Binoculars for astro observing

First published in the West Dorset Magazine, December 2022 It’s often the case that binoculars are regarded as a poor relation when it comes to astronomy. They’re small, commonplace items (most households will have a pair knocking around somewhere), don’t offer much in the way of magnification, and surely they can’t be much good for …

Day eight at Tivoli Astrofarm … the best yet!

Without a doubt, yesterday/last night was amazing! It’s a tradition, once a month, for visitors to Tivoli to go on a ‘sundowner’ trip to the Kalahari sand dunes, about 20 minutes drive away, for some of us that meant standing up in the back of a pickup truck! Bouncing along the gravel road and off-road …

Do you know the names of the Seven Sisters?

Whilst at a recent star party (Awesome Astronomy’s autumn Astrocamp) I spent a couple of evenings just using my Celestron SkyMaster 20*80 binoculars. I’d used the scope on one of the evenings, and a great night it was too, but with the ever present threat of rain, I felt a ‘grab and go’ option might …

Celestron SkyMaster 20×80 binoculars, review and first light observations

Hi, First things first, I ought to explain that I've had a pair of these binoculars for some time, but as I've just acquired a new pair, I thought a review was in order. The first pair I had developed a collimation issue, which Celestron couldn't fix, and very kindly offered me a replacement! Hat's …

Helios Naturesport Plus 10×50 – second impressions

Hi, Just managed to grab three quarters of an hour under dark skies with the binoculars, and, although not a 'proper' session, I felt it enough to be able to post a quick review. First off, the binoculars are advertised as 'Wide Angle', and I can confirm that the field of view is very wide: all …

A relaxing evening with my binoculars whilst waiting for the Lyrids …

When I looked out at about 8.30 last night (21st of April) the sky was gloriously clear. I'd already planned on a binocular session, partly because I was already pretty tired and didn't want the hassle (minimal though it is) of setting up the scope, and partly because I had to be up early the next day. …