celestron 15×70 binoculars are good for astronmy what good features does it have etc.?

3 Responses to celestron 15×70 binoculars are good for astronmy what good features does it have etc.?

1. Geoff G says:

   April 4, 2011 at 6:55 pm

   I have several different sizes of binoculars (7×50, 10×50, and 15×70) and a dozen telescopes. The instruments I use most by far are my 10×50 binoculars and my largest telescope, 279mm aperture. I hardly ever use my 15×70 binoculars because, unlike my 10×50s, they are hard to hand hold, and they don’t show me as much as even my smallest telescope.

   If you’re mainly observing in the city, I’d recommend getting the largest telescope you can afford, which probably means a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, and concentrate on the objects least affected by light pollution: the Sun, Moon, planets, double stars, and variable stars. Leave deep sky objects until you can visit a dark sky site.

   Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner’s telescopes:
   http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying_a_Telescope.pdf
   http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html
   http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.beginner.html

   For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington’s Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

   You’ll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:
   http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
   http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

   Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don’t buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:
   http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations

   I strongly recommend that beginners steer clear of astrophotography until they have learned their way around the sky. Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and difficult area of amateur astronomy.

   Many people who buy telescopes have no idea how to find interesting things to observe. A good introduction to finding things is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). A more advanced book is Star Watch by Phil Harrington (Wiley).
2. paulie2shoes says:

   April 4, 2011 at 7:09 pm

   Yes, they are good for astronomy, BUT you must put them on steady mount because you cannot hold them steady enough with your hands alone. Ideally you need a parallelogram type mount:

   http://www.universalastronomics.com/

   So the mount and tripod is going to set you back several hundred dollars. Instead you might want to consider purchasing a pair of 10×50 binoculars. 10x is about the maximum magnification that is hand holdable. I own a pair of 10×50’s. I have owned and sold my 15×70 and 20×80 binoculars for the reason that dragging along the tripod and mount was a big pain in the neck. For all that effort it’s better to set up a telescope, especially since an 8 inch dobsonian will cost about as much as the binocular mounting.
3. jonal says:

   April 4, 2011 at 7:53 pm

   I have the Celestron 15×70 and to be honest they are far from being my favourite binos.
   My 10×50 Helios are sharper and have more contrast and they cost less. I use those more than any other.
   You can rig up a mount easily for binos. No point spending hundreds of dollars on something you can make for $40 or even for free if you have some materials around.
   Only three of my eight telescope mounts are bought, and I have two home made binocular mounts.
   The big parallogram bino mount for my 20×80s was made from an old pair of skis and a tall pier with a heavy base discarded from a dress shop.
   Here are some shop ones…with prices…groan…..
   http://www.bigbinoculars.com/pmounts.htm . . .
   Here is a home made one but the tripod looks a bit inadequate for it with that small head.
   http://members.ziggo.nl/jhm.vangastel/Astronomy/binocs/binocs.htm . . . .

   Good quality 10×50s , a folding camping chair and a groundsheet to lie on are the best compromise for astronomy.
   And a flask of hot coffee. I take a portable stove for long sessions.
   Fresh cheesy egg toasties, and fresh hot coffee.

   In the city you’re better with a telescope on medium to high power to darken the sky. That’s one of the major functions of using higher powers. You can get light pollution filters that screw into the eyepieces but they are not particularly cheap for decent ones.
   Binos are not good with city lights in the sky especially 10×50s which are ideal for seeing things in low light. The 15×70 are even worse, being even better for seeing in low light. Ironic isn’t it, but for astronomy you need something to darken the background light not increase it as low power wide aperture binos do which gives them a good twilight factor for ground observations such as spotting wildlife in moonlight.
   It’s that factor which makes them so good for astronomy in dark skies. It’s why faint nebulae are visible in good contrasty 10×50s or other astro binos, as long as the sky background brightness allows it.
   I’m lucky. I live in a small village on an island with only one large town, and on the mainland (‘across, we call it) it would be a small town, and it’s ten miles away, but I still see the difference when our village street lights are off at 1am. A park a couple of miles away helps, and it’s got picnic tables. Very handy to lie on, spread star maps, write notes, cook, eat, be happy.
   My western horizon is on the avatar piccie.
   Hopefully it’ll have Venus showing on the next picture of it which is ideally placed now but I’m still waiting for a clear evening.
   We don’t get many good nights in a year but when we get them they are superb.