Astronomy and binoculars

[Sherlock Holmes]

I just received a new pair of binoculars for astronomical use, the Oberwerk 20x80 ES. I actually got them initially from Amazon, but when I tried them out their collimation was flawed, I was disappointed naturally.

So I reached out to Oberwerk via email and less than two hours had a reply, saying they were shipping me a replacement pair immediately with a pre-paid mailing label to return the faulty pair.

The replacement pair are perfect, absolutely perfect collimation, so I strongly recommend this company and will be using them again if I upgrade to a higher specification pair in the future. I suspect the delivery service via Amazon was a bit "jolty" and some minor misalignment was caused by that, that's a good reason to order them direct from the Oberwerk site I guess.

I had a similar pair, 20x100 different brand but they fell out of collimation (likely me being careless) and broke earlier this year, so I was seeking to get a new pair.

I was an avid sky watcher as a teenager but gradually stopped spending time on the hobby, but I want to get back into the sky and the constellations once more, always stunning to see what's out there.

 

[alang1216]

I just received a new pair of binoculars for astronomical use, the Oberwerk 20x80 ES. I actually got them initially from Amazon, but when I tried them out their collimation was flawed, I was disappointed naturally.

So I reached out to Oberwerk via email and less than two hours had a reply, saying they were shipping me a replacement pair immediately with a pre-paid mailing label to return the faulty pair.

The replacement pair are perfect, absolutely perfect collimation, so I strongly recommend this company and will be using them again if I upgrade to a higher specification pair in the future. I suspect the delivery service via Amazon was a bit "jolty" and some minor misalignment was caused by that, that's a good reason to order them direct from the Oberwerk site I guess.

I had a similar pair, 20x100 different brand but they fell out of collimation (likely me being careless) and broke earlier this year, so I was seeking to get a new pair.

I was an avid sky watcher as a teenager but gradually stopped spending time on the hobby, but I want to get back into the sky and the constellations once more, always stunning to see what's out there.

I have a nice compact binocular set but the collimation is off. I looked online and it seems to be a complex fix but I'll give it a shot, nothing to lose, when I retire.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

I have a nice compact binocular set but the collimation is off. I looked online and it seems to be a complex fix but I'll give it a shot, nothing to lose, when I retire.

Yes, it seems that the process is doable if one is patient and careful, nothing to lose either if the collimation is already messed up.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Well I was pleased to be able to see Jupiter's moons the other evening from my yard in Arizona using these binoculars looking East at around 6pm.

I dug out a photograph to try and indicate what the experiences was like and this is pretty much what I could see

I'd never seen Jupiter's moons ever before, it was a very nice experience and the binoculars are excellent, the moons were pin sharp white dots and the planet itself was a white disk very much like that photograph.

 

[luiza]

Collimation -- new term for me .

I found my Binoculars abandoned on a supermarket shelf ( 100% serious) and I store them in an antique Knife Box on my antique desk .

Presumably they are rubbish but I use them twice a year to look at squirrels , rats and birds in our garden .
The only identification on them is 10x50 and underneath
120m/1000m.
I now see that Temu sell a pair of that strength for £27 ( $35 ?) so I guess the moons of Jupiter will be a problem .
Tell me more .

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Collimation -- new term for me .

I found my Binoculars abandoned on a supermarket shelf ( 100% serious) and I store them in an antique Knife Box on my antique desk .

Presumably they are rubbish but I use them twice a year to look at squirrels , rats and birds in our garden .
The only identification on them is 10x50 and underneath
120m/1000m.
I now see that Temu sell a pair of that strength for £27 ( $35 ?) so I guess the moons of Jupiter will be a problem .
Tell me more .

Actually 10x50 is considered pretty good for basic astronomy use and in principle could certainly resolve the moon's of Jupiter

Loading…

www.cloudynights.com

 

[Captain Caveman]

I just received a new pair of binoculars for astronomical use, the Oberwerk 20x80 ES. I actually got them initially from Amazon, but when I tried them out their collimation was flawed, I was disappointed naturally.

