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Binoculars, often referred to as binocs/ bins/ nocs are the birders best ally in the field helping them spot, identify, and fully appreciate the beauty of the birds. Like a superior tool enhances the craft of an artisan, so does a good pair of binocs enhance the ability and overall experience of the birder.

Binoculars come in all shapes, sizes and more importantly prices, which can get shockingly high. So the ability to pick the right pair for oneself is very crucial. While the more expensive binocs tend to have higher image quality and durability, we cannot use this as the only yardstick as there are cheaper models with decent quality that are durable.

The amount of technical specifications wrapped in jargon one has to sift through when reading the manufacturers’ marketing spiel is astounding for what one would have considered simple devices. So a little education would go a long way in helping you in making an informed decision to pick a piece most suitable for you.

Before you start the hunt for your perfect bins, you need to fix your budget. While you should not get pushed to spend more, put aside as much as you can afford. Trust me, you will thank yourself countless times for this in the field. Next, you need to figure out how much weight you can carry comfortably, especially if you are birding in the field for long.

Remember, you tend to leave it behind if the weight crosses your threshold or worse still; you end up with literally a pain in the neck. These two steps would now have given you a manageable set of viable options. Now to separate the chaff from the grain.

nikon monarch m5 Nikon

Photo Credit: The Nikon Monarch M5 comes in 8×42, 10×42, and 12×42 models
Nikon

Let’s dive into the specifications. You would notice all bins come with numbers like 8×32 or 10×42. The first number signifies the magnification, obviously the greater the magnification the better, but it comes at a price. The higher the magnification, the heavier the bins and more difficult it is to hold steady for reasonable amounts of time.

Also, the higher magnification would make the shakes more apparent. The second number is the size of the objective lens (the one away from you) the bigger it is the more light it gathers and the brighter is your view.

Again, the bigger the number, the heavier the bins. Normally 8×42 or the 10×42 is considered a sweet spot for birding bins with good magnification, brightness and field of view. While both these models from the same manufacturer would look, weigh and even be priced very close to each other, there are nuanced differences between the two.

The 8×32 would generally feel brighter than its 10×42 stablemate in low light conditions and offer a wider field of view at the obvious cost of magnification. So if you are looking for a bird in forests in the late evening, where you can’t see too far anyway, an 8×42 might feel advantageous while in situations with a distant bird you might crave for the magnification of the 10×42.

The glass used in construction is a major factor in the quality of the view. BK7, Bak4, HD and ED would be the types you would read, with each successive cipher denoting a higher quality. The coatings used on the glass have another set of acronyms. ‘C’- denoting single coating on some glass, ‘FC’ – all lens surfaces coated, ‘MC’ — some lens surfaces have multilayer coatings, ‘FMC’ – all lenses have multiple layers of coatings. As you would expect, as you move up on the scale of coatings, so do you move up the price ladder.

Then there is the form factor to consider, with the traditional bulkier Porro prisms where the objective lens is offset from the eyepiece, while in the newer roof prisms the barrels of the binoculars are straight making them more compact. Porro prism bins nowadays are cheaper, but also bunched in the lower end of the scale.

nikon prisms Nikon

How different types of prisms in binoculars are arranged
Photo Credit: Nikon.com/ Composited screenshots

Another specification you need to watch out for is eye relief. For proper viewing, the eyepiece of the bins needs to be at a comfortable distance from your eyes. So always look out for bins with eyecups that extend so that the bins seat comfortably over your eye and if you use glasses, you can retract the eyecups so they rest over your glasses while maintaining eye relief.

Then there are boxes you should ensure are ticked if you want your investment to serve you for a long time. They should be rugged and durable. Many come with a rubberised coating to protect them from bumps and also give a good grip. They should be waterproof so that a little inclement weather does not put a spoke in your plans and finally they should be fog proof so that your viewing is unhindered.

Now that you have arrived at your final list of candidates, the concluding step is beyond specifications. Get to a store and pick up the pair of bins and ask yourself; How do they feel in your hand, how well do they seat on your eyes, which produces the image that you find most pleasing?

All these will be answered only when you try them. If you don’t have a store close by, you could check your birding buddy’s bins on a birding trip. Birders are more than eager to show off their optics. This will give you real world answers to pick the winner.

