Six tips for those who want to observe the starry sky with ordinary binoculars. What binoculars to choose for astronomical observations? Astronomical observations through 10x50 binoculars

22.09.2019

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When buying binoculars there is always a logical question: what can be seen in it? Binoculars vary in their , however, not everyone will be able to draw a parallel between certain parameters of binoculars and its actual capabilities. This is especially true for. For example, for buy high magnification binoculars. But what if you want to buy binoculars, which would not be inferior to a telescope in terms of its capabilities, and with which you could see

So, first things first. Speaking specifically about astronomical binoculars, it is worth noting right away that binoculars will never become a full-fledged replacement for a telescope. Astronomical binoculars are rather a very good addition to a telescope, because due to their wide field of view they make it very easy to search for objects in the sky. In addition, binoculars are more comfortable and familiar to use in observation due to their binocularity, as well as a direct image.

What can you still see with binoculars? Let's start with the moon. In almost any binoculars, you can see many features of the surface of the visible part of the satellite (for example, the largest craters). As for other objects, with astronomical binoculars you can see the four brightest satellites of Jupiter, Saturn (of course, without details), Neptune, as well as the nearest asteroids and comets. As for Deep Sky objects, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies are of particular interest for observations through binoculars.

If we talk about magnification, then binoculars with a magnification of 10-20 times are quite enough to observe the moon. For more distant objects, binoculars with a magnification of 20-30 are desirable here (but remember, the larger the magnification value, the smaller the field of view). Also note that for magnifications over 12x, you will also need a tripod.

The size of the lens also affects image quality. If, for example, you are thinking of looking at "low-light" objects such as star clusters, then choose binoculars with a lens diameter of more than 60 mm.

Among other things, it will be very useful to have an image stabilizer in the binoculars, it will allow you to observe from your hands even at 20x magnification. For example, stabilization is very helpful if you want to view the surface of the Moon or look for the planets of the solar system, as well as their satellites.

So, let's sum up some results. If you decide to use binoculars as an addition to the telescope, then the classic model 8x40. With the help of such binoculars, it is very easy to find objects with your hands, to consider the constellations. Model 7x50 due to its good aperture ratio and wide field of view, it is ideal for searching for nebulae and star clusters due to its good aperture ratio and wide field of view, but such binoculars will probably illuminate the Moon. Universal binoculars 10x50 already has quite a decent increase, but a narrow field of view. Such binoculars are suitable for looking at the details of the Moon, Jupiter, as well as for finding satellites of Jupiter and observing double stars. Binoculars with high magnification(18x50, 20x60, 26x70) can also be described as planetary.

Choosing the right binoculars is no easy task. To ensure that buying binoculars does not turn into an unpleasant mistake in the future, it is necessary to think carefully about the choice of binoculars.

Therefore, before going to the store, you should familiarize yourself with the main types and characteristics of binoculars.

Further professional advice will help you choose the binoculars that will suit your needs.

Now on the market there is a huge variety of binoculars for various activities:

tourist,
baby,
hunting,
theatrical,
astronomical,
maritime,
to observe nature
are common.

Binoculars for tourism

The standard magnification for tourist binoculars is 10-15x, and the optimal lens diameter is 42-50mm.

The case should be light and compact, it is good if it is rubberized. With the help of tourist binoculars, you can observe at any time of the day.

Baby

Children's binoculars are selected depending on age. For young children 6-9 years old, we recommend choosing with the FF marking, their focus is already set and no more additional settings are required.

For older children, focusing binoculars are already suitable, they will be able to adjust it themselves. It should be compact and lightweight. The recommended lens size is 30-35mm.

They are used in hunting to monitor future prey. Hunting binoculars should be small-sized, with high aperture.

It would be nice if they were equipped with additional features:

image stabilizer,
rangefinder,
altimeter,
compass,
thermometer.

These models must be strong enough hunting is not an easy walk in the park, the case is preferably rubberized, and the lenses are glass. Magnification 4 - 8 times, objective diameter 25 - 40 mm.

