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Celestial Coordinates vs Star Hopping?


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So I've been doing this about a month, I'm using 10x50 binoculars. I've read a lot about celestial coordinates, but I literally have no idea how to 'use' them in the field. I've had MUCH better success using my sky atlas and just 'star hopping' with my binoculars, and am able to find anything I'm looking for, it just takes a little bit of time.

What are the 'differences' between the two methods of finding objects? Is there any practical advice to making celestial coordinates 'easier' to use? Are they necessary, or is star hopping just as 'useful'? It seems much more intuitive, find constellation, find star, jump to object, as opposed to trying to figure out degrees this way and that way, etc. 

Thanks. 

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Star-hopping always works for those who know how to do it.

Celestial coordinates work on go-to systems which have been properly star aligned. Star hoppers have generally found at least half a dozen objects before the star alignment of a go-to system has finished ;)

When electricity fails, star-hoppers keep going.

As you might guess, I love star hopping.

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Star-hopping always works for those who know how to do it.

Celestial coordinates work on go-to systems which have been properly star aligned. Star hoppers have generally found at least half a dozen objects before the star alignment of a go-to system has finished ;)

When electricity fails, star-hoppers keep going.

As you might guess, I love star hopping.

Good to hear. I felt kind of stupid trying to read RA/declination from the atlas and applying it to what I was seeing. My binocular's go-to system is malfunctional so I guess I'll stick with star hopping.

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