Knowing the Sky

Enjoying observational astronomy can just be about looking at objects using a fully computerised GoTo telescope. But finding the objects yourself or understanding the context of the sky they lie within is immensely rewarding. So we always recommend that new amateurs start by looking at the night sky with their own eyes and perhaps a pair of binoculars; no more powerful than 10 x 50 (10 x magnification and each lens at the front is 50mm in diameter). Using the constellations and asterisms to navigate by is very effective at getting you close to any object and a simple search pattern in the much reduced area will often find the object quickly and easily. Even GoTo telescope owners are best advised to learn such things as calibrating a mount requires guide stars to be visible and this is not often the case when there is cloud about.

To help you acquire this knowledge, here is a short series on useful constellations to know:


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