That's an impressively wide field of view, David.
I've just viewed them myself, using a 10x50 monocular. My Starry Night software is telling me they are 8.5 degrees apart. Jupiter looks very ghostly against the twilight sky, compared to the blazing Venus. I think I will lose Jupiter in the trees in the next few days.
In my 10x50, I think they were 1.5 field widths apart.
Best wishes, Jeff.
Venus and Jupiter.
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jeff.stevens
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Hi Jeff,
I just viewed Venus and Jupiter with the 8.5x44 binocular with 8.26 degree field.
At 17.16 UT I make the separation 8.4 degrees as they are just outside the field.
Jupiter is just above a roof top.
Venus slightly scintillating. Much brighter than Jupiter, which is in the low elevation pollution.
It has been cold with sleet in the morning and snow cover a couple of days ago.
The Foton 5x25 field is 12.1, maybe 12.2 degrees, so the two planets are well within the field.
A lot of local light pollution with most windows lit in buildings opposite.
Regards,
David
I just viewed Venus and Jupiter with the 8.5x44 binocular with 8.26 degree field.
At 17.16 UT I make the separation 8.4 degrees as they are just outside the field.
Jupiter is just above a roof top.
Venus slightly scintillating. Much brighter than Jupiter, which is in the low elevation pollution.
It has been cold with sleet in the morning and snow cover a couple of days ago.
The Foton 5x25 field is 12.1, maybe 12.2 degrees, so the two planets are well within the field.
A lot of local light pollution with most windows lit in buildings opposite.
Regards,
David
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michael feist
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Venus and Jupiter
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Last edited by michael feist on Tue Mar 14, 2023 9:10 pm, edited 17 times in total.
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jeff.stevens
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Hi David, an 8.5 magnification sounds an unusual instrument. Are many manufactured?David Frydman wrote: ↑Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:32 pmI just viewed Venus and Jupiter with the 8.5x44 binocular with 8.26 degree field.
Best wishes, Jeff.
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
The Swift 8.5x44 has sold in large quantities for maybe 50 years in many different versions.
The earlier heavier Swift 8.5x44 has a slightly wider 8.35 degree field.
There is also the related 9x42 and 10x50.
There are also high value Swarovski 8.5x42 EL binoculars and maybe others.
I have had 2x, 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x, 4x, 4.5x, 5x, 6x, 6.5x, 7x, 7.5x, 8x, 8.5x, 9x, 10x, 10.5x, 11x, 12x, 12.5x, 13x, 14x, 15x, 16x, 18x, 20x, 22x, 25x, and 30x binoculars.
There is the USSR 26x70 and 32x50 Japanese.
Possibly a 5.5x also.
Also zoom binoculars.
I have a 25x-135x80 Japanese binocular which is well aligned at all powers, although above 80x is empty magnification.
Regards,
David
The earlier heavier Swift 8.5x44 has a slightly wider 8.35 degree field.
There is also the related 9x42 and 10x50.
There are also high value Swarovski 8.5x42 EL binoculars and maybe others.
I have had 2x, 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x, 4x, 4.5x, 5x, 6x, 6.5x, 7x, 7.5x, 8x, 8.5x, 9x, 10x, 10.5x, 11x, 12x, 12.5x, 13x, 14x, 15x, 16x, 18x, 20x, 22x, 25x, and 30x binoculars.
There is the USSR 26x70 and 32x50 Japanese.
Possibly a 5.5x also.
Also zoom binoculars.
I have a 25x-135x80 Japanese binocular which is well aligned at all powers, although above 80x is empty magnification.
Regards,
David
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
The Beechers Mirage binoculars are expensive and use mirrors instead of prisms.
They are made in 3.4x, 4.5x, 5.5x, 7x and 8x.
The 5.5x25 seems quite nice.
I have never seen or used these U.S. binoculars, which are worn as glasses.
They are light weight.
Regards,
David
They are made in 3.4x, 4.5x, 5.5x, 7x and 8x.
The 5.5x25 seems quite nice.
I have never seen or used these U.S. binoculars, which are worn as glasses.
They are light weight.
Regards,
David
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jeff.stevens
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
This is a mighty impressive list, David.David Frydman wrote: ↑Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:50 pmI have had 2x, 2.5x, 3x, 3.5x, 4x, 4.5x, 5x, 6x, 6.5x, 7x, 7.5x, 8x, 8.5x, 9x, 10x, 10.5x, 11x, 12x, 12.5x, 13x, 14x, 15x, 16x, 18x, 20x, 22x, 25x, and 30x binoculars.
Best wishes, Jeff.
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Most, Jeff, came from charity shops for as little as £2 to £5.
There are real gems at charity shops, sometimes for very little money, but sometimes they ask more than new prices.
The waste at charity shops is enormous.
They chucked hundreds of new Parker pens in the skip instead of giving them free.
