Are you a budding astronomer looking for answers about the best binoculars to get the clearest view of stars and galaxies in the night sky? - Then you are just like me! I find that stargazing is an exciting and fulfilling hobby, but I really think it can be confusing knowing which binoculars are perfect for your individual needs.
Stargazing first caught my attention in 2018, and since then I have gained some experience choosing binoculars. Here, I summed it all up so that you can make sure that your astronomy adventures provide you with magical views.
FYI, Prices and ratings are accurate as of time of writing.
If you're looking for a pair of binoculars that will allow you to see the stars in all their glory, then the Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars are a great option. These binoculars have a large aperture of 70mm, which allows them to gather a lot of light. This makes them ideal for stargazing, as you'll be able to see more stars and planets than you would with a smaller pair of binoculars. Additionally, the 15x magnification will allow you to see objects in great detail.
Helpful review: "I've been an amateur astronomer for about 23 years. I have a broad amount of experience with the kind of optics that are used for astronomy. I have used most every type of instrument and have visited some of the great professional telescopes. I have hand built my own newtonian telescope including machining the german equatorial mount. Soon after completing this instrument I took it to a star party and ended up on my back with a pair of Fujinon SX binoculars. To make a long story short, I preferred the binos to the view in my telescope. Telescopes are expensive, they are big, heavy, hard to move, hard to store, complicated to set up correctly, and the view through the eyepiece can be crowded and dissapointing. For the casual observer binoculars are the superior choice. They are everything that a telescope is not...relatively cheap, light, easy use. And because they are so easy to use, you will end up using them much more often than you would a cumbersome telescope. That aspect of binoculars alone will make them show you much more than a telescope ever would. The Celestron 15X70 Skymasters are by far and away the best amateur astronomy instrument for the money on the market right now. They are truly and incredible value. You could spend $600+ on Fujinon SX binoculars and have a very fine instrument, but after using these, that would be a hard argument to make. Most everyone's eyes are not able to discern the fine differences between the two instuments. Mind you, I am not telling you that these are as good as the Fujinons, but at about a 10th of the price...well you get the idea. My experience with Celestron is that they are a first class operation. And now with their lifetime no-fault warranty, the best in the industry, you can purchase products from them knowing that if anything ever goes wrong for whatever reason, they will always stand behind their product. If you are looking to get started in astronomy or looking for an excuse to leave your telescope in the closet, these binoculars are a great value and with proper care will last a lifetime and show you more wonders than you will ever see frustrating yourself with a high magnification-small field telescope. Get them, take them outside at night with your kids and wonder why..." - D. J. deJong
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Trending review: "Love these binoculars. They are longer than a standard 10x50 (ofcourse), but I don't find them heavy. The "strap" it comes with is not as pictured, and very thin. I would not use it. I used a neoprene camera strap instead. These were easy to focus and find my IDP. No glasses needed for presbyopia, but the eyecups do accommodate them. I would recommend the Celestron brand and purchase again. No eye fatigue, just a clear picture!." - TF
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Reassuring review: "We love these Binoculars. WE took a cross country trip with them and it was perfect. So much easier than lugging around a telescope. Only downside is you really need a good tripod to keep them steady for distant objects like Saturn and Jupiter. But for moon gazing and checking out Andromeda and other sky gazing, it's perfect. Great quality too.." - Tig Carson
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Highlight: 10x magnification & 50mm objective lenses. Fully multi-coated lenses increase light transmission with multiple anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces. Adjustable eyecups twist up and down for comfortable viewing with or without eyeglasses. Rubber armor provides a secure, non-slip grip, and durable external protection.
