Iris

You can query the SIMBAD database

SIMBAD Astronomical Database

and select either the basic or identifier link - enter the HIP identifier in the field (include the letters HIP) and it will give you a page detailing the object - including several different identifiers if known i.e HIP, SAO etc..

Thats how I have done it in the past in an ad-hoc way. I dont know of a method or plugin to allow this directly from Stellarium.. of course I havent checked to see if there is an SAO catalog available for stellarium which might be a better bet long term...

Most probably chinese lanterns Joanie - it seems that they are becoming an increasingly frequent phenomenon.

You can try using a compact digital camera through the eyepiece Ben, although I dont know how good a quality of image you can achieve with that technique through an ETX60. I had an ETX 80 and tried gamely to take some images using that method - though without great success.

That having been said I was holding the camera to the eyepiece and using normal shutter release. I recently got myself an adapter like Adaptors - Skywatcher Universal Camera Adapter but I have not had any attempts to use it so far - my ETX 80 broke as did the 125 replacement but that is whole other story.

There is always the option of attaching a DSLR to the rear cell port using the appropriate adapters though I'm not sure if the ETX 60 will like the extra weight at the back.

I would stress, however, that I am a newcomer to practical astronomy myself so don't rely solely on my comments.

As an aside you posted your question as a blog entry - I don't think that quite so many people read the blogs as the forum proper. It might be an idea to ask your question again in, say, the imaging part of the forum.

Hope that helps a little.

[edit] Good advice that not to rely solely on my advice :-) - I think another (possibly better?) place for the question might be the section "Beginner's Help and Advice".