Bickel studied electrical engineering at RWTH Aachen University and finished his studies in 1969 . He became enthusiastic about astronomy, when he received a celestial chart and Galilean binoculars as a gift from his grand-mother at the age of 16.
2.
"' Opera glasses "', also known as "'theater binoculars "'or "'Galilean binoculars "', are compact, low-power optical magnification devices, usually used at performance events, whose name is derived from traditional use at opera performances.