Telescopes are great, however, most of the telescopes available are those found in toy stores. These telescopes look enticing; however, as you use the telescope, you will find that it is only good for looking at the Moon or local planets such as Jupiter or Saturn.



A good pair of binoculars however, can be a great part of getting into astronomy. For example, having the best telescope in the world is no good if you don't know how to navigate the skies.

Luckily astronomy binoculars come into there own. You can learn the location of the constellations, and you can learn where the objects are. This makes binoculars for astronomy use a great idea.

Many people however, don't know that you can use a pair of binoculars for astronomy. We often do not realize that we can point the binoculars up at the night sky and find more detail, though this will be unlikely with low quality binoculars. The same adage goes - with a bad telescope, you will get bad viewing, and likewise a pair of low quality binoculars is no good for astronomy.

The reason is the quality of the lenses. Better optics, generally makes for better viewing, though there are many different types of binoculars and telescopes. A point in understanding what makes a good pair of binoculars for astronomy, is to consider how they work.

The lens has light going through it. The bigger the lens, the more light, and thus more detail it allows. As the objects in space are so far away, they need good optics and a big lens to be able to show us in detail what we want to see.

At this point, you may want to consider just how big a pair of binoculars you want to buy. Binoculars come in various sizes. Some are small and portable, while others can be as big as a telescope! So, consider just how portable you want your binoculars to be.

If you are only taking the pair of binoculars to your backyard, then choosing a larger pair of astronomy binoculars may be the best way to go. Another point is the weight. Remember, you will need to hold onto them, unless you get a tripod. In such cases, it becomes a fine line, whether to buy binoculars or buy a telescope instead.

Binoculars range in price, and you can find binoculars for under $100 to several thousand dollars. A good idea is to try and find a pair of binoculars with lenses above 60mm. This will generally have enough space for enough light to travel through, and give you good results.