is this Binocular good for star gazing , anyone seen planets with it yet? debating whether i should get this or orion 10x50 wide angle Binocular
345122
First you will not see the moons of Jupiter.I have a 8" scope and 3ea 3&1/2" scopes.There is too much light fog in my area so I use the Binocs and enjoy the stars,the moon and I don't have to set up the scops. There are not too many clear nights. If you have a dark sky area You should enjoy star gazing. Also. Binoculars are less costly than scops. your choice. Have fun.
345123
I had trouble getting a clear focus at the 12+ power range even though I had it on a tripod. I was watching a golf tournament about 250 yards away. I would say no.
1025720
This scope is good for the price and you will not be able to see the planets as you might with the professional ones. It is great watching the land marks and the moon. I hope this helps.
1811007
The binocs are great. I love the extending eye pieces, but don't use my glasses. I use mine to look at the night sky when I don't want to drag my telescope out. The only downside is they do get a bit heavy when holding them parallel to the Earth landscape (I typically lay in my sleeping bag and set them on my face). But, having looked at other large binocs-weight is the normal downside. The 10x50 wide angle is better preferred by the astronomy crowd-anything more and a tripod may be needed due to weight/instability. I've never had any fogging problems in the cold Wisconsin nights, I have not tested the waterproofing. The rubber coating is nice and these are very well built. Definitely recommend these to anyone.
1342700
I took it to the mountains at a friend's cabin. I was able to see stars better than his son's mounted telescope ($150 - 200 type). It didn't have the zoom of the telescope, but the field of view and sharpness of the binoculars was much better. I have not had the opportunity to try them on Jupiter's or Saturn's moons. One great feature is that you can focus in on your object and then use the zoom lever. I like the binoculars a lot. And solidly built.
529134
Be absolutely sure it does what you wznt. It's not really for astrophotography. It's a great scope for deep sky. A bit heavy
1305869
LOL Oh no, ask away!! Personally I believe a reflector scope will be much easier to use than a refractor. Yes, you should still be able to see Saturn and it's rings. Even with a scope having a greater aperture and a high magnification lens you will not be able to discern much in the way of surface features. In a good dark sky area and with ideal conditions you might be able to pick out some cloud bands and that's about it. BTW, even with a XT4.5 you will also be able to see the largest 4 of Saturn's moon's orbiting about it! If it is within your budget I would bump the scope up to an XT6, if not then the XT4.5 is still a fine scope for starters. Also, have you considered a good pair of binoculars? You will still be able to see Saturn's rings and binocs can afford you some truly impressive views of the milky way as well as star clusters and some comets. Their wide field of view can make for some stunning viewing. I'd recommend getting a tripod with binoculars so you can keep them steady while viewing. Binoculars are a fine way (and can be even cheaper) for beginning to learn the night sky.
938786
The 10 dob is a great scope. However if you find your light pollution is to much and want to head to a dark sky local you would be better served by the c6 or one of orions mac cas goto scopes.
78396
Thank you for your response Darrell, this discussion board seems pretty much dead so I thought I would never get answered, but I did, and a great answer at that.I've been thinking about buying the Orion XT4.5 now, I'm aware the image will not be as great as the 8 inch but I'll still be able to see Saturn right? Would this be better than a refractor telescope? Sorry for all the questions! No more questions after this, I promise.
1069996
it may not be a issue of focus it could be an issue of filters, to view planets yes you will need good lenes and a barlow adapter but there are color filters that enhance what you are looking at, I suggest you search the web for Planetary filters to see which filter is best for the planet(s) you are trying to view. Clear Skies :-)
1069995
Details on planets depend on several things: Telescope alignment, quality of eyepieces, distance to the planet, and the planet itself. If you don't have a laser collimator, get one. They are well worth the $50-$70. While the secondary on this scope will stay very nicely in place, the primary (being heavier among other things) will need regular alignment and a laser collimator makes this less than a 5 minute job. The eyepieces that come with this scope aren't the best. If you want to do decent planetary viewing, get a good 6mm eyepiece. (Expect to spend at least $100, and read reviews from users to get the best bang for your buck.) While you'll get some good views of Saturn and Venus, and some really excellent views of Jupiter, Mars (and Mercury) generally don't show much detail. Further, right now, Mars is a great distance away from us and getting farther away each day. Every planet will give the best views when it is closest to us with Mars and Venus showing the biggest improvements when closest. When a planet rises at sunset, it is closest, or at "opposition." This also puts the plent highest above the horizonn around midnight, but gives good views starting around 9 PM. Your best view of Mars will come again on May 22, 2016. Jupiter Feb 6th, 2015, and Saturn on May 23rd, 2015. But note even then, Mars will not yield much detail beyand a distinctly orange disk and a definite whiteish area at the pole. When searching for eyepieces, you might also want to investigate a good 14-16mm eyepiece plus a 10% transmission filter for really great lunar views! For solar/sunspot viewing, you will need a special filter that fits over the front of the telescope tube.
1087805
This is a great eyepiece, I am very happy with it. However, I didn't try to observe nebulae, since my telescope isn't that strong. I think that will depend on your telescope capabilities and sky conditions. The eyepiece, like I said, is really very good. Hope this helps.Bayard
1832249
this is definitely NOT an astronomical instrument. Yes, you can see anything through it, but as far as adding value to seeing the stars, no. you are better off with a pair of binoculars. This is strictly a terrestrial recreational handheld glass.
2257133
I've never used them for looking at stars , but I would imagine that they would work well. If you start at the low magnification to identify the stars/ constellation(s) and work slowly toward max magnification , you should have pretty satisfactory experiences. As always when looking at stars , stability is a key requirement , so hand held binoculars might cause some frustration at times.
2210052
This unit is just a finder. You cannot use it to see the planeta or stars; for that you need a telescope. This unit just helps you identify what you are looking at
1159087
What are you trying to achieve in your star gazing? Although 12 x 36 IS are helpful, optics that let in more light i.e. bigger diameter front lenses, are necessaary for faint objects. However, if you are hoping to see nebulae, galactic clusters, Messier objects, or galaxies, no binocular is good enough. For that activity you need large and powerful telescopes. My Canon binocs are great for bird watching and boating, or for folks who have difficulty holding anything steady. Remember that if you fall into the trap of high magnification, as the primary concern, any slight movement on your part is magnified by the same amount. My telescopes are 60 x 70 and a large 18 inch dia. Even those, securely mounted, are barely able to capture some of the astronomical wonders I would like to see.
1159085
The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are getting a lot more light gathering power to see faint objects. Many people into stargazing will have both binoculars and a larger telescope. The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are... » Read More The site http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/25 has a very nice comparison of all of Canon's IS binoculars for stargazing. In summary, these are not the authors favorites (he prefers the 10x42 Ls or 15x50) but they will certainly work. I am considering these due to their combination of high magnification, decent (not great) optics, and light weight.By going to a telescope (and I mean a decent sized reflector, not a tiny $50 refractor from a department store) you are not necessarily getting a large increase in magnification; it depends on the eyepiece being used. But you are getting a lot more light gathering power to see faint objects. Many people into stargazing will have both binoculars and a larger telescope. « Show Less
2067932
This telescope excels at what it was designed for e.g. observing faint, extended celestial objects. It does not perform very well in other areas like terestrial viewing. The image is reveresed left and right, but you can get a diagonal that will allow you to view objects as you would see them through a pair of binoculars.