#Binocular magnification chart how to#

To be happiest with your choice, you must ask yourself what you'll be viewing most often with your new binoculars. Theoretically, more aperture means brighter and better resolved images - yet the size and bulk increases proportionately. Just as with a telescope, the aperture is the light gathering source and this plays a key role in the applications binoculars are suited for. Why does the binocular lens size matter? Because binoculars truly are a twin set of refracting telescopes, the size of the objective (or primary) lens is referred to as the aperture.

#Binocular magnification chart how to#

Achieving stereoscopic views of the night sky through big binoculars is an incredible, dimensional experience and one quite worthy of a mount and tripod! As you journey through the binocular department, go armed with the knowledge of how to choose your binoculars lens size. Like a telescope, the larger the aperture, the more light gathering power - increasing proportionately in bulk and weight. By dividing the objective lens (or aperture) size by the magnifying power you can determine a pair of binoculars exit pupil. For astronomical applications, these two numbers play an important role in determining the exit pupil - the amount of light the human eye can accept (5-7mm depending on age from older to younger).

Now, let's get a little more technical: All binoculars have a pair of numbers associated with them - the magnifying power times (X) the objective lens size. Understanding the Optics: Objective Lens Sizes These mechanics require a huge amount of quality control to equal the performance and are better suited to terrestrial subjects. The light path is longer, folding 4 times. The straight barreled roof prism models are more compact and far more technical. The traditional Z-shaped porro prism design is well suited to astronomy and consists of two joined right-angled prisms which reflect the light path 3 times. It also flips the image around so it doesn't look upside-down. The prism folds the path of the light and allows the body to be far shorter than a telescope. They consist of an objective lens (the large lens at the far end of the binocular), the ocular lens (the eyepiece) and a prism (a light reflecting, triangular sectioned block of glass with polished edges). Binoculars are both technical and simple at the same time. If you're just beginning, then learning more about how binoculars operate and what style of binoculars work best for astronomy applications would be a great place for us to start. Orion 10x50 UltraView Wide-Angle Binocular

Whether you're new to the game and interested in practicing serious binocular astronomy or just want a casual cosmic close-up on a working night, these 'twin telescopes' are both convenient (portable) and affordable. A good pair of binoculars can be the difference between five or ten minutes of sweet stellar insights, and none at all. Sure, it's exciting to travel to a remote locale with sophisticated equipment, but a satisfying experience doesn't have to mean entire nights spent alienated from your family or totally missing out on television.

Now what? Maybe it's time to get back to the basics, and challenge your optical explorations with a good pair of backyard binoculars.Īstronomy is most enjoyable when it is a relaxed experience. You've logged time under genuinely dark skies and paid your dues chasing down some of the most difficult and distant deep space objects that have ever graced a star chart. Maybe you've observed through almost every size imaginable and your optics fleet contains everything just short of the Hubble. Perhaps you've had a telescope for many years now.