There are different benefits to both owning a telescope or binoculars for astronomy use. There are also negatives to both, and it is important you weigh the strengths of both options before buying binoculars or a telescope for backyard astronomy.
* The Telescope For Astronomy
If you buy a Meade, Celestron, Orion or many other telescopes from manufacturers which produce good quality telescopes, you will have in your hands a scientific instrument which can show you a lot in the night sky.
A good telescope can show you more detail than a pair of astronomy binoculars. And you will see more distant objects, which more not be so clear in a pair of binoculars. With a good telescope, you will also find that it lasts for many years, when looked after.
A problem with telescopes, however, is that they take up a lot of space, and can seem difficult to first time users. The point of moving the telescope around, aligning the telescope, etc, can seem difficult. The good point is that you will be learning along the way, and you could even buy a telescope that has a computer system which does the navigating for you! It's as simple as point and click.
* Astronomy Binoculars For Backyard Astronomy
Many people believe that you need a telescope to be able to view space. However, this is not the case, and sometimes could get you out of astronomy sooner, than if you had started with a good pair of binoculars for astronomy.
Binoculars can be used for many other purposes also. You could use it with camping, when traveling, for birding or even hunting, not to mention using it for astronomy also!
One thing to bear in mind is that binoculars for astronomy use need to have some power in them. The smallest binoculars may do a good job with showing our Moon slightly more detailed, than with the naked eye. But, the binoculars may not be useful for looking at Jupiter or Saturn for example.
The large field of vision in binoculars allows you to see more of the sky than you would with a telescope. Whereas the telescope is designed to focus to a fine degree, a pair of binoculars is designed for larger fields of view.
Binoculars can be great to see and study the constellations and other objects in space. They may not show you the detail like a telescope, but they can be used for many purposes. One thing to keep in mind is size and weight. Astronomy binoculars can be very heavy and may need a tripod. Which at this point, it makes it more desirable to go for a telescope.
