I'm with Mo about Stellarium.
Great for a novice like me with it's drawing of the constellations (the artists impressions are also great) and some of the nebulae within them. I look at Stellarium and what is in my patch of sky, constellation wise, I then get my Atlas of the Southern Sky out. Go through the constellations in my atlas and note down what is about on a spiral note book. Take the atlas and note book out with my gear key the DSOs in the GoTo on my LX90 and that keeps me busy for hours (cross referencing what I see with the photos in the atlas). Or alternatively find the constellation in the night sky and search for the DSO.
I also use QC Focus with my webcam for imaging planets and the moon which I find very user friendly. Who knows I might even post an image on here one day
. And best of all both programs are free.
Clear skies and enjoy this great hobby we share.