I agree with chickenlittle...Coupled with a lightweight chaise lounge chair, the 7x50 is the nearly perfect device to view the night sky without a tripod and on a budget. This power binocuar is also multi-use, being the preferred power for marine use. Not that all 7x50's are cheap, but there are bargains to be found.

Here's a link for more information on use for astronomy.

http://www.observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.binocular.html