Celestron EclipSmart 20x50mm Porro solar binoculars review

Observing the sun requires great care, but also serious magnification. Equipped with 20x magnification, the Celestron EclipSmart 20x50mm Porro solar binoculars are primed for observing sunspots — magnetic disturbances on the sun’s surface that can be as big as Earth — at any time. However, as their name suggests, these binoculars are also designed to make it simple and safe to view the sun’s disk as the moon blocks it during a solar eclipse.

The Celestron EclipSmart 20×50 Porro solar binoculars offer the highest magnification of any solar binoculars on the market. With 20x magnification and 50mm objective lenses, they’re in a class of their own. However, there are some characteristics buyers need to be aware of. For example, these binoculars are based on the rather old-fashioned Porro prism optical design — a bulkier, heavier, but more affordable way to correct the inverted image. This design makes the binoculars larger and more difficult to hold steady.