Reddit reviews Celestron - SkyMaster 25x70 Binocular - Large Aperture Binoculars with 70mm Objective Lens - 25x Magnificiation High Powered Binoculars - Includes Carrying Case

How about this, it's 65$ in US and 25x70. Bigger aperture means better light capturing ability. I guess this is not all purpose, it's astronomical binocular and it's heavy. I don't have one myself so really can't say about the quality.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003AM87Q4/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479669954&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=celestron+binoculars&dpPl=1&dpID=313pkGWRIUL&ref=plSrch

> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003AM87Q4/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1479669954&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=celestron+binoculars&dpPl=1&dpID=313pkGWRIUL&ref=plSrch

Can confirm. I purchased these and it's almost impossible to really see anything due to how jittery it is.

I bought these from amazon. They're pretty amazing and not too bad for looking at the stars. The orion nebula blows me away every time.

You'd be surprised how awesome a decent set of binoculars can be for just starting out. Throw them on a tri-stand and star gaze away. Doesn't have to be super expensive to get some results.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71008-SkyMaster-25x70-Binoculars/dp/B003AM87Q4/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1479672679&sr=1-5&keywords=binoculars+celestron

Even in the middle of the city, we look up and see all kinds of stars we cant see with the naked eye and our minds are pleasantly blown.

Honestly, in reasonably dark skies you can see truly extraordinary things with binoculars. I've done a fair bit of astrophotography, but these days with very few exceptions I'm looking through binoculars. But you need astro binocs, not some random binocular. Regular binoculars have apertures that are too small - everything looks dark. I own and use these and only these -- Celestron 25x70s for 65 bucks. It comes with a thing to connect it to any tripod, so you don't have to hold it. If you don't own a tripod, you can get one on Amazon for 15 bucks.

Clear skies!

In reality, the binoculars are literally two small refractor telescopes:)

Getting your first scope is so exciting! I'm very much an amateur and casual observer myself, but my dad and I have been into astronomy for about four years now.

First, I recommend looking into some space/astro societies in your area, there's Tacoma Astronomical Society and Rose City Astronomers in my area for example! Each club has different resources, but they can be super helpful. You can meet locals and see if they have resources you can rent- like telescopes, or books and whatnot. It's saved me a dime or two. Sometimes they have online forums too. I also highly recommend going to star parties, it's where I've learned the most! You can see other people's set ups, ask loads of questions, and get a better sense for what you might want. We did this for about 6 months before getting our first scope, and before that we nabbed a pair of nice binoculars .

Now, you have to consider, when you get a scope you aren't just getting a scope. You're probably getting filters, eye pieces, protective gear, batteries, red lights, etc. etc. and then probably a tool box to carry all of this- which you might want to customize with foam or something to keep everything safe and tidy. It's an Investment. Now, looking at jupiter and saturn won't require much, but eventually you might want to look at the moon (needs filters), or special eyepieces that let have more magnification, or there's even filters that let you see some colors, etc!

I, personally, would highly recommend getting a manual (specifically, Dobsonian *) scope for your first one- not computerized. Learning the sky and it's constellations is part of astronomy, and having to find stuff yourself is really helpful- and rewarding! Plus, computerized scopes require pretty hardy batteries, especially if you want to take it out to darker skies which usually means more rural aka no plugs. They also require certain stars to be be visible to be able to calibrate. Manual scopes require no plugs, no consistent power source, and no learning computer programs-NexStar can be a pain imo, some reading required (plus Jupiter and Saturn are pretty easy to spot with the naked eye anyways). Plus it's fun being able to point out stuff to friends just by knowing where a few stars are. We only got a computerized equatorial mount (meaning it tracks objects) when we wanted to try out long exposure astro- photography. This 8in dob was our first scope, and I still love it- it's the go-to (Craigslist, amazon used, and other shops are worth a gander too).

*I'm 99% sure dobsonian and newtonian telescopes are the same, except for the mounts they're on (newtonian is tripod, dobsonian is a base that can move up down and in a circle)

Also, I consider Sinnott's Sky Atlas a must!

Lmk if you have any questions!

(Edit: sorry if this is repetitive- reddit says there are four comments, but isn't letting see me them atm.)

Try these... At 25x you will see the moons of Jupiter, nice crater detail on the Moon, and excellent wide field views of deep sky objects. I have a pair of 20x80 and use them more than my 12" Meade Lightbridge. IMO this is the best place to start with a limited budget.

That's a good suggestion. My first reflector was a 4-inch Mizar made in the Soviet Union and I had a fantastic time. You will have some leftover money to buy a pair of binoculars, how about this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71008-SkyMaster-25x70-Binoculars/dp/B003AM87Q4/ref=sr_1_207?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1279393515&sr=1-207

this is a great DIY book:
http://www.amazon.com/Yourself-VISUALLY-Astronomy-Richard-Talcott/dp/0470343826?ie=UTF8&keywords=teach%20your%20self%20astronomy&qid=1465437802&ref_=sr_1_sc_2&sr=8-2-spell

astrophysics uses a lot of "classical mechanics", pretty advanced mathy stuff. But you'll get to that slowly. If you want to start now, try to get to Calculus as fast as you can. Calc and Trig are pretty damn important in astrophysics.

More important to have fun, learn everything you can (math doubly so), and maybe buy some binoculars to really learn the night sky. You can get a pair of 70mm binoculars (Celestron) on amazon for about 50 dollars now. Incredible deal.

Scratch that, they're 68 dollars. still an incredibel deal. http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71008-SkyMaster-25x70-Binoculars/dp/B003AM87Q4?ie=UTF8&keywords=celestron%20binoculars%2015&qid=1465437970&ref_=sr_1_2&s=sports-and-fitness&sr=1-2

Just don't drop them, they cannot be collimated (meaning, if you drop them, you may knock the lenses out of alignment, and there are no adjusters to fix it).