So I reached out to Oberwerk via email and less than two hours had a reply, saying they were shipping me a replacement pair immediately with a pre-paid mailing label to return the faulty pair.

The replacement pair are perfect, absolutely perfect collimation, so I strongly recommend this company and will be using them again if I upgrade to a higher specification pair in the future. I suspect the delivery service via Amazon was a bit "jolty" and some minor misalignment was caused by that, that's a good reason to order them direct from the Oberwerk site I guess.

I had a similar pair, 20x100 different brand but they fell out of collimation (likely me being careless) and broke earlier this year, so I was seeking to get a new pair.

I was an avid sky watcher as a teenager but gradually stopped spending time on the hobby, but I want to get back into the sky and the constellations once more, always stunning to see what's out there.

My girlfriend got me a Bresser planetary telescope for Christmas. I actually just downloaded the software off Bresser's website and installed it on my laptop about 2 hours ago. Found out the direction of Saturn, opened the blinds, and the sky is just cloud covered. So I'm in the same boat to see what's out there.

It was only £90, but the moon and planets is enough for me.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

My girlfriend got me a Bresser planetary telescope for Christmas. I actually just downloaded the software off Bresser's website and installed it on my laptop about 2 hours ago. Found out the direction of Saturn, opened the blinds, and the sky is just cloud covered. So I'm in the same boat to see what's out there.

It was only £90, but the moon and planets is enough for me.

Which model?

 

[Captain Caveman]

Which model?

Vixen Space Eye 70/700 AZ1Telescope Set | X002452

The Vixen Space Eye: Excellent value for money for beginners in astronomy. With the Space Eye 70/700 beautiful observations of the moon, planets and bright deep-sky objects are possible. With the generously dimensioned, adjustable aluminium tripod and…

www.bresseruk.com

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Vixen Space Eye 70/700 AZ1Telescope Set | X002452

The Vixen Space Eye: Excellent value for money for beginners in astronomy. With the Space Eye 70/700 beautiful observations of the moon, planets and bright deep-sky objects are possible. With the generously dimensioned, adjustable aluminium tripod and…

www.bresseruk.com

That'll be fun for terrestrial use, like looking at your neighbors at night and so on.

But it has a smallish objective lens, 70mm and one of the hallmarks of astronomical scopes is a larger objective lens, larger collects more light and lets you see very faint objects. The binoculars I have have an 80mm objective.

But you will see stuff that's simply impossible with the naked eye, I wish I had had one of those scopes when I was a kid.

If you have a PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) then install this excellent open source application:

Stellarium Astronomy Software

Stellarium is a planetarium software that shows exactly what you see when you look up at the stars. It's easy to use, and free.

stellarium.org

That will let you see what's around at night once you tell it where you are and what time it is (but it gets the time from the PC clock so you really never need to set that).

Where are you situated?

 

[Captain Caveman]

That'll be fun for terrestrial use, like looking at your neighbors at night and so on.

But it has a small objective lens, 70mm and one of the hallmarks of astronomical scopes is a larger objective lens, larger collects more light and lets you see very faint objects. The binoculars I have have an 80mm objective.

But you will see stuff that's imply impossible with the naked eye, I wish I had had one of those scopes when I was a kid.

A number of reasons for the entry level scope. Just really for the moon and nearby planets. Xmas gift budget too, no need to expect the gf to spend a fortune, I could have put money towards it for a better model, but I might not be interested after moon and planet gazing.

It got the best review as an entry level telescope on a relevant site where those kinda people wear anoraks.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

A number of reasons for the entry level scope. Just really for the moon and nearby planets. Xmas gift budget too, no need to expect the gf to spend a fortune, I could have put money towards it for a better model, but I might not be interested after moon and planet gazing.

It got the best review as an entry level telescope on a relevant site where those kinda people wear anoraks.

Where are you situated?

 

[westwall]

Well I was pleased to be able to see Jupiter's moons the other evening from my yard in Arizona using these binoculars looking East at around 6pm.