It is worth paying attention to the choice of professionals - these are binoculars for hunting from Olympus Pathfinder series.

They give a direct image, light, with high luminosity. Lens size - up to 30 mm, magnification 2-5 times.

High magnification astronomical binoculars

For lovers of astronomy, astronomical binoculars will be an alternative to a telescope. They are easy to use, functional and cheaper than a telescope.

Here you need a large lens diameter - 110 mm, and a magnification of 10 - 30.

Marine or tactical binoculars

These are military purpose binoculars with special requirements that can be used for fishing as well.

They have to cope with their work in all weather conditions, so they have a moisture-resistant and rubberized body with maximum protection against fog, moisture and dust.

Water resistant to 5 meters, built-in rangefinder and compass, and nitrogen filling. Olympus marine binoculars of the Magellan series are suitable for these characteristics.

They can have both a high magnification factor and a small one with a compact lens. It all depends on your preferences when observing wildlife.

Are common

This is the most common type of binoculars. They are universal and can be suitable for many purposes, they have average characteristics: weight, size, price.

The degree of increase is up to 16 times, the diameter of the lens is 35 - 52 mm.

Magnification and lens diameter

Binoculars are designated by two numbers, for example 8x42 or 20x60. The first number tells how many times it enlarges the image.

There are several categories depending on the degree of magnification:

Slight increase (from 3 to 5 times);
Medium magnification (from 6 to 10 times);
With high magnification (from 10 to 30 times).

Before choosing binoculars by magnification, you should first decide what you need them for. In a forest or other place with a lot of visible obstacles (in the form of trees, bushes, buildings, etc.), you do not need binoculars with high magnification, and even at 15x magnification or more, strong shaking will be felt.

If you have any questions, complaints or want to leave your positive feedback, you can do it below! Leave your feedback and suggestions in the comments!

Many people who want to study the starry sky believe that a telescope is indispensable for this. Of course, this is not so - you can study the constellations even without a telescope, armed with a star map and what nature has given us - with your own eyes. However, if you want to study the constellations well, the location of bright clusters, nebulae in them, if you often visit places where there is no illumination, but for one reason or another you cannot take a telescope with you (for example, on a hike or for a walk) - I I recommend paying attention to a wonderful optical device called binoculars.
So, what is the best binoculars for a beginner? What do the numbers on binoculars mean? What can you see with binoculars in the night sky?

Binoculars are essentially two small refractor telescopes mounted in parallel. Like a telescope, it has a lens, an eyepiece, but an important difference from a telescope is the presence of an inverting system from a system of prisms. The non-inverted image allows you to comfortably use binoculars for both terrestrial and celestial observations (no need to turn the map), while most telescopes provide an inverted image.

Depending on the type of inverting system, binoculars come with a prism system with a "roof" (Roof) - they look like binoculars with "straight tubes", or with a Porro system (several crossed rectangular prisms) - they look like binoculars with "spread eyes". Binoculars with Porro prisms provide a more three-dimensional image when observing terrestrial objects, but are noticeably larger in transverse dimensions than binoculars with Roof prisms.

"Porro" binoculars and "roof" binoculars

There are also low magnification binoculars made according to the Galileo system (the lens is a converging lens, and the eyepiece is a divergent one) - it was according to this system that Galileo Galilei's telescope was made. They do not need an inverting system - the image in them is direct, however, obtaining a large magnification with a large field of view is problematic for them, therefore binoculars with a similar system are used where a large image magnification (from 2.3 to 4x) is not required - for example, for observations in theater. Galilean binoculars are often called theatrical binoculars. An example of such binoculars is (Galileevsky Wide-Angle Binoculars).

The main characteristics of binoculars are magnification (magnification), objective diameter, eyepiece field of view and eye relief. Also an important parameter, which is usually not indicated, but which is easy to calculate, is the exit pupil.

