£10 binos off fleabay - 7th heaven!

[wolfytom]

My cheapy 10x50 binoculars, bought as a stop gap until next payday's scope purchase, arrived yesterday morning.

I was immediately disappointed to see they had a red coating over the lenses - I've read somewhere that you should avoid red or amber coatings as they soak up light and generally indicate a cheap and nasty product. It wasn't obvious they were red on the ebay pic!

Anyway, I spent the rest of the day anxiously watching the sky from my office window. The temperature dropped and the clouds faded away. The journey home was full of promise as I mentally planned my first night of aided stargazing. Jupiter was top of the bill.

It was dark and starry when I got home and I headed into the garden.

Jupiter. A peach coloured very wobbly star. I quickly realised I needed support but no matter what I tried I couldn't stabilise myself enough. I searched in vain for a moon but nevertheless I was looking at Jupiter!

The Pleiades. Superb! An amazing gathering of stars. A rhombus shape dominating but to the left and below, a vertical smudge. I want to know more about that. Nearly 50 years of staring at this beauty and suddenly 10x50 brought it alive.

Orion Nebula. Firstly, the mass of stars around the belt and sword was superb. But that awesome cloud that is the nebula! Now that is spectacular. Spectacular. I was amazed that it had shape and the size of it had me running inside to get my wife and kids. Averted vision gave a different but equally thrilling effect.

What's the constellation to the left of Orion? I have never seen such a variety and such a number of beautiful lights in one spot before. I've got so much to learn and must be missing so much at the moment. The contrast between light and dark, no it's diamond white and inkblack, was again, thrilling.

By now, I was icy cold. But I had one last ambition for the night.

The Andromeda Galaxy.

Just out of reach for my whole life. A faint smudge said all the books and all the websites.

I wanted it.

I grabbed my laptop and loaded up Stellarium and worked out a starhopping journey.

Use the bottom two stars of Cassiopeia as a pointer left to the next bright star, Almaark.

Notice the gently-right and down-curving line of 3 stars with Almaark at the top. Drop down to the next brightest of the three - Mirach. It looks very red to me. (But that could be the binos!).

Move dirctly to the right and there it is.

A ghostly vertical smudge.

But wonderful, beautiful.

My heart raced and goosebumps rose on my neck. And it wasn't the cold.

It was Andromeda.

I had expected to be thrilled by planets but talk of distant smudges did little to raise my expectations for the DSOs. After all, I was using a pair of used ten quid 10x50s from fleabay with red coatings on the lenses.

But now I'm 100% hooked. And it's the galaxies and nebulae that have hooked me.

[Annevh]

That's a lot of pleasure for ten quid!

I've had my telescope since the 16th but haven't been able to use it yet. Reading your post makes me even more excited about getting going!

[SimonR]

Sounds like you had a great night. Sometimes you can't beat a pair of binoculars. While I was waiting for my scope to cool down tonight, I had a quick look around with my 7x50s and took in Orion and the Pleiades. By the time I had the scope sorted out the clouds had returned.

[Davie]

you sound like you had a fun evening

[Space Beagle]

Great report Wolfytom! Blimey, you may actually burst with excitement when you have a look through your new scope when you get it.....

Looking forward to that report!!

Doc

[nightfisher]

excellent report, i can "feel" your excitement in your post!

[valleyman]

Now Calm down dear.............there just Binos..................wait till you get the scope....................and your first view of Saturn.

[Bino Pete]

Hey whats this 'just binos' comment!!

[Glen]

That read like a preface your exitement is very infectious and i too look forward when you have a peep through the scope...

Regards

Glen

[DUBHE]

Isn’t it great!!! I know exactly how you’re feeling, I’m the same even after 18 months since my first bino experience.

I took my Megrez 72 to work early this morning only to be plagued by them dreaded clouds.

Can’t wait to hear how you get on with your new scope.

Andy.

[stev74]

Very nice report Wolfytom, it brought a smile to my face, it's amazing what you can see with cheap bino's (I have a set of 10x50's £14.99 from Lidl's).

Just wait till you see those 'faint fizzies' and planets through a scope.... looking forward to your first scope report.

[dlp]

Loved your report! The daft thing is it's all been up there all our lives waiting to be seen, but we're still like big kids when we see it 'properly'. Can't imagine how the likes of Galileo felt as they had no-one to say what to look at and where to look!

David

[wolfytom]

Thanks for all the comments.

It was a fantastic experience and actually last night was even better. I drove about 10 miles away and stood in the middle of inky blackness.

Actually, it was a little too dark - I was spooked by some very flipping strange noises!

But I was stunned by the difference the lack of light pollution made. Andromeda was even more thrilling than before.

I'm struggling with Jupiter though.

Need to invest in a tripod for the bino's but first It's the telescope! And there's way too much choice!

If you don't mind, I could do with some guidance and I've asked some questions in the Beginners forum.

Thanks again for the kind comments.

[Jimmy Stix]

Nice to share your excitement with you!

I remember finding Andromeda myself with my binos last autumn. I was indeed "like a little kid in a sweet shop". You realise there is no cure don't you!

[parvee]

I'm still waiting to get to see M31. It's been light polution and cloud in the way since I got my bins. But I'm patient and I'm sure I'll be rewarded well. ;]

[keef_uk]

thats the great thing about bins - quick and instant, just grab and go. For £10 I would say thats money very well spent!