An incredible stargazing tool that allows you to see planets, galaxies, and even the moon like never before may already be stashed somewhere in your house: a simple pair of binoculars.
Looking up at the sky through binoculars on a clear, dark night can greatly expand your field of view, revealing depth and sparkling details not otherwise visible to the naked eye. So don’t forget to bring a pair of binoculars on your next summer stargazing adventure.
“Many people just don’t associate binoculars with the sky,” says John French, editor of the monthly Sky Calendar at Michigan State University’s Abrams Planetarium. “They think you need a telescope for that. But binoculars are just much more practical and useful in many ways.”
For starters, binoculars are easier to carry and less expensive than telescopes, French says. Plus, they’re hassle-free—compared to the time-consuming setup required by many telescopes, you just have to walk outside with the binoculars and look up.
And while binoculars may not be as powerful as telescopes, a good pair of binoculars in steady hands can still reveal an impressive variety of objects in deep space, such as unfathomably distant, densely packed star clusters or ancient craters on the surface of our moon.
Of course, not all binoculars are the same and your ability to see certain celestial lights won’t be as good if you’re using, say, a pair of compact sports binoculars as opposed to a pair of higher-powered binoculars. But you don’t have to resort to high-end equipment to be blown away by the splendor of the night sky; even a pair of birdwatching binoculars will do.
To start, it can be helpful to have a sense of what’s currently visible in the night sky in your part of the world. Many stargazing apps offer just that, but for planning purposes, it’s hard to beat the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar, which functions as both a map and a calendar, showing astronomical events worth observing.
Once you get your bearings, you may be able to spot a few treasures with your binoculars:
Jupiter’s moons: With binoculars, you should be able to see four of Jupiter’s moons, known as the Galilean moons. Named Io, Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede, these moons appear as small dots right next to Jupiter, which itself appears as a very large, bright star. These moons move very quickly, so you can check back the very next night to see how they’ve changed position.
The Rings of Saturn: While many binoculars aren’t powerful enough to clearly show Saturn’s enchanting rings, they can still spot these dusty, icy bands as a sort of faint bulge on either side of the planet’s sphere—which, as we see them today, once caught the attention of the great 17th-century astronomer Galileo. “Binoculars today have about the same power as Galileo’s telescope, and when Galileo looked at Saturn, he could see that something was different,” French says. “He thought, ‘Oh, maybe Saturn has ears.’ Then they got better telescopes and quickly ruled that out. But for a short time, Saturn did have ‘ears.'” With binoculars, you can look for the very same “ears” that Galileo once glimpsed.
The phases of Venus: Much like our moon, the planet Venus goes through phases that cause it to wax and wane in luminous shapes that range from a full disk to a narrow crescent. This fascinating cyclical display is best observed through a telescope, but binoculars can also capture this fascinating cyclical display.
Messier objects: Cataloged by French astronomer Charles Messier, this list of over 100 deep space objects such as star clusters and nebulae can be a kind of night sky treasure hunt for amateur astronomers. A great example: During the months when Orion is in the sky, look for a fuzzy patch of light just below Orion’s belt, then find it again through binoculars. This is the Orion Nebula, also known as Messier 42: a massive cloud of dust and gas in which thousands of stars are formed.
A close-up of the moon: And finally, although stargazing is generally best in dark, moonless skies, nights when the moon is shining can provide an opportunity to better appreciate Earth’s closest celestial companion. With binoculars, you can observe craters, dark lunar seas, and even the famous Sea of Silence, which was the first place explored by humans on another celestial body. You may never look at the moon – or the entire night sky – the same way again.