Binoculars - The Sky's The Limit (Part Two)

Coated lenses are important. Multi-coated is good, and fully multi-coated, meaning all lenses are coated on both sides, is best. Ruby-coated is not desirable, and gives objects a green cast.

For the prisms, or blocks of glass that reflect the light inside the binoculars, BK-7 are fine and BAK4 are the best.

Choose from reliable brand names of astro binoculars such as:

• Celestron – many styles with wide fields that produce a sharp, bright image
• Giant – offers large binoculars for extra wide sky viewing
• Stabilized - popular for viewing from a moving vehicle or boat because they reduce or eliminate the effects of vibration:
  • gyro-stabilized use a motor to drive a gyroscope that controls the prism platform
  • vary-angle prismatic use a microprocessor to control the prisms
  • cardanic suspension uses a mechanically suspended prism system

Don't Forget Accessories for Your Astronomy Binoculars

• Use a camera tripod with a binocular adapter or purchase a binocular mount to keep your binoculars steady. An ordinary camera tripod by itself won't do because the angle won't be quite right for sky viewing.
• Don't clean your binoculars unless you must, and keep your fingers off the lenses. When necessary, use a microfibre cloth and liquid cleaner designed for binoculars.
• A portable chair is great for those special nights when you are waiting for a satellite to pass.
• Star maps and guides will help you find your way around the sky.
• Buy a red light flashlight for map viewing, or shield the glow with red cellophane.

Invest in a good pair of astronomy binoculars and a sky map and begin your exploration of the universe. You should visit our astronomy forums and other binocular review websites to see what astronomy enthusiasts are using these days.

About the Author

Scott Gray is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast who loves to provide useful information about the different types of binoculars including zoom binoculars.