Buying guide for the ‘value for money’ binoculars listed by price. We selected these from models easily available in India. 8×42 and 10×42 are listed alternately and usually we can find a corresponding model for the same brand.

Olympus 8 x 40 DPS I

The entry level birding bins. Most birders would have started with this.

  • Pros – Price (cheapest, most affordable usable bins), field of view (by the virtue of being an 8x)
  • Cons – Size, weight, lack of waterproofing, oldest model in the list

Nikon Aculon A211 8×42 Binocular

Nikon’s entry level model, suitable for birding, is very popular.

  • Pros – Price, Brand
  • Cons – Size, weight (heaviest of the lot), lack of waterproofing

Celestron 10×42 Outland X

Good performer with no major flaws

  • Pros – Weight (lightest), Waterproof
  • Cons – Field of View

Vanguard Veo ED 1042

Its specifications match or exceed all in this list while not being expensive. The most value proposition purchase

  • Pros – Weight, size, Waterproof, eye-relief (best), Min. focus distance
  • Cons – None at this price point

Nikon Prostaff 5 8×42

Balanced performer, a value for money model if you consider the brand

  • Pros – Weight, Waterproof, eye-relief, Brand
  • Cons – Field of View

Carl Zeiss 10×42 Terra ED

This is the entry level model for Carl Zeiss. It has a very good FoV and exceedingly short min. focusing distance which makes it great to view butterflies and insects.

  • Pros – Brand, Min. focus distance, Waterproof, Field of view
  • Cons – Weight, Price

Rajneesh Suvarna has been a  compulsive birder since his younger days, more likely to forget packing this toothbrush than his pair of binoculars for a trip. Among other things he currently runs a birding tour company, Wayfarer, that runs birding trips around the world. A well published photographer you can find some of his work on NatureChronicles.com. You can follow him in Insta, Facebook twitter


This series is an initiative by the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), under their programme ‘Nature Communications’ to encourage nature content in all Indian languages. To know more about birds and nature, Join The Flock.


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Dark Dwarfs: New Star-Like Objects May Reveal Nature of Dark Matter

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Dark Dwarfs: New Star-Like Objects May Reveal Nature of Dark Matter

Astronomers predict an unseen class of star-like bodies called “dark dwarfs” near our galaxy’s center. A new study suggests these objects could shine thanks to annihilating dark matter, not nuclear fusion. Dark matter makes up about a quarter of the universe and interacts via gravity. If WIMP-like dark matter particles collect in a brown dwarf, they would annihilate and heat it, causing a faint glow. Dark dwarfs would be too light to fuse hydrogen, but would keep lithium-7 in their atmospheres, offering a signature. This prediction comes from a JCAP study. The discovery of one could reveal dark matter’s nature.

Predicted Dark Dwarf Properties

According to the paper, sub-stellar objects just below the hydrogen-burning threshold would be powered by dark matter. The authors find that the minimum mass for hydrogen fusion shifts above ∼0.075 M⊙ in dense dark-matter environments, so lighter brown dwarfs instead become stable dark-matter–powered stars (‘dark dwarfs’) via WIMP annihilation inside them. They predict such objects only appear in regions with extremely high dark-matter density, like the Galactic center (ρ_DM ≳ 10^3 GeV/cm^3), because further out the halo is too tenuous. Crucially, dark dwarfs should retain lithium-7 in mass ranges where ordinary brown dwarfs burn it away, providing a clear observational signature.

Observational Prospects and Implications

Sakstein notes that powerful telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope might even already detect extremely cold objects like dark dwarfs near the galactic center. Alternatively, astronomers could survey brown dwarf populations for a rare sub-class with anomalous lithium content. Notably, even one confirmed dark dwarf would strongly favor heavy, self-annihilating dark matter.

Sakstein explains that finding dark dwarfs would provide “compelling evidence” for dark matter that is massive and interacts with itself – essentially WIMPs or similar particles. He notes that lighter candidates (like axions) would not produce such stars, so a dark dwarf discovery would disfavor those models. While not a proof of WIMPs, a dark dwarf detection would imply dark matter behaves like WIMPs (heavy and weakly interacting). Indeed, future surveys and JWST observations will also test these predictions.

