Astronomy Binocular Support

All content created by Kevin Howard

This web site should be of interest to anyone who uses or would like to use binoculars for observing the night sky. I say “would like to use binoculars” because you may, like me, have found you just can not hold them steady enough to get a decent view of anything. Added to that is the discomfort of having to bend your neck to almost impossible angles. This is all most frustrating for binoculars have a number of advantages over telescopes as astronomical instruments:-

  it is more comfortable to observe with two eyes rather than one,

  binoculars have a wider field of view which makes them more suitable for viewing extended objects such as star clusters or comets,

  they are more portable than any astronomical telescope,

I designed the Binocular Support to overcome all the above mentioned impediments to observing whilst retaining all the advantages. It's main features are:-

  the most comfortable way to observe the night sky,

binoculars are held completely steady,

  portability is retained (when disassembled it can be carried in a rucksack),

TheBinocular Support takes the form of two uprights about 370mm high and a cross bar 600mm across. In use the observer lies on the ground with his head supported by a thick cushion and the Binocular Support positioned above his chest. As the binoculars are brought to the eyes the forearms or wrists rest on top of the crossbar which pivots to allow for the variable angle of the forearms. By adjusting the position of the arms and the grip on the binoculars, it is possible to view any object between 90 degrees and about 20 degrees in altitude, and close to 180 degrees of azimuth. Because the arms are supported so close to the wrists the binoculars are held incredibly steady and the arms do not tire. However the freedom of movement enjoyed by hand held binoculars is retained. I use either a foam camping mattress or a small ground sheet to lie on, depending on the condition of the ground and / or how cold a night it is!

My observing has been completely transformed by the Binocular Support , and by following the simple instructions below yours can be too. It really is easy to make so why not give it a try?

Created in May 2003 with OpenOffice and The Gimp. Last modified 13 April 2007