Monthly Archives: August 2012

Ostara 1.25″ Plossl eyepieces. First impressions

Taking the Ostara 1.25″ plossl eyepieces out of the box for the first time, the first thing I noticed was the build quality. These feel reassuringly weighty in the hands. This is a result of quality materials used.  The rubber … Continue reading

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What binoculars do I need to see the Andromeda Galaxy

Away from light pollution under dark skies, you may just be able to see the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) with the unaided eye as a small patch of light. A pair of small binoculars such as 7×50 or 10×50 will show it … Continue reading

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Binoculars for spectacle wearers

If you need to wear glasses while looking through a spotting scope, telescope or binoculars, you need an eyepiece with whats called long eye relief . Ideally you need this to be 17mm+ to get a comfortable full field of … Continue reading

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Helios Ultrasport 8×42 binoculars review

Review of the Helios Ultrasport 8×42 binoculars, courtesy of Birdwatching magazine. “Well the first thing to say about the Ultrasports is just how snugly they fit in the hand – they’re pretty compact for 8×42’s, they feel light (and they … Continue reading

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Helios Nirvana-ED 8×42 binoculars review

Review of the Helios-ED 8×42 binoculars. Courtesy of Birdwatch Magazine. “The 675g of glass, magnesium and rubber – not forgetting the Argon gas filling – combine to form a binocular which I found light, compact and easy to operate….Slick mechanics … Continue reading

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What does field of view mean

With many binoculars you will see numbers such as 86m @ 1000m, or 143m @ 1000m for examples. So what do these numbers mean ?. In the 86m @ 1000m, this means at a distance of 1000m you can see … Continue reading

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What is digiscoping

Digiscoping is the art of attching a camera to a telescope or spotting scope so that the telescope acts as a very long focal length telephoto lens allowing you to take close up shots from a distance. Digiscoping is very popular … Continue reading

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illusion 7×35 monocular review

The illusion 7×35 monocular uses a porro prism design, rather than the more compact and widely used roof prism versions. The end result of the larger porro prism is that you get more light through and pound for pound a … Continue reading

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How far is the Sun from the Earth

The Sun is approx 93 million miles from the Earth. This distance is also reffered to as one Astronomical Unit or One AU

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How to view meteor showers on a budget

The great thing about viewing meteor showers like the Perseid’s is that it can be done for free. All you need is a dark sky away from street lights and a pair of eyes. Additional equipment (optional) is a reclining … Continue reading

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