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NASA Astronaut Captures Rare Red Sprite Over Storm from Space Station

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NASA Astronaut Captures Rare Red Sprite Over Storm from Space Station

In early July 2025, NASA astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers snapped a rare image of a giant red “sprite” phenomenon erupting above a thunderstorm, as she orbited 250 miles (400 km) above Earth. Sprites are brief, luminous columns caused by powerful lightning discharges far below. Ayers noted that having the ISS vantage makes for a “great view above the clouds” and helps scientists analyze these elusive events. This sprite appeared over storm clouds spanning Mexico and the southern U.S. on July 3, 2025. The sighting coincides with NASA’s Spritacular citizen-science project, which crowdsources photos of sprites and other upper-atmosphere flashes.

Rare ‘Sprite’ Phenomenon Explained

According to NASA, sprites are one of the “least understood” and most visually striking upper-atmosphere phenomena. They are brief columns of red light that flash high above thunderclouds, triggered by powerful lightning strikes. Data show sprites often form around 50 miles (80 km) altitude above Earth. These fleeting bursts take varied shapes – tendrils, plumes or towering columns of red light.

In Ayers’s photo, the sprite looks like an inverted scarlet umbrella extending into the sky. Each sprite flash lasts only a few milliseconds, so every image provides valuable data. Observations from orbit and the ground are steadily building a clearer picture of these mysterious storm-driven events. For example, NASA’s Juno mission even recorded sprite-like flares in Jupiter’s atmosphere, suggesting similar lightning processes on other worlds.

Crowdsourcing Sprites

To gather more data on sprites, NASA launched the Spritacular citizen-science project. Through Spritacular, volunteers with cameras can submit photos of upper-atmosphere flashes for research. The project’s website reports over 800 volunteers from 21 countries have uploaded about 360 sprite sightings since its 2022 launch. Each contribution helps scientists map where and how sprites occur. Ayers’s ISS photo adds a valuable perspective that complements citizen reports.

Space.com notes that multiple ISS crew members have begun photographing sprites from orbit, bolstering the data. Spritacular principal investigator Dr. Burcu Kosar says the project “will bridge the gap” between casual observers and researchers. NASA scientists say many questions about how and why sprites form “remain unanswered”, so more images could soon help decode the mystery.

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Progress 92 Spacecraft Docks at ISS with Vital Supplies for Expedition 73

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Progress 92 Spacecraft Docks at ISS with Vital Supplies for Expedition 73

The progress of 92 spacecraft, which is unpiloted, reached the space-facing port of the Poisk of the orbiting laboratory at 2:55 a.m. IST on Sunday, July 5, 2025. At 5:25 p.m. EDT, Saturday, July 5, 2025, the spacecraft landed. The spacecraft launched a 1:02 a.m. IST on July 4, 2025, on a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. This spacecraft by Roscosmos is for providing tons of food, fuel and other supplies for the Expedition 73 crew on the International Space Station.

Six-Month Docking to Aid Research and Waste Management on ISS

As reported by NASA, it will be there on the dock for around six months before its departure and re-entry into the atmosphere of the Earth to dispose of the trash that the crew has loaded. This spacecraft includes a wide variety of essential items for astronomers. Apart from food and fuel, there are some equipment and spare parts also which are needed by the astronauts. Such items help the astronauts to perform their daily activities and conduct the planned experiments in space. It would be very difficult to maintain the life support and let the operations continue without any hampering.

Progress 92 Delivers Crucial Supplies to Support Expedition 73

Dr. Natalia Sergeyevna, the Roscosmos scientist, said in a statement that this successful docking portrays our strength in the continuous support to the ISS for the successful completion of Expedition 73. Every cargo mission is crucial and needs to ensure safety, health, and productivity. NASA praised the mission, calling the Progress Cargo deliveries a key part of keeping long-duration space missions going in a smooth manner.

Along with the everyday needs, the cargo also carried the materials for research related to health, plant growth, space materials and fluid dynamics. Scientists can better understand how living and working in space impacts their bodies and the milieu.

Progress 92 will stay docked at the ISS for about six months. After the work, the spacecraft will undock and make its re-entry into the atmosphere of the Earth and burn up safely. Cargo missions not just supply but also manage waste, keeping the ISS efficient and clean.

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