Binoculars are best used for nature observation, people want to see things for a long time.  As an experienced outdoorsman or nature watcher, you’ll quickly notice that a good pair of binoculars is better than a single telescope and provides better viewing.  

Astronomers like to scan the sky with binoculars.  This is easier to process, and you can find specific objects faster.  Here’s a guide to the best astronomical binoculars to buy in 2022.  

1. Factors to consider when buying the best astronomical binoculars  

(1) Product weight  

Weight is another key factor to watch closely.  If your binoculars weigh more than 3 pounds, you may get tired after a while, so you’ll need the services of a tripod.  Consider the weight before you buy.  

The lightweight design makes the tripod stand out, meaning you don’t have to buy a tripod.  Plus, lightweight means portability, and if you’re always on the move, you’ll love this feature.  

(2) lens coating technology  

The lenses on binoculars have a degree of coating.  The coating helps them reduce reflection and improve contrast and image sharpness.  Therefore, lens coating is an important factor that can not be ignored.  

For best performance, choose binoculars with fully multi-layer coated lenses.  All of the binoculars’ lenses are coated with anti-reflective compounds to achieve zero light loss and unmatched image brightness and contrast.  

(3) Objective lens size  

First, let’s consider two main binocular characteristics: objective size and magnification.  Binocular dimensions are usually expressed in terms of magnification x objective size in millimeters, so 10×50 represents a 50mm objective with a magnification of 10 times.  Hand-held binoculars come in a variety of sizes, between 8×20 and 20×60.  

Binoculars with no lenses smaller than 30mm are of great use in astronomy except for looking at the moon, and 40-50mm is better.  A lens in the 50-60mm range might make binoculars too heavy to hold for long, but it’s probably worth it for the brighter images you get and the dimmer stars and nebulae you can see.  

Concentrating power is a function of lens area, so a 56mm objective (about the largest in hand-held binoculars) concentrates twice as much light as a 40mm objective.  

(4) Vision  

A wider field of view is preferable, but avoid very wide fields as you often get a lot of distortion around the edges.  Some bird-watching binoculars intentionally leave some field curves for comfortable panning, but this is not ideal for astronomy because the flat field of view makes viewing extended objects like star fields more satisfying.  A bright flat narrow field is better for astronomy than a wide, dim curved field.  But consider the high magnification and small real field of view that may make you see the sky so tiny that it’s hard to find things!  

All in all, a moderate field of vision is probably best for astronomy — say, 6 degrees with 10 x binoculars.  However, some premium designs such as Swarovski’s EL 12x50S offer more, while still having a broad, well-calibrated view across the field.  

2. Last word  

Astronomical binoculars provide a cheap alternative to telescopes.  They have impressive magnification capabilities, some of them up to 39 times.  With so much power, binoculars can pull very distant objects, such as the moon and stars, closer together.  As a result, they reveal more detail than some telescopes.  You can use them to study celestial bodies like stars and planets.  

Most hand-held binoculars are designed for birding, not astronomy.  For the most part, good bird-watching binoculars are also a good astronomical telescope, but in some cases, the requirements do differ.  For example, many bird-watching binoculars are waterproof, but this is not entirely necessary for astronomy.  Good bird-watching binoculars require quick focus, but this is not necessary for astronomy either.  

Again, for daytime use, you rarely need an objective larger than 30-40mm: any more objectives are just a waste, as your pupils will contract and effectively mask (” halo “) the larger objective.  

However, for astronomy, your pupils are bigger in the dark, so you could benefit from the extra light collected by a larger target.