Your first telescope — what should you point it at?
Published on Dec 30, 2006 at 10:27 pm.
6 Comments.
Filed under amateur astronomy.
So, you have a new telescope. You get it all set up. Now what? What do you point it at? You look in magazines and see wonderful photos of all sorts of heavenly bodies. That’s what you want to see. Well, the bad news is that they don’t look like that through a small telescope. The good news, though, is that there are hundreds of objects that can be seen through just a modest mass produced department store telescope. Now, more bad news. It is hard to find those objects. It takes skill. And, unfortunately, most of the mass market instruments are tougher to use than somewhat higher level telescopes.
What I suggest is going for something simple and obvious to start with. I suggest looking at the Moon! It is obvious and one of the easiest things to find. But, as you’ll find out when you set up your first telescope, it isn’t all that trivial if you are not familiar with using telescopes! The Moon is one of the first things that I have my students find. It is amazing how long it takes them to find it! I remember the first time I used a telescope, it took me a long time to find things that today take only seconds. So, don’t give up. Find the Moon, and use that as practice in how to use the telescope. Besides, the Moon is interesting to look at! You have craters, mountains, valleys, lava plains, and all sorts of other features that are interesting to look at. And don’t just look once and then go away. Sunlight hits the Moon at different angles on different days, so you see different features and relief. And you don’t have to just look at the Moon at night. I took the above photo just a few days ago in the afternoon. But, once you find the Moon, it would be nice to know what you are looking at. AOL has a nice Moon map that you can download and print. It isn’t very detailed, but it is a start. There is also Google Moon, which has more detail, but you rather need a computer to use it. There are other, more telescope friendly maps that I’ll discuss below.
But suppose that you want to look at something other than the Moon? Well, amateur astronomers have long relied on Astronomy Magazine (onlline at Astronomy.com) or Sky and Telescope (online at SkyTonight.com) for news of what to look for. Both have monthly charts and things to look at, and they post articles on their web pages about things that are cool to look for. There is also a daily astronomy blog, 365 Days of Skywatching, that tells you things that you can look for. This seems a very good site, and I didn’t know about it until someone left a comment a couple days ago. Even better, there is an electronic book by the same title that you can download from that site, or if you don’t want to download the book, you can buy it.
But, once you decide what you want to look for, how do you know where to point your telescope? For that, it helps to have a star chart of some sort. Both Astronomy and Sky and Telescope, and their online web sites, have some pretty general charts. There are a number of computer programs that can print out a view of the sky, with interesting objects marked. But, I am a bit old fashioned. 
I like print charts. There are three that I really like. One, the Peterson Field Guide to the Stars and Planets was the first one that I had (an older edition than this one!). This is an excellent resource. It had star charts, and even a detailed Moon map that has everything that you’d want for a first or second Moon map. There are also lists of interesting things, and a lot of information useful to a beginning amateur astronomer. Another good reference is the Norton Star Atlas. 
This latest edition of this very old name in star atlas annals is not just a star map, but an entire reference book about the sorts of things that are visible in the sky. It is a very handy aide to amateur astronomers. But one of the most useful beginning star charts is the Edmund Mag 5 Star Atlas, availalbe from Edmund Scientific. As with the others, the Mag 5 Atlas is more than a star map. It has some basic information about amateur astronomy, and it gives a list of objects marked on each page of the maps. 
Most everything listed in the Mag 5 is within reach of relatively small amateur telescopes or binoculars. Now, that assumes a little bit larger telescope than the smallest department store models and darker skies. As I said earlier, though, actually finding things is tough, so you’ll have a tough time finding things unless you get lots of practice with the telescope. The Mag 5 also has a Moon map on its back cover. I have used the Mag 5 for nearly 18 years with astronomy students.
Even if you have one of the goto telescopes that will point right at what you want, you’ll still need a star chart so that you can set up the telescope (you have to point it at two to three reference stars so that it knows how it is oriented on Earth), and you’ll want some reference so that you can decide which objects to have it point at. So, think about getting an inexpensive but good star chart to help you get started. And don’t forget the planets! They are always cool to look at, particularly Jupiter and Saturn. They are not marked on the print charts since they move around, but they are generally on the online charts or the ones printed each month in the magazines.
So, go enjoy the sky!
-Astroprof
Ed Cohen on September 1, 2007 at 3:38 pm: 1
Thanks for the insight.
I’m very old, but, very new at star
gazing.
Brett Miller on July 7, 2009 at 10:17 pm: 2
mate! u r a freaken genius! goodonya, great work. BTW keep up the good work u r a legend! how bout u get in contact with the federal ministry of astronomy and publish your findings. The moon! who would eva notice that! u r incredible! and mate! yes, i am a human, u alien raping fish!
Astroprof on July 8, 2009 at 9:12 am: 3
Brett,
It may seem obvious, but all too many people buy their first telescope and then try to immediately look at galaxies, nebulae, or any of the other things that are pictured on the box (usually with NASA images). Even finding Saturn the first time that you ever use a telescope can be a challenge. I’ve helped a lot of novice astronomers, and many don’t even try something easy first.
Andy Mackenzie on July 13, 2009 at 2:31 pm: 4
Just got my first telescope, and you’re right! Even finding the moon can be a minor challenge. Just when you think you’re pointing in the right direction and at roughly the right height,you look in the eyepiece and nothing! I’m gradually getting the hang of it, but it’s going to take some time. The frustration pays off however when you find that elusive star you’ve been looking for.
Hats off to you and anyone who takes the time to help other people into what I am hoping will be a rewarding hobby.
Jay on August 2, 2009 at 10:41 pm: 5
Thanks, just got my telescope and was confused. You helped!
P.S STFU, Brett.
Ryan on October 21, 2009 at 10:55 am: 6
I just bought a Celestron Powerseeker 127 EQ 127mm telescope. My first one. No motorized parts. First thing I did was check out Jupiter since it is so bright and easy to spot in October. Had more trouble learning how to tighten the scope up good and focus more than anything else. The second night out I found Andromeda. Now I’m ready to buy the Hubble. I still haven’t looked at the moon. (New Moon)