Comments on: Really Big Binoculars http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:14:14 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: dan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7753 dan Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:54:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7753 First Binocular Light http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/firstbinocularlight_press_release.htm First Binocular Light
http://medusa.as.arizona.edu/lbto/firstbinocularlight_press_release.htm

]]> By: hale_bopp http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7752 hale_bopp Wed, 09 Nov 2005 23:09:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7752 I have 20x80 binocs and a parallelogram mount. Very easy set up and very impressive views. I think it is the best visual view I have ever had of Andromeda was these things while observing at Apache Point. Oh, and I know the LBT director, so this was really cool seeing him on television promoting the first light image :) Rob I have 20×80 binocs and a parallelogram mount. Very easy set up and very impressive views. I think it is the best visual view I have ever had of Andromeda was these things while observing at Apache Point.

Oh, and I know the LBT director, so this was really cool seeing him on television promoting the first light image :)

Rob

]]> By: P. Edward Murray http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7734 P. Edward Murray Tue, 08 Nov 2005 07:17:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7734 Sorry , I meant High School! Sorry , I meant High School!

]]> By: P. Edward Murray http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7735 P. Edward Murray Tue, 08 Nov 2005 07:14:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7735 Phil, I'm just a bit older than you are and I am just amazed at the technology that we all have today that was not available say when I was in Elementary School in the early 1970's .. Pretty large machines that could record video and now are VCR's that are almost extinct now! Astronomical CCD's that you can pick up for $150 and webcams that cost less that can give you great photos of the Moon that didn't exist back then! And these are "consumer" electronics that anyone can buy today...virtually unthinkable in the "60's! I can only guess at what amateurs might be able to do in 100 years! Phil,

I’m just a bit older than you are and I am just amazed at the technology that we all have today that was not available say when I was in Elementary School in the early 1970’s ..

Pretty large machines that could record video and now are VCR’s that are almost extinct now!

Astronomical CCD’s that you can pick up for $150 and webcams that cost less that can give you great photos of the Moon that didn’t exist back then!

And these are “consumer” electronics that anyone can buy today…virtually unthinkable in the “60’s!

I can only guess at what amateurs might be able to do in 100 years!

]]> By: Evolving Squid http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7736 Evolving Squid Tue, 08 Nov 2005 03:17:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7736 I use these <a href="http://www.celestron.com/prod_pgs/bino/popups/product_images_lg/71017_sm25x100.jpg" rel="nofollow">25x100</a> and a set of 11x80 for which I don't have the brand name handy (i.e. I'm too lazy to go look :) ) For both I have sturdy tripods that can raise them to almost 7 feet, which is good because there is a limitation of many optical mountings that is not well documented: They're designed for people much shorter than 6'3" I don't know how the stargazing is on nice, big, professional telescopes, but the amount of bending down I have to do to see through my telescope does limit my viewing time - hence the binos, which I can use standing up on the tall tripods, have a big advantage. If there's anyone who has overcome this particular limitation for a celestron 8" scope, please let me know :) I use these 25×100 and a set of 11×80 for which I don’t have the brand name handy (i.e. I’m too lazy to go look :) ) For both I have sturdy tripods that can raise them to almost 7 feet, which is good because there is a limitation of many optical mountings that is not well documented:

They’re designed for people much shorter than 6′3″

I don’t know how the stargazing is on nice, big, professional telescopes, but the amount of bending down I have to do to see through my telescope does limit my viewing time – hence the binos, which I can use standing up on the tall tripods, have a big advantage. If there’s anyone who has overcome this particular limitation for a celestron 8″ scope, please let me know :)

]]> By: TJ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7749 TJ Mon, 07 Nov 2005 22:44:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7749 How inspiring! I went to a star party back in the late 80s at the top of Mt. Pinos in California. Nice clear night, everyone with their red lens-covered flashlight and telescopes for days! I went to these star parties as often as I could, and was alwyas impressed with the equipment, tracking software, etc. that these 'amateur' astronomers had and used. The best view of Saturn I'd ever had though was through a pair of large binoculars. The binocs were not too common at these events, but this set was large, probably 10 or 11 cm outer lens. They were on a stand, of course! I stepped up, skeptical (go figure) at first since I know nothing about optics, then looked through thelarge binoculars. BANG! There was Saturn in all its ringed glory. Spectacular. Since then, I have never looked at binoculars the same way again... How inspiring! I went to a star party back in the late 80s at the top of Mt. Pinos in California. Nice clear night, everyone with their red lens-covered flashlight and telescopes for days! I went to these star parties as often as I could, and was alwyas impressed with the equipment, tracking software, etc. that these ‘amateur’ astronomers had and used.

The best view of Saturn I’d ever had though was through a pair of large binoculars. The binocs were not too common at these events, but this set was large, probably 10 or 11 cm outer lens. They were on a stand, of course! I stepped up, skeptical (go figure) at first since I know nothing about optics, then looked through thelarge binoculars. BANG! There was Saturn in all its ringed glory. Spectacular. Since then, I have never looked at binoculars the same way again…

]]> By: Astroprof http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/comment-page-1/#comment-7751 Astroprof Mon, 07 Nov 2005 22:35:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/11/06/really-big-binoculars/#comment-7751 Personally, I rather like 10x50 binoculars. Much bigger gets too tiring to hold steady, and much more magnification is almost impossible to hold steady enough. We've got some 30x80 binoculars, but they require a mount. Anything that requires setup tends to discourage use. Personally, I rather like 10×50 binoculars. Much bigger gets too tiring to hold steady, and much more magnification is almost impossible to hold steady enough. We’ve got some 30×80 binoculars, but they require a mount. Anything that requires setup tends to discourage use.

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