freeman@spar.UUCP (Jay Freeman) (11/23/85)
[] Recently Richard D. Pierce and others have commented on observing Comet Halley in binoculars. I thought it might be appropriate to mention that average-sized binoculars are undeservedly and sorely neglected as fine instruments for amateur astronomy. A 7 X 50 binocular will show all the objects in the Messier catalog (yes, I've done it; and yes, some of them were almost impossible); and perhaps another few hundred star clusters, galaxies and nebulae. Many people have a binocular around the house, yet fail even to consider it as an astronomical instrument. Try it! -- Jay Reynolds Freeman (Schlumberger Palo Alto Research)(canonical disclaimer)
bill@utastro.UUCP (William H. Jefferys) (11/24/85)
> [] > > Recently Richard D. Pierce and others have commented on observing Comet > Halley in binoculars. I thought it might be appropriate to mention that > average-sized binoculars are undeservedly and sorely neglected as fine > instruments for amateur astronomy. A 7 X 50 binocular will show all the > objects in the Messier catalog (yes, I've done it; and yes, some of them > were almost impossible); and perhaps another few hundred star clusters, > galaxies and nebulae. > > Many people have a binocular around the house, yet fail even to consider > it as an astronomical instrument. Try it! > -- > Jay Reynolds Freeman (Schlumberger Palo Alto Research)(canonical disclaimer) As a professional astronomer, I would like to agree wholeheartedly with what Jay says. Often I am asked to recommend a telescope for someone who wants to learn about astronomy. I try to make sure that the requestor has thoroughly exhausted the capabilities of the binoculars that are almost certainly lying about the house before making recomendations for a more expensive instrument. Most telescopes sold have inadequate mounts anyway and are actually harder to use than binoculars. And I suspect that most of them are used a few times and then sent to the attic to gather dust. Only a really serious amateur *needs* a telescope! *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***
co175fat@sdcc3.UUCP (Kevin Baird) (12/07/85)
Jay Freeman points out that binoculars are a good stargazing device. They certainly are better than nothing, which is what I own. Almost all the skywatching I have done has been through 7 x 30 binoculars, so I am fairly experienced with technique. The best way to look up, if you haven't already discovered, is to avoid looking UP. Lie on a lawn chair or a sleeping bag and look straight ahead. It is much easier on the neck, and it makes holding the binoculars steady much less of a chore. It is warmer in a sleeping bag, so you don't shiver as much! Binoculars are most suited for scanning the sky, looking for comets, browsing around the Milky Way, and other wide field stuff. Finding M1 (the Crab Nebula) is quite a task for binoculars, but, as Mr. Freeman says, it IS possible. * Happy Gazing * (and Holidays) Kevin Baird sdcsvax!sdcc3!co175fat (but my acct expires 12/14.)