These are too large to fit into the field of view of most telescopes. The limits of what you can see really depends on how dark your skies are and how much LP you have to put up with. On good, transparent, nights you should be able to see most of the Messier objects though you may have to get your night vision well settled and know exactly where you're meant to be looking. Under my semi-rural skies I've been able to easily see the dumbbell nebula and the crab nebula as well as a number of the galaxies. The andromeda galaxy, M31, is a really nice object in binoculars as is M33, the triangulum galaxy (though this is more of a large fuzzy blob).  On good evenings I've been able to see the eastern section of the veil nebula without too much difficulty. A good set of binoculars under dark skies are fantastic and you'll be surprised by what you'll be able to see. I don't have any firm favourites but the globular cluster, M13, is always good to view even on evenings when the sky isn't great. The double cluster is also a highlight.

They are also good for low magnification views of the planets. Although you'll be able to see the moons of Jupiter, you wont be able to see any detail on the planets themselves as they are just too small. I was out last night viewing Uranus (which I've also viewed previously with my telescope - it appears as a small blue/green disc at high mag.) and Neptune (for the first time). I'll try to keep an eye on Neptune over the coming weeks as it will start to move quickly against the background stars.

I also have Opticron 10x50s and they're wonderful. Not all bins are equal and these are worth the 150 pounds or so I paid for them. It really makes a difference, so Rory, if you're still looking for a recommendation, there's one! The focus is really smooth and the right eye adjustment is stiff enough never to need changing once its spot on. I know the feeling you mention about getting focus with both eyes separately and then finding it not right when you use both together. I assume it is because the eye itself tries to compensate for poor focus, so for me at least the trick is to relax each eye when achieving focus. But the difference between good and average bins in getting good focus is immediately apparent.

As Dave says, extended objects, and also groups of objects are great in bins. Some of my favourites are the pair of contrasting clusters M46/M47, the globulars in Opiuchus, just browsing the entire Scorpius/Sagittaris/Aquila region, the Scutum star cloud. I often check things out immediately afterwards in the 'scope and am sometimes disappointed by, well, the lack of field of view. 

Last night was really transparent in Cantabria with some of the best, most detailed non-telescopic views I've had of objects such as M42. In fact, it was really a case of moving from one object to another before my hands froze themselves to the bins: M41, M46, M47, M103, M81/82, M45, etc etc .. the sort of night where a binocular Messier Marathon seems almost feasible... though I think some of the U Major and Coma/Virgo galaxies might be challenging. I'd like to give it a go though.

Anyway, good luck in trying to find some bins that you can get along with.

Martin

[WaveSoarer]

Thanks Martin. I was out tonight with my bins while the telescope was busy imaging. I surprised myself by being able to see M33 despite it getting lower in the sky and in a region with appreciable light pollution. I also had a chance to view the Beehive cluster (Praesepe or M44) and this is a fanstic cluster.

I notice that the opticrons go back together quite well after I managed to drop them at Heathrow as we were about to fly out to New Zealand. They were perfect for viewing Southern skies - which are very dark in New Zealand. They gave almost photographic views of the Magellanic clouds.

[WaveSoarer]

And I managed to drop my glasses tonight too. Fortunately they survived unscathed.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have seen many of the Messiers with 10x50 bins. M45 is always great, but I think I prefer M81 and M82. M33 is a bit of a left-field object: very nice once you have tracked it down

[Martin Meredith]

M33 is such a tentative smudge in 10x50s but I know I've got it when I find a gray patch framed by a parallelogram of 4 stars.

My route to M33 goes from Almach via NGC 752, another great binocular object.

Anyway, half (no, 90%) of the fun is finding other stuff while missing the thing you're looking for!

Martin