What is Reddit's opinion of Celestron – SkyMaster 20X80 Binocular – Outdoor and Astronomy Binocular – Large Aperture for Long Distance Viewing – Multi-coated Optics – Carrying Case Included – Ultra Sharp Focus?

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Throw $50 at a student account (gets you one year) at Slooh.com and ride their telescopes for a while. Do their quests which will teach you what you want to know. If you’re going to spend $100, get a pair of astronomy binoculars, not a telescope.

Celestron – SkyMaster 20X80 Astro Binoculars – Astronomy Binoculars with Deluxe Carrying Case – Powerful Binoculars – Ultra Sharp Focus https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_vla7FbEPQ4YMX

I highly recommend these: Celestron 71018 SkyMaster 20 x 80 Binocular https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_neJiFbBWXNS7H

£120! I have them and there’s a good reason they have over 6,300 purchases and a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

20 years ago those would’ve cost you £500-£1000.

If you go for them you won’t be disappointed- simply looking at the moon is an unbelievable experience. And you can see at least 3 of Jupiter’s moons etc. Also perfectly good for daytime.

Just get a tripod for them as they’re too hefty to hold for long.

Celestron 71018 SkyMaster 20 x 80 Binocular https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uk00EbENW5KHE

Those are the ones I bought. Over 6,300 purchases of them on amazon with almost perfect 5/5 rating. They’re an absolute bargain. But the tripod is necessary. The jump to the 25x100 is costly- an extra £200!

Celestron 71018 SkyMaster 20 x 80 Binocular

If you want to save money you can go down to 25 x 70, or even the 15 x 70. I personally own the 20 x 80s but have heard good things about the smaller sizes.

The 20 x 80s have a built in mount. But you would need one for the other sizes. The good thing is you can buy them, try them out and return them if you aren't happy through Amazon. At least in the US.

Since you mentioned stars, do you live in an area where a telescope would make sense? Even if you have some light pollution, as long as you're not right in a city, you can see a ton with good binoculars or a fairly affordable telescope. (I live within walking distance of a big mall with obnoxious lighting and can still see plenty from my yard.)

Check out r/astronomy first since I'm pretty new at that whole hobby, but I have binoculars from Celestron (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_teQ4wbX0HFY8W) and it's absolutely breathtaking how many stars you can see. The guide Night Watch is a good side gift to go along with it, although there are tons of free apps (I like Google sky map) that work well, too.

I second that. A lot of times, people just need to be treated like fellow human beings. That was really part of Carl Sagan's point in Pale Blue Dot, so good on you OP.

u/loongo, if you're looking for something that is perfect for beginners, I suggest binoculars designed for stargazing. I recently bought these: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0007UQNTU and have been very impressed. One thing of note: you will need a good tripod.

I used a pair of 20x80 binoculars that my dad bought at Cabelas almost 25 years ago. Something like this https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU would be equivalent to that.