| Observer: | Tom Campbell |
| Location: | Iola, Kansas (Long: 95 30' W Lat: 37 55' N) |
| Equipment: | Simmons 10x50WA binoculars |
| Time: | 7:30pm - 7:45pm CST |
| Transparency: | Clear but getting foggy |
| Seeing: | Unstable |
| Weather: | Cold |
After reading about the Simmons 10x50WA binoculars being on sale at Wal-Mart for only $20, I decided to brave the post-holiday crowds and pick up a pair. I have never owned a pair of binoculars larger than 5x25, so these were a real treat.
Tonight, the sky was clear, but fog was moving into the area. I was anxious to try out these binoculars and make sure that they would properly come to focus, etc. on stars and other deep sky objects. I bundled up and went outside for a quick look around.
The Pleiades were high in the sky at this time of night, and the perfect object for binoculars. Propping my arms up on the roof of my car allowed me to steady the binoculars enough for enjoyable viewing.
Much to my delight, the stars were crisp pinpoints, and the varied brightness of the stars in the cluster gave it a 3D appearance. The entire cluster fit nicely within the field of view, with room to spare. Compared to my low-power telescope views (where only about 3/4 of the cluster would fit into the field of view), the wider view was stunning. The sparkling jewel box glistened brightly in the cold winter night, its gems forming patterns of lines and swirls on the canvas we call the sky.
Next, I turned my attention to Jupiter. While the planet itself gave off some color (due to the achromatic lenses and fast focal ratio) and made it impossible to discern any detail, all four moons were clearly visible. At this particular time, one of the moons was pretty close to the planet (about one planet's diameter) it could still be easily seen.
I decided to push my luck and try for the ringed planet. The dirty yellow color was unmistakable. The planet was definitely oblong-shaped, and in moments when my hand was particularly steady, the ring structure could definitely be seen around the equatorial regions, with a definite band of black separating the rings from the planet proper.
After making a quick sweep of the Hyades, and with fog settling in, I called it a night. All in all, the binoculars exceeded my expectations. For the price, a little bit of color aberration is perfectly acceptable. If you need a lightweight but powerful pair of binoculars, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending them.