The magnification and diameter of lenses are usually indicated in the marking as follows: the first digit is the magnification, the second is the diameter of the lenses in millimeters. For example, binoculars 7x35 are binoculars with a magnification of 7 times and a lens diameter of 35 millimeters. If we look through 10x binoculars at an object at a distance of 100 meters, then we see this object 10 times closer than it really is (in this case 100 meters: 10 times = 10 meters).

The task of any binoculars or telescope is to concentrate all the light that enters the lens into a small circle, which from the eyepiece will enter the observer's pupil. This smallest circle of concentrated light is the exit pupil. In fact, the lens is the entrance pupil, and what is at the exit of the eyepiece is the exit pupil.

To calculate the value of the exit pupil, you need to divide the diameter of the binocular lens by the magnification. So, 7x35 binoculars have an exit pupil of 35:7=5mm. Why do you need to know this parameter? And here's the thing. The pupil diameter of a person can vary from 1.1 to 8 millimeters depending on the lighting conditions - in the dark the pupil expands, and in bright light it narrows. If the size of the exit pupil of the binoculars is larger than the pupil of the eye, then simply not all the light will enter the pupil and part of the lens will not be used. For example, if binoculars with parameters 7x35 (exit pupil 5mm) will be used exclusively during the day, when the pupil of the eye has a diameter of about 2mm, only 2x7=14mm of the lens diameter will be used. The conclusion is that for daytime observations you need binoculars with an exit pupil of up to 4 mm, for nighttime (including astronomical) - with an exit pupil of 5 to 7 mm. The magnification at which the size of the exit pupil is equal to the size of the pupil of the eye is called EQUILIPULAR.

Eye relief is the distance from the eyepiece lens to the eye at which the entire field of view of the eyepiece is visible. If the eye relief is too small, you have to “stick” your eyes into the eyepieces, and if it is too large, it is difficult to catch the image. If you have poor eyesight and want to observe with glasses, it is better to take binoculars with a large eye relief - about 17mm. However, comfortable eye relief is about 12…15mm. It is not necessary to observe with glasses - refocusing is enough.

The main combinations of night (astronomical binoculars): 7x35, 7x50, 8x40, 8x56, 9x63, 15x70. Binoculars 20x60, 25x100 do not have a large exit pupil, but they are fully suitable for astronomical observations and are some kind of compromise between dimensions, transportability and price. In addition, if there is a little light in the sky, binoculars with a smaller exit pupil will give a darker background, but in a dark sky, binoculars with equal magnification will show a brighter picture. There are binoculars 20x120, 25x150 and more, but they are very expensive and not very transportable. There are also binoculars with variable magnification ("zoom") - I do not recommend such binoculars for astroobservations - as a rule, the image quality in inexpensive zoom binoculars is worse than in binoculars with a fixed magnification. In addition, they have a very small field of view of the eyepieces - about 30 ... 40 degrees.

Approximate view of the Andromeda Nebula through 7x50 and 10x50 binoculars

An equally important parameter is the field of view of the binoculars eyepieces - it can vary from 45 to 80 degrees. The real field of view of the binoculars - that is, the size of the area in the sky that is visible through the eyepiece - can be calculated by dividing the field of view of the eyepieces by the magnification. So, binoculars 7x35 with a field of view of eyepieces of 60 degrees will provide a visible field of view of 60:7 = 8.6 degrees. For comparison, the angular size of the Moon is half a degree, that is, 17 lunar disks will fit in the field of view of binoculars. Binoculars with an eyepiece field of view of more than 60 degrees are called wide-angle. If we compare two binoculars - one with a 70-degree field of view of the eyepieces, the second with a 45-degree field of view, then looking through the second binocular after the first one will seem like looking through a "keyhole" - the image will be noticeably limited by a black field around. And vice versa, a look through wide-angle binoculars with a field of 72...80 degrees seems to be a look through the window of a spacecraft, when the edges of the field of view are either not visible, or they are practically not striking. However, it should be noted that image quality in wide-angle binoculars at the edges of the field of view may be poor, and "birds" and "comets" will be seen instead of pinpoint stars.

