Venus, Saturn, and Mercury in the Pre-Dawn Sky

Subscriber R.B. asks, “All I have is binoculars, 10×50, with a 5.5 deg field of view.  What could I expect to see?”

The answer is, of course, quite a lot.

With a 5.5 degree field-of-view, R.B.’s 10×50 binoculars show a patch of sky as wide as four fingers held at arms length.  That’s a good wide field, ideal for viewing many things at once.

This week, for example, on the morning of October 16, there will be a splendid view in the pre-dawn sky of Venus, Saturn, Mercury, and a thin crescent moon.  The moon and Venus will be 5.5 degrees apart, Saturn will be 3 degrees above Venus, and elusive Mercury will be 8 degrees to the lower left of Venus.  This alignment is perfect for viewing with a good pair of binoculars and a clear view of the eastern horizon.

Venus, Saturn, Mercury, and the Moon in the pre-dawn sky on October 16.

And there’s more to see this month with a pair of 10×50 binoculars (or 7×50 or 7×35 or 8×42, for that matter).  Sweep the star fields of Cassiopiea and Perseus to see a dozen or so small misty patches of open star clusters.  In the southern hemisphere, check out the Magellanic Clouds and the Jewel Box star cluster in the Southern Cross.

And in spring, north or south, away from city lights, the patch of sky between Leo and Virgo contains a half-dozen galaxies visible with binoculars.  The brightest of these galaxies, M87, appears as a round unresolved  fuzzy patch.  But don’t be fooled… this galaxy itself contains more than a TRILLION stars.  And you can see it in the most modest pair of binoculars.

So you see, while most people think telescopes when they think astronomy, binoculars are an indispensable tool for the backyard stargazer.   They’re inexpensive, easy to grab for a quick peek, have a nice wide field, and they give dazzling views in dark skies.

Our own Stargazing for Beginners: A Binocular Tour of the Night Sky, shows you dozens more things to see in the north and near-southern skies.  No telescope required.