Deep-Sky Observing

Abstract

Unfortunately, whilst it’s possible to observe meteors or aurorae without purchasing equipment any more complicated than a pen and paper, observing deep-sky objects does require some kind of optical aid. And binoculars are the most inexpensive and readily available form this can take. The good news is that almost any binoculars — with the exception of trendy compact designs — are worth having. The most important single attribute of a pair of binoculars is the size of the objective lenses, which defines how much light they can collect. The other important attribute is, obviously, magnification, which determines the amount of detail that you will be able to make out in target objects. The sizes that you will commonly find are: 10 x 50, 10 x 60 and 12 x 80 — the first number is the magnification, the second is the size of the objective lens in millimetres. All of these are very suitable for deep-sky work.