The higher the magnification of the binoculars, the more noticeable hand trembling. Also, large and heavy binoculars tire your hands faster, which also increases shaking. I recommend mounting binoculars with a magnification of more than 10x on a tripod using a special adapter (L-adapter). If you plan to watch exclusively with your hands, I recommend limiting yourself to 10x.

Binoculars on a parallelogram mount

There are also binoculars with image stabilization, such as the Canon 10×30 IS. These binoculars are very convenient for hand-held observation, but they are much more expensive than non-stabilized binoculars.

Binoculars with Canon 15×50 IS stabilization

What to look for when buying binoculars?

1) Look into the lens of the binoculars, there should be no dust, chips, drops of glue and debris on the prisms.

2) The eyepiece assembly (focusing mechanism + eyepiece mount) should not be too flimsy.

3) When observing through binoculars, the eyes should not get tired. Set a comfortable interpupillary distance, focus on a distant object and observe. If, after observations, the eyes hurt and the head is very dizzy, it is possible that the optical axes of such binoculars are not parallel. It is better not to take such binoculars. Try another instance, perhaps from several instances it will be possible to choose one with normal convergence of the axes. Checking star alignment is very simple - aim at a bright star, focus the left eyepiece so that the star is clearly visible, and then defocus the right eyepiece (most binoculars have an additional correction of one of the eyepieces, usually the right one). In the left eyepiece, the star will be visible as a dot, and in the right eyepiece as a circle, the star should be kept exactly in the center of the field of view. If the star point is visible exactly in the center of the defocused star, then the axes are parallel. If the star is to the left or to the right, then the horizontal alignment is misaligned. At small angles of divergence, this is not scary, the eyes automatically reduce two images into one. If the star-point is above or below the star-ball - this is already a vertical misalignment, and this is already bad - it is better to return or exchange such binoculars, otherwise you will get headaches and tired eyes. Health is more expensive!

4) Exit pupils should be round. If the exit pupils are square, it means that part of the binocular aperture is cut off by the prisms, and in fact you have binoculars, for example, not 7x50, but 7x40, although the objective lenses may correspond to the declared diameter. I also advise you to measure the entrance and exit pupil of the binoculars with a ruler in order to exclude hidden aperture iris.

5) Do not order binoculars in an online store on a prepaid basis - the binoculars must be checked PERSONALLY according to the points indicated above, up to the choice of several copies. Believe me - in the store you can be "sold" by marriage or illiquid assets (either consciously or not having enough experience to check the binoculars). The same applies to buying binoculars on Avito and other Internet bulletin boards.

For hand-held observations, choose binoculars with a magnification of up to 10x (7x35, 7x50, 8x40, 8x56, 10x40, 10x42, 10x50), and for observation from a tripod, binoculars 15x70, 20x60, 20x80, 25x100.

Binoculars allow you to see what is inaccessible to the naked eye. Such devices are useful during recreation or hunting, in the military sphere or for casual surveillance. Of course, we simply had to rank the best binoculars for 2018-2019 so that you could buy a really decent and advanced optical device for observing distant objects. This top 10 was compiled according to the opinions of buyers, and the price-quality ratio for each binocular was also taken into account.

10 Olympus 8×40 DPS

If you want to spend a lot of time outdoors, then the Olympus 8×40 DPS is a good choice. This optical device will be the best accessory for tourists and ornithologists, and will also come in handy during sports competitions. An extended 65-degree field of view allows you to enjoy the image. The rubberized inserts of the plastic housing significantly improve ergonomics, and the sun protection allows you to clearly view objects even on a clear day.

Pros:

Extremely compact and great convenience.
Decent optics for the money.
Sharp image without chromatism.

Minuses:

Slight distortion at the edges.

