Finding Stuff...

[BLiTZWiNG (Trent)]

I had to open my virtual mouth didn't I...

[xelasnave]

Dont get hung up on identifying objects if you are only really getting started.
Just spend time on a dark clear night cruising the Milky Way.. more objects than you can easily name anyways, but as you look around it will become clear that you have found a particular object.. they are like faces you remember them and where you saw them..as it were.. so even such a basic approach will have you remembering known objects.. look at those on a chart and you will find out others can be found and eaily identified close by..
But when it comes down to it you need to use a star chart ..even the ones in mags are usefull to get the lay out generally.
Good luck dont stress to much enjoy the view... if you see something get a ruff pos fix and tell us if you cant work it out..a fair description and a pos fix (time of night is relevant as is the angle of elevation) and like most things it becomes easier the more you do it.
Good luck.
alex

[BLiTZWiNG (Trent)]

Thanks alex, though even after reading telescope.com's description of declination and right ascention, might best description would still be "near the bright dot to the left of that group of bright dots"...

It does help having the computer running starry night in the same room that my scope is in though..

[Zander]

i have a program on my computer called Stella 2000 i use to find objects in the sky, i also have a blue and white star chart that u rotate to line up the time and date, wat i have noticed though when comparing the 2, is that some of the contellations are different. e.g. the Carina Constellation on Stella 2000 envolves another star which in my portable starchart it does not. is this normal for starcharts to have non-matching constellations

[robagar]

Well, officially the constellations are defined as particular areas of the sky. The join-the-dots constellation figures (which are more useful for actually identifying the stars involved) are not set in stone.

Sometimes the figures don't even stick to stars from the official constellation - many star charts join up the square of Pegasus even though Alperatz is in Andromeda for instance.

btw my 2c about finding stuff - I've found that the act of looking for something in particular, whatever it is, star, galaxy, globular cluster whatever, makes you look *in depth* at the region of sky that contains it, and you see much more in the process. There's a real, satisfying difference between looking and seeing!

[rmcpb (Rob)]

My second two bobs worth. Use your planishpere and binos to cruise while your scope is cooling then, when the scope is ready you have located the objects/areas you are going to dive into. Some of the best observing is done in a deck chair with some binos and just cruising.

[Zander]

thnx for the reply rob

[ving (David)]

even a planisphere and naked eye is good. you get to know your way around then