Helpful review: "I just purchased the Vortex Crossfire HD 12x50 binoculars and have been putting them through their paces for a week, and had a few important thoughts to share. Firstly, I was looking for a true all-purpose binocular which was small/light enough to do birding in the day/dusk hours, plus do better than average duty as an astronomy binocular which could be either hand held or tripod mounted. I have many binoculars which excel at either of these tasks, but none really do both exceptionally well - until now. The price/performance on these Crossfires is simply amazing - I have spent MUCH more on binoculars and not seen the combination of sharp center of focus, awesome light collection in a light, and manageable form factor. The center field sharpness of the Crossfires is the best I've seen under $200 - and the 12x magnification takes advantage of this for easy marking identification on birds and wildlife. And the 50mm objectives keeps this identification available far later into twilight than any other handheld binocular I own. These are remarkably light and hand-holdable for 50mm bins - they weigh in at only 29.5 oz, and are extremely well balanced, with a firm, yet tacky rubberized body - with proper technique, these are easily as hand-holdable as my 10x42's. *** ALSO *** these close focus down to 6 feet! Yes, I said SIX feet. 12x combined with 6 ft close focus makes these perhaps the most powerful butterfly/insect binoculars ever made! Another plus - these are simply the best looking binoculars I've ever seen - something about the smooth curves and materials transitions from front to back make people ask about them all the time. All materials and mechanicals (focuser, diopter, body) are very high quality with near-perfect resistance to the touch. They are fully multi coated optics, including phase correction coatings, and waterproof/fogproof and O-ring sealed. For Astronomy, these shine even more, and simply outclass any 7x50 or 10x50 I've ever used. The standard tripod mount works perfectly, and on the stand, the Crossfires can star split better than any binocular I own. They are even better with easy reach star clusters, like M7 and M44, which sparkle with life here and demonstrate the joy of binocular astronomy. And to think these are roof prisms (not normally associated with astronomy capability) is even more astonishing - the optics and build quality are to be commended. They even throw in a full-blown binocular harness AND a neck strap - incredible value included at no extra cost. Summary: Low cost, very high quality, good looking, wide array of functionality, terrific, usable optics, best value in binoculars available today. And I haven't even mentioned the Vortex VIP unlimited warranty - how these guys pack so much quality and value into such a low price is kind of crazy - but you'd be crazy NOT to check these out! Highest recommendation." - DozerCSX
Get it from Amazon now: $155.48 - $169 & FREE Returns
Trending review: "Vortex is known for its lifetime warranty and great quality. These binos are perfect! Great quality, the 10x50 magnification gives me a great view up close. I love it that I can wear it with or without my glasses. The harness was a nice surprise, didn't know it came with that. It it also has a comfy neck strap which I will also be using, depending on the situation. And all this for $167!!!!!." - Marianna
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Reassuring review: "I rate these binoculars highly for several reasons. First, and no doubt most important to many, is the quality of the optics. Although I do not own a multi-thousand pair of binocs to compare these with I do own an assortment of binoculars, monoculars, and small scopes. Also have some older/vintage items that are high quality. These Crossfire binoculars impressed me with their clarity and overall performance in terms of quick focus and good field of view. I believe they are 8x and for me that is a good power to maintain a steady view of the subject at all ranges. A bonus is the Glasspak case/harness that was included with the purchase. I can see it being a very useful item if used for hunting or watching/spying from a fixed position over any lengthy period of time. All in all, am very pleased with this purchase and suspect that Vortex's higher end products are equally good quality and well worth their price." - R. L. Dean
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Highlight: These ultra-high definition binoculars have exceptional edge-to-edge clarity, Athlon Optics Midas provides ED glass for a sharper image. Magnesium chassis is as tough as a metal chassis but more lightweight.
Helpful review: "I am not an optics expert, however here is my experience. When I was teenager in the 80s and interested in birding my father inexplicably bought me a pair of Leica binoculars. One of the greatest gifts I ever recieved. They were and still are pretty great. However, after using some other people's modern cheaper binoculars I did some research and decided to give these a try. They are astonishing. Bright and sharp images. Noticeably better than my Leicas, which now serve as backups only. However, after several years of use one of the plastic eye piece cups fell off and got lost. Such a simple little piece pretty much made the binoculars useless. I was about to look into 3D printing a replacement when I decided it was worth it to try to contact the company. I found an email address and explained what happened. After sending a picture to clarify the missing piece Athlon sent me a new plastic eye piece cup promptly and at no charge! After a few dabs of super glue I am back in business. That is my story and I am sticking with it!." - S. Kennedy
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Trending review: "Simply put...what I am able to see with these binoculars is stunning. I'm lucky enough to live right next to a large greenspace and a lake. So there are lots of opportunities to see birds and lots of wildlife. I've been using a very nice pair of Olympus binoculars up to now and the difference between the new pair and the old are night and day. Everything in brilliant color and detail. Quick focus made it easy to track moving birds. Excellent light gathering allowed me to see clearly in low light conditions. I do not have a pair of Leica or Swarovski to compare against, but if they are visually better than these it can only be by an infinitesimal amount. If you're looking for really good birding binoculars at a reasonable price, buy yourself a pair." - Marc Wexler
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Reassuring review: "Four weeks of birdwatching in and I find these binoculars to be terrific thus far. Very sharp optics, low internal reflections, great color rendering, good low light performance, very little 'fringing', reasonable 'flat field', handle well, are pretty light in weight, focusing is no problem (no stiffness after initial use), good lens covers. Of course a "top flight" binocular, Zeiss, Swarovski, Leica is going to be better, especially in terms of that 'flat field' effect, and probably in long-term reliability. Just maybe these top brands are 5% better in real field use conditions. But not four or five times better, and if you want that 5% better you are going to have to pay four to five times as much. My wife has a pair of Swarovski 8x32s. I've used the Swarovskis a fair bit. I prefer these Athlons. The Athlons are brighter and seem sharper and wider field, and handle better for me -- they are just a little bit less 'flat field' in terms of edge to edge sharpness. And Zeiss glass does have that extraordinary brilliance, so I get that each brand has its strengths. So, whatever floats your boat -- just saying that these binoculars float mine.." - Alp Walker
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Highlight: Fully multi-coated lenses boost contrast and resolution while phase-coated BaK-4 glass prisms maximize light transmission. A rubber-armored, polycarbonate housing protects your binoculars from damage and stands up to the toughest weather conditions.