9 Celestron UpClose G2 10-30×50 Zoom Porro

The Celestron UpClose G2 10-30×50 Zoom Porro binoculars will be the perfect companion for observing birds, sportsmen and artists, wild animals. Moreover, the model will be indispensable for exciting travels and sea adventures. This is a full field binocular with a 30x magnification. Variable focus makes the device truly versatile. But a convenient lever makes it easy to change the magnification. Advanced optics are successfully combined with a reliable design. The rubberized surface of the metal case protects the device from moisture. Suitable for professionals and inexperienced beginners.

Pros:

Very powerful magnification.
Good image quality.
Comfortable rubber body.

Minuses:

Optics are not for everyone.
Somewhat ordinary appearance.

8 Yukon 12x50WA

The multifunctional model Yukon 12x50WA is equally useful for amateurs of astronomical observations and professionals for a wide range of tasks. A good result helps to achieve a wide viewing angle, and low lighting does not interfere with excellent picture quality. The case is made of plastic, covered with thick rubber, which prevents water from penetrating inside the device. Each individual eyepiece can be independently adjusted by adjusting the diopter power. Eyepiece caps significantly reduce glare and also increase contrast.

Pros:

High quality optics with wide viewing angle.
Reliable rubberized body.
You can make observations in almost any conditions.

Minuses:

Factory adjustment is not done in the best way (it is treated independently).

7 KOMZ BPC 10x40

In terms of performance and reliability, the KOMZ BPC 10x40 binoculars are almost as good as the models manufactured by these manufacturers for the needs of the Russian army. The classic design here is complemented by excellent optics. With the help of magnification, you can not only observe fields and forests, but also examine objects even in fog at a short distance. The device can withstand temperatures from -40 to +45 degrees, which will surely appeal to professionals. A truly robust metal case is complemented by a surprisingly modest weight, which favorably reflects on convenience. Such a device is suitable for tourists, fishermen, hunters and simple nature lovers.

Pros:

High quality and reliable optics.
Very durable metal body.
Clear picture.

Minuses:

Not the most powerful 10x magnification.
Pretty small case.

6 Veber BPC ZOOM 10-30×60

Powerful binoculars Veber BPC ZOOM 10-30×60 helps in really difficult situations. This is a very large and fast optical device that offers an exceptionally high-quality picture in almost any conditions. Its body is made of durable metal, covered with special rubber. At the same time, the binoculars are waterproof, so you can safely use them even when it rains. It is worth highlighting an incredible 30x magnification, as well as a 60mm lens diameter. Such binoculars will suit everyone, especially professionals and specialists.

Pros:

Fantastic optics with a clear picture.
Very comfortable rubber case.
Stunning 30x magnification.

Minuses:

For high magnification, you need to use a tripod.

5 BRESSER Hunter 8-24×50

Field binoculars BRESSER Hunter 8-24×50 are suitable for a variety of tasks. Amateurs and pros can use it for fishing or hunting. And also it is ideal for military purposes. Special Porro prisms significantly improve image quality. You can even achieve a 24x magnification, and you can change this parameter using a convenient lever. The plastic case has a rubberized coating that is comfortable to grip. But the wide drum with relief is ideal for focusing, as well as creating the necessary sharpness. Rubberized eyecups add far from superfluous comfort during use.

Pros:

Good quality for a small price.
Sturdy design with a comfortable grip.
The possibility of a significant increase.

Minuses:

At high magnification, clarity may be a problem.

4 Olympus 8-16×40 Zoom DPS

Do you like to watch nature in all its glory? Then you should buy comfortable and stylish Olympus 8-16×40 Zoom DPS binoculars. It is great for birdwatching in the sky and animals on the ground. It is easy to explore landscapes with the device, as well as enjoy a theater performance or a sports match from the most remote places. This is a truly universal model for absolutely everyone. Fast image capture and lightning-fast focus help you get great results. It is necessary to highlight the wide viewing angle, as well as the anti-reflective coating of the lenses. Based on the level of vision, you can adjust the binoculars using diopter correction.

Pros:

Compact dimensions and ergonomic body.
Good sharpness and overall picture quality.
Incredibly convenient and reliable device.

