Simple Star Gazing with Binoculars

You should know a few things;in regards to choosing binoculars for observing the stars during your camping trip. Every pair has a two number designation for magnification and aperture( the diameter of the front lense in millimeters). The higher the magnification the less your field of view will be. So, 10 for magnification is sufficient and will not limit your field of vision; an important thing to consider when trying to pick out constellations and viewing the tail of a comet. A higher magnification will also amplify the effect of shaky hands. A telescope with a tripod would take care of this problem but for our purposes a pair of binoculars is often more convenient for camping and backpacking trips. You can get image stabilized binoculars for a higher price. The higher the aperture the more light you collect which is important for star gazing ( not as important for bird watching during the day) So, the larger the front lense the better for gazing. When all is said and done, 8 x 50 is a nice choice for astronomy and Binoculars.

A few useful links:

JackStarGazer.com - the web site for a PBS television series dedicated to star gazing. The show and site mainly focus on astronomy with the unaided eye ( useful for binocular viewing as well). Weather Underground - View a star map for your zipcode StarDate.com - Features a star gazing tip of the day and an online radio program with helpful tips for beginners. Todd Gross's Binocular Evaluation a list and review of binoculars good for star gazing. Stargazing For Beginners - Amazon Books Star Maps For Beginners - Amazon Books

Science @ NASA First Light for the Fermi Space Telescope  -  Today, NASA revealed first light images and announced a new name for its latest space telescope. Strange Clouds at the Edge of Space  -  Astronauts on board the International Space Station have recently photographed strange electric-blue clouds hovering at the edge of space. Living with a Star  -  What if you woke up one morning and found your whole planet had been swallowed by the atmosphere of a star? Don't laugh, it could happen to you, and NASA has a special program to deal with it. The Realm of Earthworms: NASA Gets Down to the Nitty-Gritty  -  NASA scientists are preparing to launch a "flying tractor" with microwave sensors to explore the nitty-gritty realm beneath your feet. A Flash of Insight: LCROSS Mission Update  -  There are places on the Moon where the sun hasn't shined for millions of years, inky-dark places that may harbor a treasure of great value. NASA's is about to light one of them up.