Found a cheap way to see Jupiter's moons without a telescope

I was out in my backyard in Tucson last week with just my 10x50 binoculars trying to spot Jupiter. I kept holding them by hand and my arms were shaking so bad I couldn't see anything. Finally I propped them on a stack of old books on a table and it was like magic - I could see three tiny dots lined up next to the planet. Has anyone else tried this kind of DIY mount trick with binoculars?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_carr1mo ago

Heard someone on a podcast say the trick is to brace your elbows against your chest or a wall. Makes a huge difference, I tried it myself after a few shaky nights. Books or a table work too, anything solid helps. Jupiter is bright enough that even cheap binoculars can show the moons if you can hold still. It's crazy how much of the night sky opens up once you get past the hand shake.

campbell.robin1mo ago

Yeah the "brace your elbows" thing is exactly what I figured out by accident last winter. @seth_carr I tried using a fence post one night and it felt like I was trying to perform surgery on the sky. My problem is even when I brace my arms I still get this stupid little tremor from too much coffee. Its like my hands have their own agenda. So I actually started sitting on the ground and propping the binoculars on my knees instead. Not as steady as a wall but way better than holding them out in front of me like an idiot. Jupiter's moons were just little dots but I saw them clear as day and it blew my mind.

jake_martin161mo ago

Man I gotta say, are people really out here treating binoculars like they're performing open heart surgery? It's just looking at the sky, not defusing a bomb. I get that steady hands help but some of this sounds like overkill. Sitting on the ground with your knees propped up? That's a whole yoga position for something you could just rest on a fence for two seconds. Jupiter's moons are cool but I'm not sure you need to architect your whole evening around it.

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