Minuses:

Protective caps can be easily lost.

3 Nikon Aculon A211 8×42

Lightweight, comfortable, high-quality and compact - all this applies to the Nikon Aculon A211 8×42 binoculars. It will be useful for those who like to hunt, as well as for those who follow the athletes in the stadiums. A high-quality image is achieved with the help of aspherical elements and advanced optics. At the same time, multilayer lenses are very sensitive to light, making the picture rich and vibrant. Relatively small size allows you to use the device for a long time.

Pros:

High-quality assembly and compact dimensions.
Nice design and excellent ergonomics.
Really great optics.

Minuses:

A few branded body.
Not the biggest increase.

2 Yukon 8-24×50

The Yukon 8-24×50 is a complete binocular for hunting. It is equally well suited to professionals and amateurs who like to observe at dusk, sea or mountains. At the same time, binoculars can be used not only for hunting wild animals, but also for shooting, as well as certain sports. The device does not tire the eyes even after prolonged use due to the same magnification of each individual channel. The metal alloy case is not only durable, but also incredibly comfortable due to the presence of rubberized inserts and carbon fiber. The image will be enlarged up to 24 times. Porro optical system and Bak4 glass are used.

Pros:

A really big increase.
High quality optics and advanced components.
Very good ergonomics and body materials.

Minuses:

The tuning wheel is not the most convenient.
For some it will be hard.

1 Nikon Aculon A211 16×50

Avid foresters and hunters will surely appreciate the Nikon Aculon A211 16x50 binoculars with 16x magnification. This is a classic model with excellent optics and excellent visibility. A truly comfortable observation is carried out thanks to the retractable swivel-type eyecups, made of high-quality rubber. The device is made of pleasant to the touch material. A large 50mm lens is present, and an advanced Porro prism system is used.

Pros:

Very high image quality.
Gorgeous ergonomics along with excellent materials.
Stunning clarity even at high magnification.

Minuses:

Pretty significant weight.

Astronomical observations with binoculars

O. Malakhov
30-11-2008

Perhaps the most common optical instrument used by amateur astronomers are binoculars. And among all binoculars, 7x50 binoculars are most often at the disposal of amateurs, which is deciphered as follows: binoculars give a magnification of 7 times, and the diameter of its lens is 50 mm.

This inexpensive and compact instrument can become a reliable assistant for astronomy lovers, including beginners.

So, the advantage of binoculars and telescopes over the naked eye in astronomical observations is as follows: they collect more light and allow you to observe celestial bodies from a much larger angle of view (i.e., increase them). The advantage of binoculars over telescopes is that you look through binoculars with both eyes, so your eyes practically do not get tired. In addition, due to their small size and weight, binoculars can be considered as the most mobile optical instrument.

Most suitable for astronomical observations prismatic binoculars. As for theater binoculars, their optical qualities are incomparably lower and astronomical observations with them are very limited.

The figure on the right shows a sectional view of conventional prism binoculars. A beam of light, passing through the lens, meets two prisms of total internal reflection on its way. They are needed, firstly, to reduce the size of the binoculars and, secondly, to obtain as a result a direct, not inverted (unlike telescopes) image of the object. This is an important advantage of binoculars as an optical instrument for a beginner astronomer.

The image of the object created by the lens is viewed through the eyepiece, which is essentially a magnifying optical system that acts like a powerful magnifying glass. The eyepieces of the binoculars are connected to the body of the binoculars with a screw thread, with the help of which, by screwing in or unscrewing the eyepiece, you can “focus” the image of the object.

When choosing binoculars, you need to pay attention to exit pupil. In any instrument, the exit pupil (the diameter of the light beam emerging from the eyepiece) should not exceed the size of the pupil of the eye, whose diameter in the dark is about 7 - 8 mm; otherwise, some of the light collected by the lens does not enter the eye. Conventional commercially available binoculars give a high magnification and their exit pupil exceeds 8 mm. Exit pupil diameter can be determined by dividing the aperture (lens diameter) by its magnification; for example, 7x50 binoculars have an exit pupil of just over 7 mm and are quite suitable for observations. Binoculars with an exit pupil of less than 5 mm provide a higher magnification, but they require a rigid mount for observations.

