Observations

Posts Tagged 'binoculars'

Total lunar eclipse 7.9.2025: Quick info for the event

August 27 2025, Marcus Schenk

Finally, the long wait is over! On September 7, our Moon will transform into a copper-red jewel in the evening sky. The best part: this time, you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night—the eclipse begins during prime family time.

Lunar eclipse shortly before the end

The perfect timing for Moon fans

Normally, the sky has a rather nasty sense of humor. Beautiful events tend to happen at 3 a.m. This time, it’s making an exception! Starting at 7:38 p.m., the Moon will rise above the horizon as a copper ball. By then, the eclipse will already be in full swing.

The eclipse times at a glance (CEST):

6:27 p.m. – Start of the partial phase (below the horizon)

7:30 p.m. – Start of the total phase (below the horizon)

7:45 p.m. – Moonrise – now it begins

8:12 p.m. – Middle of the eclipse

8:53 p.m. – End of the total phase

9:57 p.m. – End of the partial phase

You have over an hour to enjoy this cosmic show.

The perfect viewing spot

During the eclipse, the Moon will be only 4° to 10° above the horizon. So choose a clear spot facing east. A hill, a meadow, or your top-floor balcony—anything where houses and trees don’t block your view.

Pro tip for photographers: The Moon’s low position is actually a gift. Your landscape shots with the red Moon will be absolutely atmospheric.

Part 2 Equipment for the lunar eclipse

After such a long wait, you’ll surely want more than just to look. Here’s your equipment list:

Binoculars

For beginners and all-round observers: The Omegon Blackstar 2.0 8×42 binoculars bring the Moon within arm’s reach. The 8x magnification shows every crater in crisp detail. You don’t need a tripod, and you’ll still get steady images.

Omegon Blackstar 8x42 binoculars

For wide-viewers: The Omegon Blackstar 2.0 10×50 brings you even more detail. With the larger aperture, you collect more light—perfect for future Milky Way trips or viewing open star clusters.

Omegon Blackstar 2.0 10x50

Stability boost: With the stable yet affordable Omegon Basic 250 tripod, you’ll get an even steadier image.

Telescopes

Beginners: The Omegon 90/1000 EQ-2 brings the Moon so close you’ll feel like you can touch it. The equatorial mount automatically tracks the Moon. Great fun for the whole family. The Moon and planets will become your new best friends.

Omegon Basic 90/1000 EQ-2 telescope

Dobson power: The Omegon Advanced X Dobson 150/1200 is your entry into the league of light-gathering telescopes. A 150 mm aperture means: the Moon, planets, and countless nebulae will be bright and clearly visible. As a new hobby astronomer, you’ll love the intuitive handling—just aim and go!

Omegon Dobson 152/1200

Smart telescopes

Into modern tech? Smart telescopes make astrophotography a breeze. Their apps even have special lunar eclipse modes. Perfect for tech-loving astrophotographers.

Smartphone photography

Want spontaneous snapshots directly through your telescope? The Omegon Easypic Universal Smartphone Adapter fits any 1.25″ eyepiece. Just attach your phone, focus, click, and you’re done.

For advanced users: Check out the camera adapters or special Moon and planet cameras. They’ll help you get the most out of your shots.

An experience to remember

Not until December 31, 2028 will we once again enjoy the next total lunar eclipse. That’s more than three years of waiting! Check your equipment now.

Tags: telescope, binoculars, Lunar Eclipse
Posted in Observations »

Perseids 2025: Nights of Shooting Stars in August

July 21 2025, Marcus Schenk

It’s that time of year again: The Perseids are coming! From the night of August 12th to the 13th, the famous summer shooting stars will once again reach their peak. There’s just one small drawback: this year, the bright, almost full moon will outshine many fainter meteors. Therefore, we need to focus our attention on the brighter ones.

Quick Tip: Lie down comfortably and look toward the east. You don’t need a telescope—just a dark sky, some patience, and perhaps a pair of binoculars.

Perfect for observing and photography:

With the Omegon 2.1×42 wide-field binoculars, you’ll spot more meteors than with the naked eye alone, while keeping things technically simple.

Want to photograph shooting stars? Then bring along a MiniTrack LX3 photo mount. It helps you create impressive astro-nightscapes.

For comfortable viewing, pack a camping chair, a warm blanket, and a thermos.

You’ll find more tips and background information in the magazine article “Successfully observing the Perseids: Here’s how” on Astroshop.

Tags: binoculars, Astrophotography
Posted in Observations|Observations »

C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE): A new comet in the spotlight?

July 10 2020, Marcus Schenk

A star on the celestial stage? Or quietly disappearing through the stage door? Another promising comet is currently travelling through the solar system. But what kind of performance can we expect from C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)? Predictions are creating suspense …

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

It all kicked off in spring with the Y4 ATLAS comet: There were already rumours that it could be the Great Comet of 2020 as it was following a similar trajectory to the Great Comet of 1844. This reached a magnitude of -1 back in its day. In reality, comet Y4 ATLAS put on a good show until it suddenly disintegrated. Now its debris is continuing to travel through the solar system but the great experience failed to materialise. We were also able to see comet C/2017 C2 (Panstarrs) periodically but this also failed to meet expectations.

The wonderful new appearance of a bright comet – C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

But the Universe is always full of surprises: The new comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered as a faint magnitude +17 firefly on 27 March by the NEOWISE Space Telescope. The comet talent scouts amongst the scientists are now predicting it will have a bright future. Whispered rumours say it could reach a magnitude of +0.6. What? No. Yes! But keep your voice down.

Where is the comet now and when can I observe it?

Pay attention, the most important information is coming up.
Comet NEOWISE is currently located in the southern sky but it is slowly moving into the northern sky and is climbing higher each day. From 15 July, you will be able to marvel at it in the evening sky (from 22:30) at 15 degrees above the north-western horizon. Unfortunately, its position close to the Sun means that you cannot see it all night long. In the following days it will traverse the Lynx constellation (which is rather faint) on its way to the Great Bear’s front paw. You only have a small window of time after twilight – but it’s worth it.

Telescope, binoculars or the naked eye?

If the experts are right, NEOWISE will reach a magnitude of +0.6 on 5 July during its perihelion. But it is also supposed to glow with an impressive magnitude +2 on 15 July . This would mean it was a comet for your telescope, any binoculars you can envision – and even for the naked eye.

Of course, its journey does not end mid-July: over the course of the month it wanders further along the Great Bear’s paw and reaches the amazing Coma Berenices (Berenice’s Hair) on 1 August. During this time, it leaves its magnitude behind, dimming to magnitude +3 by 20/07 and to magnitude 5.5 by 1 August. But even then it will be an attractive object. Partly because it will then be somewhat darker and the comet could gain more than 10 degrees of additional altitude.

Will we be able to finally break out of the vicious circle of faint comets? We will see. Have fun observing.

You can download a PDF of the star chart here: C:2020 F3 NEOWISE star chart.