They gave them free for a week, and I didn't want to be greedy so took about six, the next time I was told they chucked them.
They seem to last twenty years or more.
A lady was looking at two silk carpets for £5 and £7 and couldn't decide.
She probably saw me looking too closely and eventually bought them.
They are at least £500 each.
The modelmaker for the RAF museum passed away and his widow who lived over the road to the last charity shop that I could walk to, donated them.
There were 700 immaculate models.
Unfortunately these plastic models are fragile and customers and staff damaged or destroyed 400.
I bought the remaining 300 for about £4 each.
It took me about twenty trips walking home with boxes of model aircraft.
They are 1/72 scale aircraft models.
There was only one I couldn't identify. It turns out to be a Japanese float biplane that was on submarines and took five minutes to assemble and launch.
It climbed to about 10,000 feet slowly to give long distance surveillance.
It carried a binocular for the observer, and the Japanese markings on the binocular enabled me to identify the aircraft.
I got four professional tripods and a dolly for £60 the lot.
I made about four trips carrying them home.
They extend up to 7ft 6ins.
They support quite large scopes.
The 15 projection radio controlled clocks are accurate to better than a second.
They were £2 or£2.50 each. They seem to be new.
I gave them as presents and have one in each room for meteors, satellites etc. to give accurate timings.
Some of these charity shops seem a bit dodgy, as I a not sure much goes to charity.
I haven't bought anything from anywhere for the last three years with Covid and health reasons.
I still have not found 17x or 19x binoculars, which is not to say they don't exist.
In addition, I have a 1.65x monocular and 1.8x opera glass.
The Swift Audubon 8.5x44 has been a bird watchers favourite since the 1960s.
My one cost £15 at the charity shop in excellent condition with a nice case.
They usually cost more, but the previous owner's name is printed on the binocular with his postcode.
This doesn't affect the excellent view.
The best charity shop binocular is a light weight Hensoldt Nacht Dialyt 16x56 weighing only 670 g.
It cost £20, because the lady manager didn't know what it was.
She is a tyrant.
It is one of the best built binoculars and was probably used for horse racing here in the U.K.
It was expensive new.
c. 1955 but nearly as new although the beautiful leather case is marked a bit.
Hensoldt was bought by Zeiss.
Regards,
David
There are real gems at charity shops, sometimes for very little money, but sometimes they ask more than new prices.
The waste at charity shops is enormous.
They chucked hundreds of new Parker pens in the skip instead of giving them free.
They gave them free for a week, and I didn't want to be greedy so took about six, the next time I was told they chucked them.
They seem to last twenty years or more.
A lady was looking at two silk carpets for £5 and £7 and couldn't decide.
She probably saw me looking too closely and eventually bought them.
They are at least £500 each.
The modelmaker for the RAF museum passed away and his widow who lived over the road to the last charity shop that I could walk to, donated them.
There were 700 immaculate models.
Unfortunately these plastic models are fragile and customers and staff damaged or destroyed 400.
I bought the remaining 300 for about £4 each.
It took me about twenty trips walking home with boxes of model aircraft.
They are 1/72 scale aircraft models.
There was only one I couldn't identify. It turns out to be a Japanese float biplane that was on submarines and took five minutes to assemble and launch.
It climbed to about 10,000 feet slowly to give long distance surveillance.
It carried a binocular for the observer, and the Japanese markings on the binocular enabled me to identify the aircraft.
I got four professional tripods and a dolly for £60 the lot.
I made about four trips carrying them home.
They extend up to 7ft 6ins.
They support quite large scopes.
The 15 projection radio controlled clocks are accurate to better than a second.
They were £2 or£2.50 each. They seem to be new.
I gave them as presents and have one in each room for meteors, satellites etc. to give accurate timings.
Some of these charity shops seem a bit dodgy, as I a not sure much goes to charity.
I haven't bought anything from anywhere for the last three years with Covid and health reasons.
I still have not found 17x or 19x binoculars, which is not to say they don't exist.
In addition, I have a 1.65x monocular and 1.8x opera glass.
The Swift Audubon 8.5x44 has been a bird watchers favourite since the 1960s.
My one cost £15 at the charity shop in excellent condition with a nice case.
They usually cost more, but the previous owner's name is printed on the binocular with his postcode.
This doesn't affect the excellent view.
The best charity shop binocular is a light weight Hensoldt Nacht Dialyt 16x56 weighing only 670 g.
It cost £20, because the lady manager didn't know what it was.
She is a tyrant.
It is one of the best built binoculars and was probably used for horse racing here in the U.K.
It was expensive new.
c. 1955 but nearly as new although the beautiful leather case is marked a bit.
Hensoldt was bought by Zeiss.
Regards,
David
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jeff.stevens
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
I've spotted an 8x42 pair in a charity shop recently. They were £12 and branded as Prinz, I think. I might go back and ask to look through them. I do keep an eye on cameras and optical accessories in the charity shops, but I've noticed they disappear fast.David Frydman wrote: ↑Sun Mar 12, 2023 6:12 pm Most, Jeff, came from charity shops for as little as £2 to £5.