The use of binoculars with high magnification is especially useful when observing in places with high sky flare, since the small field of view of such binoculars reduces the amount of stray light entering it. However, the small field of view makes it difficult to search for celestial bodies in the sky. But at the same time, high magnification gives you the opportunity to observe the satellites of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, some double stars and star clusters quite easily.

When observing using binoculars, it should be borne in mind that if the binoculars are held by hands without a rigid support, then the images of celestial bodies in its field of view begin to jump and tremble. And such shaking will not only quickly lead to your fatigue, but also to the fact that you will not be able to see much with your binoculars. Therefore, try to fix it somehow, for example, by making a simple stand in the form of a long stick (taking into account your height) and a platform attached to it from above, on which you can lean your binoculars. You can also lean the binoculars against a fence, window sill, or balcony railing. This will also reduce the shaking of the instrument in your hands.

So what can you see with binoculars in the sky? First, there are many more stars than with the naked eye. So, for example, with 7x50 binoculars, you can view stars up to magnitude 10, and you will get an unforgettable impression when looking at any constellations you know - you have never seen them in such detail! You will discover hundreds of beautiful asterisms.

Secondly, you will have the opportunity to see the brightest galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. The Pleiades look great with 7x50 binoculars! No less impressive is the double open star cluster c h Perseus or the open cluster in the constellation Cancer - Manger. To this list one can add bright globular star clusters (for example, M13 in the constellation Hercules), as well as nebulae (for example, M42 in Orion) and Galaxies (for example, M31 in Andromeda, M33 in Triangulum).

In addition, your binoculars will show the four brightest satellites of Jupiter: Io, Ganymede, Europa, Callisto. To do this, look at Jupiter with binoculars firmly fixed to avoid jitter. With a high degree of probability, you will consider at least one faint star near the planet. This is one of the four brightest satellites of Jupiter. With luck, you will be able to see all four satellites.

Even with 7x binoculars, you will be able to observe the phases of Venus during periods when its phase is less than 50%, i.e. when it is seen as a sickle.

The moon through binoculars is simply incomparably visible and replete with details: craters, valleys, mountain ranges. In any phase, except for the full moon, you can see the largest craters, as well as make sure that the surface of the moon is very uneven. The same applies to the terminator - the line separating the illuminated part of the lunar disk from the unlit. But to the naked eye, it looks so smooth! Also, through binoculars, the seas are visible against the background in phases when the Moon in the sky is visible in the form of a sickle.

Binoculars will also help in the search for Mercury and other celestial bodies against the backdrop of dawn, and you can also use it to find Uranus and Neptune in the form of faint stars.

Binoculars are very useful for observing bright variable stars and comets. And applying reliable light filter, through binoculars replacing the most large sunspots.

When preparing for observations of the starry sky with binoculars, prepare in advance a circle of thick paper with a diameter of 7–8 cm. When sketching the surroundings or details of one or another observed object, first draw a circle in your observation log with a pencil, which will become a display on paper of the field of view your binoculars. Then, inside this circle, draw a picture observed through binoculars. If you are painting a section of the sky, then it is better to start with the brightest stars, then apply all the weaker ones. It is advisable to indicate in the figure the direction to the North Star. As for the sketches of the Moon, here it is better to start by drawing the contour of the phase of the Moon, then move on to dark spots - the seas, and then take on the most noticeable craters, gradually detailing the drawing. Of course, at first this task will not be easy, but gradually you will learn how to sketch different parts of the lunar surface.

Good luck observing!

The following sources were used in preparing the material:
1. Treasures of the starry sky. F.Yu. Siegel.
2. ABC of the starry sky. S. Dunlop.

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