I dug out a photograph to try and indicate what the experiences was like and this is pretty much what I could see

View attachment 1058784

I'd never seen Jupiter's moons ever before, it was a very nice experience and the binoculars are excellent, the moons were pin sharp white dots and the planet itself was a white disk very much like that photograph.

View attachment 1058786

That is about what 100x will get you. No way you get an image that size with 20x.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Night vision. Try it.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Where are you situated?

Southern 'cloud covered' Scotland. Loaded the Bresser software and Saturn is South something. Just wanted to see if I could see it's rings but the Scottish weather said no chance.

Years ago, I had a book on the sky but it had a use by date of a few years. Then obviously the pictures were too inaccurate for the sky. But fast forward a couple of decades, the maps are now free, constantly updated, and on the laptop.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Southern 'cloud covered' Scotland. Loaded the Bresser software and Saturn is South something. Just wanted to see if I could see it's rings but the Scottish weather said no chance.

Years ago, I had a book on the sky but it had a use by date of a few years. Then obviously the pictures were too inaccurate for the sky. But fast forward a couple of decades, the maps are now free, constantly updated, and on the laptop.

OK well if you can look directly East now, you'd see Jupiter:

Here are the moons, if one can perceive them this is how they are aligned tonight:

With my binoculars (20x magnification) it would look a bit like this

If you have a higher mag than 20x you might see them better, to me the moons look like fine pinpricks of light and Jupiter is a tiny white disk.

This is the Stellarium software in action, I set the location to be Edinburgh.

 

[Captain Caveman]

OK well if you can look directly East now, you'd see Jupiter:

View attachment 1059140

Here are the moons, if one can see them this is how they are aligned tonight

View attachment 1059141

With my binculars (20x magnification) it would look a bit like this

View attachment 1059143

If you have a higher mag than 20x you might see them better, to me the moons look like fine pinpricks of light and Jupiter is a tiny white disk.

I kinda figured that spending hundreds, if not thousands, would just make a shiny dot a bigger shiny dot. So within the local area is good for me.

I need to look at the software, see if there's a bit to put in the scope's magnification in to see if the map changes.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

Looking to the upper right from Jupiter you could see the Pleiades cluster:

You definitely see these as distinct stars (lots) and faint wisps of loud, that was one of my favorite things to look at when I was a teen in Liverpool.

Back then I would watch the original Star Trek on TV, Dr. Who on Saturdays and I had some great astronomy books and a telescope a bit smaller than the one you have.

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

If you can find this older book I STRONGLY recommend it, I bought mine in 1975 and still have it. It's a compact book, laid out really sensibly and has a great color code and stuff that makes it easy to underastand.

A Concise Guide in Colour Constellations by No Author Given: Good Hardcover | Goldstone Rare Books

Hardcover - Hamlyn - Condition: Good - Photograph available on request. - A Concise Guide in Colour Constellations

www.abebooks.com

I've been looking for a constellations / star map book that is ring bound, so one can choose a page and lay it flat, seems nobody has ever printed one like that.

 

[Captain Caveman]

If you can find this older book I STRONGLY recommend it, I bought mine in 1975 and still have it. It's a compact book, laid out really sensibly and has a great color code and stuff that makes it easy to underastand.

View attachment 1059149

A Concise Guide in Colour Constellations by No Author Given: Good Hardcover | Goldstone Rare Books

Hardcover - Hamlyn - Condition: Good - Photograph available on request. - A Concise Guide in Colour Constellations

www.abebooks.com

I've been looking for a constellations / star map book that is ring bound, so one can choose a page and lay it flat, seems nobody has ever printed one like that.

As time goes by, I could ask the gf and my two boys for things like that for birthday, father's, whatever day etc..

I was just thinking. The telescope comes with a mobile phone holder that clamps to the eye piece. I noticed on the laptop you can move the night sky about and you can put cross hairs on an object. I assume if that was on my phone, on the telescope and I moved the telescope about, it would show on the phone what my telescope is pointing at

The instruction book is one A4 sheet with pictures and no mention of the phone holder. I'll have to see if there's downloadable useful manuals. There's a solar filter to project the image onto a piece of card/paper, but not bothering with the sun, doesn't interest me.