I recently discovered a set of binoculors during my attic that are 16×50, is that decent for astronomy or perhaps is it worth venturing out and a completely new, pair. If that’s the case can i have links please, thanks.
References :
Energy Star Chart
Photos suggest comet Elenin is falling apart - Technology & science ...
BBC - Things To Do: Stargazing LIVE activities
BBC - January astronomy: Herefordshire and Worcestershire



7 responses to Are these binoculors good for astronomy?
Here’s a whole resource page for you that will help you use…yes even simple binoculars….for astronomical viewing….they are not just for terrestrial viewing…they are not mediocre for astronomical viewing….they have a category all their very own for viewing objects in the night sky…..and there is a whole list of binocular objects out there just waiting to be observed.
My favorite bino object happens to be Brochi’s cluster..it looks like an upside down coat hanger………
Enjoy your bino views………
Edit:….the bino’s you have are big enough to enjoy the above mentioned bino objects….enough magnification..and certainly enough of a wide field of view.
i would probably just go buy a telescope. they work much better than binoculars. but if you just want to use binoculars, i would say that those are probably pretty good.
They are not the best for Astronomy, but they are better than your eyes at collecting light… It’s a shame you didn’t find them a little closer to winter. The Pleides directly overhead would be pretty impressive even in binos this small…
However, the pair you have are meant for terrestrial viewing, not Astronomy.
Final comment – Good binos are much better than telescopes on some things (open clusters, the moon, M32 (Andromeda Galaxy) and so on…
if you want a profesional opinion ask Starr the astronomer.. she is a pro at observing and telescope help.
Since you already have them, why not try them and see?
The magnification is a bit high for non-IS binoculars, but since you already have them, you have nothing to lose. Binoculars are a powerful tool for exploring the sky.
16X50 are powerful binoculars, however you will not be able to hold them steady without the aid of a rugged tripod. you will enjoy spectacular views of star clusters and the surface of the moon.
I read the answers to your question from the bottom to the top. I wasn’t going to answer as it had been well covered until I got mossman’s answer. Just disregard his answer entirely.
Take a blanket outside lay on your back and checkout what you can see with those binos. Its true your arms will get tired and mounts are available but it doesn’t sound like your a big star gazer. So these bino’s will do nicely for a few hours here and there and should offer rather nice views at that.
Leave a reply to Are these binoculors good for astronomy?