Telescope Reviews: Garrett optics and barska Giants .. help

An 80mm scope can view many DSO's and can double for planetary viewing. The problem with planetary viewing and binoculars is lack of sufficient magnification. Planets are bright targets by nature (most of them, except for dwarf-planet Pluto), so aperture is not as important as magnification, generally speaking. 15x, 20x, 25x, or even 30x is of very limited use on planets. All will provide pleasing views of our Moon, but that's about it. What you need is powers in the 50x and up to see much detail on planets. Ideally, around 100x-200x is where the bulk of planetary work is done. People go much higher than that, but atmospheric seeing plays a big role at high magnifications, and on most nights 100-200x is the max usuable power. It sounds like you need a binocular with interchangable eyepieces - that would give you more flexibility. But, such binoculars can be very expensive.

Open star clusters are outstanding in a 15x binocular. In fact, many sprawling clusters like Orion's Belt, Alpha Persei Association, and the Hyades can only be fully appreciated in wide FOV of 3° or more. Orion's Belt is not nearly as interesting in the narrow 2° field of a 25x100 binocular - here, the view in a 15x70 is more pleasing to me. But, on tight compact clusters like M45, the higher magnification of a 25x binocular makes the cluster explode into countless points of light. Here the 25x100 beats the 15x70 easily.

If you are hunting for globular clusters, then binoculars are of less use. With the exception of the brightest globs like M13, you will get the same experience as with planets. 15-30x is just not enough magnification to resolve a globular. All you are going to see is varying degrees of "faint fuzz ball", "moderately-bright fuzz ball", and "bright fuzz ball". You may see some brightening concentrated at the center, but that is it. Globular viewing with binoculars quickly becomes globular detection.

Galaxies can benefit from increased aperture, as they are extended objects and not point sources. But they require really dark skies and magnifications above 15x or 20x to fully appreciate. Galaxy viewing is limited to "detection" rather than observing - unless your skies are very dark, you eyes very keen, and you have sufficient aperture/magnification.

As far as substituting for a tripod - you can put a towel or pillow on top of a vehicle or wall. And then place the binocular on that and look through it, but your ability to view targets at different elevations is limited. You can try propping up your arms on something solid and brace your binocular for a steadier view. Results will be limited though, compared to the stability of a tripod. Magnification plays a role here - the magnification, the harder to hold still. 15x is not too hard, if you brace your arms or the bino on something.

Clear dark skies...

MikeG

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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.

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