I used to think you needed a huge telescope to see anything good

My cousin in Flagstaff just handed me a pair of old 10x50 binoculars and pointed at Jupiter. Honestly, seeing those four little moons lined up in my own yard changed my whole view. Anyone else get a big surprise from a simple tool?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_morgan29d ago

Yeah, I had a pair of those old 7x35 things rattling around in my truck for years. Used them once to try and spot a hawk's nest. Could barely tell the bird from a pine cone. Felt pretty silly when I finally looked at the moon with them and realized I'd been using them wrong my whole life.

michael_patel1mo ago

My old 7x35s showed me the Pleiades.

lee_gibson1mo ago

Those old 7x35 binoculars are a real let down for deep sky stuff. The exit pupil is all wrong for our older eyes, michael_patel, and the field of view feels like looking through a tube. You are missing so much faint detail in the Pleiades with that setup. A decent pair of modern 10x50s would show you triple the stars and actual nebulosity. It is a shame to settle for such a dim view when better options are cheap now.