Best wishes, Jeff.
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Prinz used to be the brand name of Dixons, not high end.
Check collimation and that there is no fungus or moisture deposit inside the binocular.
One needs to check photo items carefully as well.
The advantage with charity shop items is that one can thoroughly test, but there are usually no guarantees.
Regards,
David
Check collimation and that there is no fungus or moisture deposit inside the binocular.
One needs to check photo items carefully as well.
The advantage with charity shop items is that one can thoroughly test, but there are usually no guarantees.
Regards,
David
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brian livesey
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Flea-markets can also give opportunities for bargain basement binoculars. I have several pairs of them in good, clean, condition.
I know someone, a fellow skywatcher, who saw a 10” Newtonian mirror at a car boot sale. The stall-holder wasn’t quite sure what it was except to say that it was some kind of telescope part. It was bought for a fiver.
Later, the buyer sent me an excellent first quarter photo of the Moon taken with the mirror ( ( by then made into a complete telescope ) that I framed and still have on a wall.
I know someone, a fellow skywatcher, who saw a 10” Newtonian mirror at a car boot sale. The stall-holder wasn’t quite sure what it was except to say that it was some kind of telescope part. It was bought for a fiver.
Later, the buyer sent me an excellent first quarter photo of the Moon taken with the mirror ( ( by then made into a complete telescope ) that I framed and still have on a wall.
brian
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jeff.stevens
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
It's 17h40m and I've just spotted Venus in my Opticron 8x23, at 31 degrees elevation over towards the west. I think the sun has just dipped below the horizon, or at least behind thick cloud cover low on the horizon. Nice and clear in the binocular. Patchy cloud was cluttering the area where Jupiter would be.
[Edit: 18h35mUT - sighted Jupiter in my 8x23, approximately two 8x23 field widths separation. Both visible to the unaided eye. Jupiter was low in the sky and adorning the very end point of a skeletal twig of a tree, like a tiny LED garden light.]
Best wishes, Jeff.
[Edit: 18h35mUT - sighted Jupiter in my 8x23, approximately two 8x23 field widths separation. Both visible to the unaided eye. Jupiter was low in the sky and adorning the very end point of a skeletal twig of a tree, like a tiny LED garden light.]
Best wishes, Jeff.
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
2023 March 17 18.21 UT.
Bushnell 4x21 binocular.
Venus and Jupiter nicely seen in the same field.
Estimate separation as about 16.0 degrees in the 18.5 degree field.
18.28 UT.
Dowling and Rowe/Libra 4x22 independent eyepiece focus binocular.
Venus and Jupiter just in the same field.
I estimate the separation as 16.1 degrees in the 16.3 degree field.
Jupiter faint near field stop.
VisionKing 5x25 binocular, seen well but not in the same 15 degree field.
Venus bright unaided eyes, but I don't think I saw Jupiter with unaided eyes amongst twigs and above roof top.
Also saw Venus with 12x50 binocular.
I saw Venus maybe two days ago, but Jupiter was in cloud.
Regards,
David
Bushnell 4x21 binocular.
Venus and Jupiter nicely seen in the same field.
Estimate separation as about 16.0 degrees in the 18.5 degree field.
18.28 UT.
Dowling and Rowe/Libra 4x22 independent eyepiece focus binocular.
Venus and Jupiter just in the same field.
I estimate the separation as 16.1 degrees in the 16.3 degree field.
Jupiter faint near field stop.
VisionKing 5x25 binocular, seen well but not in the same 15 degree field.
Venus bright unaided eyes, but I don't think I saw Jupiter with unaided eyes amongst twigs and above roof top.
Also saw Venus with 12x50 binocular.
I saw Venus maybe two days ago, but Jupiter was in cloud.
Regards,
David
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michael feist
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
Located Venus and Jupiter again, too far apart to include in any of my instruments fov. Regards mike f.
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David Frydman
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Re: Venus and Jupiter.
2023 March 18 18.34 UT.
Bushnell 4x21 Binocular.
Venus and Jupiter in the same binocular field.
I estimate separation as about 17 degrees.
Jupiter not seen with unaided eyes in low level pollution, but clearly seen in 4x21 binocular.
Fairly good conditions but wispy cloud near Jupiter and orange sky.
A few minutes earlier beautiful large orange clouds to the left of Venus.
Regards,
David
Bushnell 4x21 Binocular.
Venus and Jupiter in the same binocular field.
I estimate separation as about 17 degrees.
Jupiter not seen with unaided eyes in low level pollution, but clearly seen in 4x21 binocular.
Fairly good conditions but wispy cloud near Jupiter and orange sky.
A few minutes earlier beautiful large orange clouds to the left of Venus.
Regards,
David