Best Binoculars for Astronomy
Stargazing rewards large objectives that gather more light and higher magnification for the moon and bright deep-sky objects — most astronomy pairs benefit from a tripod.
We compare 7 astronomy binoculars from $130 to $1,700. The top-rated pick is the Canon 18x50 IS AW, and the best value is the Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 at $130.
Why those specs and not others? Binoculars 101 breaks down what each activity demands — and what every number on these cards actually means.
~$1,700
Full-Size
~$700
Full-SizeMaven
Maven B.5 18x56
- Optic
- 18x×56
- FOV
- 183 ft
- Weight
- 38 oz
ED GlassPhase-CorrectedDielectric Coating
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~$1,000
Full-SizeSteiner
Steiner HX 15x56
- Optic
- 15x×56
- FOV
- 225 ft
- Weight
- 36.5 oz
ED GlassPhase-CorrectedDielectric Coating
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~$300
Full-SizeNikon
Nikon Monarch M5 10x50
- Optic
- 10x×50
- FOV
- 267 ft
- Weight
- 28.2 oz
ED GlassPhase-CorrectedDielectric Coating
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~$229
Full-Size
~$130
Full-Size
~$140
Full-Size