Helpful review: "I have zero complaints about these. If you're deciding between various magnifications, I would say just go with the 8x to start. I have these, and also a Vortex Diamondback 12x50, and I wouldn't say the Vortex's clarity isn't any visibly better. These Celestrons are what I was using when I found my first owl roost, resulting in photos like the one shown! Paid for themselves right there. :)8x is also the best focal length to start with, because there's no distracting shake or depth of field issues like you get with longer focal lengths. With 8x, you feel like you're seeing with your normal eyes, just farther away. 10 and 12x, you start to get compression and shallow depth of field blur in front of and behind your focal point. So you are manipulating the knob a lot more. This 42 is a good diameter as well, I've found with 50 I can get more haze as more light gets in from different angles. I got mine from Amazon Warehouse, and there's nothing wrong with them. I imagine people return these because they don't know how to use it, and think the black "blobs" they see mean something is wrong. That just means you've shoved the eye pieces too far into your eye socket with no eye relief. The "eye relief" cups should be extended, you only leave them retracted if you wear glasses. I use them with the top of the eye cups just lightly touching my face, just below the eyebrows. It even works well if it doesn't touch your face. And adjust the sides of the binocular as close together as you need for the two circles to become mostly aligned. Update 12/9: Not trying to write War and Peace sequel, but I returned the Vortexes and kept these. Just couldn't like Vortex but I tried both Crossfires and Diamondbacks. They seemed washed out and difficult to get the diopter adjusted well. Now, Leupold BX-4 Pro Guides.. wow. That's clear glass. They edge out the Celestrons but I wouldn't say the difference is a $400 difference. My daily carry is the Leupold BX-4 Pro Guide 10x42 now. Still use the Celestrons when I need to scan lots of area, because the 8x depth of field gives the biggest area coverage. They're really all you need, I'm just a binocular fanatic." - B.E. Lewis
Get it from Amazon now: $116.24 - $169.56 & FREE Returns
Trending review: "Arrived on time. Package well. Reasonable price. Not too heavy. I did change the strap, but original was okay. Easy to focus. Vision is clear. Binoculars appear and feel well constructed. Primarily using for bird watching in backyard and on hikes — just what I needed. BTW, eyecup work very well with eyeglasses (progressives), which is why I upgraded to these. Bottom line: great value." - Jog10k
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Reassuring review: "Good quality, light weight, vision is excellent, nice case, I'm happy with this pair.I was considering whether to buy the X10 over the X8 and finally bought the X8 because the many advantages they have over the X10 and relatively small advantage of magnification (for my use)." - Niv
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Highlight: Large center focus knob for easy adjustments; Limited lifetime warranty. 10x magnification and 42 millimeter objective diameter; Non slip rubber armor and soft texture grip absorbs shock and provides a firm grip. Quality optics with stunning HD clarity.
Helpful review: "With free shipping and free returns I was able to compare several different binoculars. I bought 4 pair of binoculars, all 10x42 and all priced close to $100. Two pair were pollo prism and 2 pair were roof prism. 3 different brands. Of the 4 pair these were the best and I returned the others. I expected the pollo prism type to have a better viewing picture but they were not any better than the more compact roof prism. These Bushmell H2O were best in ease of focus, hand and eye fit, and attached lens covers. The clarity of the view was best in these over the others. They were at least equal to the others in quality of case and strap. The focusing was especially nice because it was not so sensitive that a tiny movement of the wheel would cause it to blur. I can focus clearly at 10ft or slightly less (although all the ones I tested were about the same in this regard). Also, they each claim to have multi-coated lenses. But for a manufacturer to make that claim only one surface of one lens has to be multicoated. Now probably the other lens surfaces were also multicoated but the Bushnell H2O was the only one that stated that all surfaces of all lenses were multicoated (stated on their website). These also were the only ones to claim to be waterproof." - Kindle Customer
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Trending review: "I had this binoculars for 4 years, working daily under the extreme weather conditions of the Congo Basin, and Colombian rainforests. They survived the forests as they are compact, the rubber covering is amazing for keeping dirt away from the lenses and inner parts of the binoculars. I have to say however, that the mechanism to adjust them to your eyes got rusty because of all the water, but some oil help to solve this problem. I really did not take care of this since I had to run a lot after my animals of study, but despite this, the binoculars never broke. Lenses got a little bit scratched due to this, but I believe that if you are careful, place them safely into their covering, and protect the lenses with the aids that come with the binoculars, you can keep them for many many years.Perfect for primatology studies (worked with bonobos, howlers, and woolly monkeys), and very good for birding!!" - Nicolás Corredor
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Reassuring review: "Really great binoculars for travel. Pretty light but still feel sturdy-Optics are good and give great close up looks. Easy to use and nice to have lens protectors attached to the binocs" LDT shopz
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What Night-sky Objects Can You See With Binoculars?
