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docmusolf
member
Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 93
Loc: port austin, mi
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Friday night I am getting togehter with a friend and we are leving the telescopes at home and just bringing binos. Anyone have any suggestions on targets. We are planning on being out for a few hours in a very dark spot. We often use this location for telescopes but since we are both recovering from major shoulder surgery neither us can lift the scopes. With my new purchase of 8x42 regals I am looking forward to sharing a night of observing with a friend. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Brent
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Mark9473
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 2703
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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At a very dark location, this is what I saw in 8x42 binoculars.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50 and 20x80; TS 7x50; Orion 15x63
WO Megrez II 80 FD + Baader 90° T2 Amici
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docmusolf
member
Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 93
Loc: port austin, mi
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thanks:)
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GlennLeDrew
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 630
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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First off, any objects too large to fit in your 'scope's field of view are ideal. A good many bright nebulae fit the bill, as do scores of dark nebulae. Even somewhat small objects are good subjects if they're brighter than ~8th magnitude.
But most of all, I recommend a leisurely cruise along the milky way, stopping to identify any 'fuzzies' you come across (assuming you're bringing along an atlas--Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas is probably the best for binos).
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Home-made 11X50 right angle bino, 8.1 deg. FOV
Modified 26X100 bino, 3.5 deg. FOV
Mediocre minds discuss people. Good minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.
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ronharper
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/14/06
Posts: 1007
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First, 25 or so ounces isn't much compared to a telescope, but holding it up over your head can get quite tiring after a while, especially if your shoulders are still on the mend. You might take along reclining folding lawnchairs with armrests. Sitting back will steady the view, and if the armrests are high enough they can take a lot of strain off the muscles.
The 8x42 will show most of the popular telescope objects easily enough, but with little detail. However, in some of the more packed regions of the sky, the large field of view will let you navigate from object to object without even taking the binocular away from your eyes. So, this is your opportunity to see how the sky is "laid out". Scan around the Scutum-Saggitarius and Cassiopea regions until you start to connect the dots from object to object in your head. A "region" becomes your "object", see? I find this to be a very interesting approach to the sky, a new perspective. Hope you have a nice night.
Ron
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UpNorthLibrarian
sage
Reged: 04/18/05
Posts: 406
Loc: 44.30N / 83.53W
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One thing you will not be able to miss is the waxing gibbous moon. It will affect many of the potential dark-sky visible items, but stil....a night under the sky is better than a lot of other things.
Enjoy luna. Get a chart and identify the features, watch the sun terminator as it moves.
Take a planisphere and follow the progression of the brighter stars. Make it more of a seek and ID the obvious.
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'True observation begins when one is devoid of set patterns'
Li Jun Fan
203mm DBA Certified Dob
AT-80mm Refractor w/Vixen Icarus D Alt/Az Mount
10x30 Canon IS Binos
9x60 Obies
8x42 Obies
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jmcdonald
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/01/05
Posts: 1503
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Yeah, it's kind of a waste to go to a dark spot with such a big moon. Maybe get up at 4 am?
Not sure what's up at that time but I'm guessing Orion. At least the moon will be down.
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Jerel
Discovery 12.5" modified truss DOB
Orion 100mm f/6 achromat
Garret 15x70 LW Binoculars
22-T4,13-T6
IDA Membership
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Saycbon
super member
Reged: 08/14/08
Posts: 163
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I don't know what time you are going to be viewing, or for how long, but at the risk of being specific, I would recommend the Pleiades (a favorite), Jupiter and moons, and the Great Nebula in Orion. Of course, there are others, but that should get you started.
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danielgolite
member
Reged: 09/29/06
Posts: 29
Loc: Erie County, PA
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I would also recommend the Moon, Jupiter, and the Pleiades. You might also consider the Alpha Persi open cluster. With the bright Moon, some of the other normal deep sky objects might not be as impressive although I was out last night with my Ranger and even with the bright Moon, still had a good time. Some of the brighter double stars that can be seen in binoculars might be a possibility if you like double stars. I do but know not everyone does.
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-Daniel
"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." -Hebrews 3:4
Celestron 6" reflector/eq. mount
Tele Vue Ranger
Celestron 10x50 Ultima & 15x70 Skymaster binocs
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NotThePainter
super member
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 133
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M24
Made me say "Oh!" first time I saw it in binoculars.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
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Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
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docmusolf
member
Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 93
Loc: port austin, mi
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Friday night was great! We were able to hit about 30 different targets. Yes the moon played an important part of the night. We did not sudy it but rather tried to hide from it. This is the firs time I have ever observed while seated it was awsome. My dob is to short for a chair so this was a great pleasure. Amazingly easy. Everything fit on my front seat. A book of targets, a red light and my binoculars. It was awsome! What a different perspective to see the night in. I usually hunt for DSO's at 100 to 200 power so looking for them at 8 power was way different. This is has opened a whole new world up can not wait to continue. It is amazing how destroying my shoulder while working this year has brought me to a new love of the sky. Thanks for all the insight from everyone.
Brent
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1610
Loc: Cayce, SC
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Yes, bino viewing is a whole different world. Glad you had a good time. Something I found interesting lately is how many things you can see at low power that look as good in binos as some other things that look as good at higher powers in a scope. A good example is Omicron 1 and 2 Cygnii. It's like Albireo for binos, an orange/yellow star beside a blue/white star. There is also a companion to the orange star, much smaller that is nearly cobalt. I can barely make it out in my 10x50s, but at 16x up , in the scope, it really shines. It's also nice to see whole, or nearly whole asterisms like the Pleiades, Hyades, Orion's Belt, the Coathanger, and the Coma Star Cluster, to name a few. Another must for binos is to scan Cygnus while it's still up. It's like a mega cluster everywhere.
Hope your shoulder heals soon. But until then, keep enjoying your new perspective on the sky. Clear skies. 
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--Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
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