What kind of binoculars should I buy to see the rings of Saturn?

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998 you wrote:

> what kind of binoculars should i buy to see the rings around saturn. is that
> possible

Hello,

Binoculars are designated with numbers such as 7x50 or 10x50. The first
number refers to the magnification of the binoculars. The second number
refers to the diameter of the front lenses in millimeters. Generally,
the larger this aperture is, the more light you get, which allows you to
see fainter objects.

One problem with high magnification binoculars is that it is hard to hold
binoculars steady, so for 10x or higher, you really need to get a mount
to do astronomical viewing, as well.

Unfortunately, Saturn's rings require 20x to 30x to clearly see, and
binoculars with this much magnification are very expensive, and if you
want binoculars mainly for astronomical viewing, it is better to get a
small telescope at this point.

Even so, there are many interesting objects that can be clearly seen with
the normal 7x or 10x binoculars, including the moon, Venus, Jupiter, and
many star clusters and nebulae. And binoculars offer the advantage that
they can be used for many other daytime activities, whereas telescopes,
which produce upside-down images, are pretty much only useful at night.

A good web site to look for information on binoculars and telescopes is
run by SKY Publishing, the company that produces Sky & Telescope
magazine. Their tips for backyard astronomers can be found at:
http://www.skypub.com/backyard/backyard.shtml

(As always, the University of California and Lick Observatory do not
necessarily endorse this web site or its contents)

This year's Saturn viewing season really starts this September, so you
may also want to scan the newspaper for a local planetarium or astronomy
club that may have an open house, where members of the public can come
and use other people's telescopes to look at the planet.

I hope this answers your question.

Sincerely,

Kurtis Williams

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