I appreciate all the good information on binos but it seems everyone really focused on my statement that I like to show brighter objects to other "non-astronomer" types. I am surprised that everyone finds this quite as big a challange.
I have had very good success showing newbies a number of Messier objects with my 10x40s and 10x50s. Of cource M31 is a piece of cake, but M81, M22 and even M33 are not that hard to see if you know what you are looking for. I find that if I explain exactly what they are going to see and put that in prespective, that new folks can see quite a bit.
It's no different than when looking at faint and fuzzies in the telescope. And of course at near limits, experience always helps.
During some exceptionally good seeing we had for a few nights this summer, I actually could see (certainly no definition) M51 with my 10x40s. That really blew me away.
Thanks for the bino input!
I have had very good success showing newbies a number of Messier objects with my 10x40s and 10x50s. Of cource M31 is a piece of cake, but M81, M22 and even M33 are not that hard to see if you know what you are looking for. I find that if I explain exactly what they are going to see and put that in prespective, that new folks can see quite a bit.
It's no different than when looking at faint and fuzzies in the telescope. And of course at near limits, experience always helps.
During some exceptionally good seeing we had for a few nights this summer, I actually could see (certainly no definition) M51 with my 10x40s. That really blew me away.
Thanks for the bino input!