With just a pair of binoculars, you can explore the night sky and discover some of its most amazing objects. From the Moon to distant planets, sparkling star clusters, and binary stars, there’s a lot to see. In this guide, we’ll show you what night-sky objects you can see with binoculars. So grab your binoculars and let’s go stargazing!
The Moon
The Moon is the closest celestial body to Earth and an excellent target for binocular observing. With binoculars, you can see the Moon’s craters, mountains, and valleys in great detail. The best time to observe the Moon is during its crescent or gibbous phases when there is less glare from the Sun.
Planets
You can also use binoculars to observe some of the planets in our solar system. The five planets that are brightest and easiest to see with binoculars are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Of these five planets, Venus and Jupiter are often the easiest to spot because they don’t wander far from the Sun in our sky. To find them, look for the two bright “stars” that appear close together in the evening or morning sky.
Open Star Clusters
Open star clusters are groups of stars that were born from the same molecular cloud of gas and dust. There are dozens of open clusters scattered across the Milky Way galaxy. Some notable examples include the Pleiades (also known as M45), Hyades, and Praesepe clusters. With binoculars, you can resolve individual stars within these clusters and see their beautiful shapes and colors.
Binary Stars
Binary stars are two stars that orbit each other under their mutual gravitational attraction. Many binary star systems are visible to the naked eye but appear as a single point of light. With binoculars, you can resolve these stars into two separate points of light—an awesome sight! One of the best binary stars to observe with binoculars is Mizar in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper).
The Milky Way Galaxy
Last but not least, you can use binoculars to get a better view of our own Milky Way galaxy—the home of Earth’s solar system. On a dark night far away from city lights, sweep your binoculars across the sky and you’ll see our galaxy as a faint band of light stretching across the sky. This band is actually made up of billions of stars!
My Point Of View!
With just a pair of binoculars, you can explore the moon, planets, open star clusters, binary stars, and even our own Milky Way galaxy! So grab your binoculars and go stargazing tonight!
What to Look for When Buying Binoculars for Stargazing?
When it comes to stargazing, having a good pair of binoculars can make all the difference in the world. Not only will they allow you to see things more clearly, but they'll also help you find things that you might not be able to see with the naked eye. Of course, not all binoculars are created equal. So, what should you look for when choosing a pair of binoculars for stargazing? Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Size Matters
One of the most important things to look for when choosing binoculars for stargazing is size. The larger the lens, the more light will be able to enter the binoculars and the better your view will be. That being said, large lenses also mean that the binoculars will be heavier and more difficult to hold steady. So, it's important to find a balance between size and weight.
Look for Porro Prism Binoculars
When it comes to stargazing, Porro prism binoculars are generally going to be your best bet. That's because they offer superior image quality and depth perception. They're also usually more affordable than their roof prism counterparts. Of course, Porro prism binoculars are typically larger and heavier than roof prism binoculars, so keep that in mind when making your decision.
Choose Waterproof Binoculars whenever possible
Another important thing to look for when choosing binoculars for stargazing is waterproofing. If you live in an area where it rains frequently or if you plan on using your binoculars near bodies of water, it's essential that you choose a pair that is waterproof or water-resistant. Waterproof binoculars will usually cost a bit more than non-waterproof options, but they're definitely worth the investment.
Make sure they're durable
Binoculars can be expensive, so you'll want to make sure that you choose a pair that is durable enough to withstand years of use. Look for binoculars that have rubber armor around the body and lenses as well as shock-absorbing features. These will help protect your investment from drops and bumps.
Can You Use Any Old Binoculars?
If you're new to using binoculars, any old pair might seem like they'll do the trick. But if you want to get sharp, clear views of distant objects, you'll need to choose the right binoculars for the job. Look for a pair with good light-gathering abilities and high magnification. If you're planning to use them for astronomy, make sure they have a wide field of view. And remember that binoculars are most effective when used by beginners in low light conditions.