Location, location, location!

[Starhoparfa]

No this is nothing to do with Phil and Kirsty, although I do admire how the Phil manages to get himself a pint in at the end of every show!

As a novice for 2012, I'm talking about locating objects in the night sky. Having spent the last few weeks of bad weather looking in several books, the kids and I have developed a pretty good idea of where many main constellations and commonly viewed objects are. For example we know, and have already seen, Orion and its nebula, the Plough, Taurus and the seven sisters, Perseus, Andromeda and her great Galaxy, Cassiopeia the Queen, Auriga/the Kids and his three clusters.

Anyway last night and, especially, tonight things have been a completely different ball game in terms of finding things in the night sky. For the first time these much clearer skies have revealed constellations that I thought we'd have to wait months to see. Firstly, the line down from Perseus to Andromeda very clearly revealed the square of Pegasus- at 45 degrees. To its right in the west there looked to be a cross pointing downwards. So, I checked the star chart and, sure enough, it was Cygnus. Scanning between Queen Cass and a much better revealed little bear, the house-shaped Cepheus became fully apparent. The full extent of the great bear was also very much visible rather than just the plough- his head, and two legs, each with two sets of feet. Later on tonight, Leo could clearly be seen pointing his head slightly upwards in the east. By that time the 130P Flextube scope had gone back in and it was just yours truly out with 10 X 50 binoculars. With those I couldn't find the two more obvious galaxies just below his hind quarters. Unfortunatley, I also couldn't make out Cancer in the south east with the naked eye. However, I had read that the crab makes a triangle with the twins' Pollux and the little dog's Procyon. Simply pointing the bins in that direction and I saw the two central stars of his body making a little triangle with the beehive cluster to their right.

Anyway, For all newbies like me out there, can I recommend spending just as much, if not more, time out there just with your eyes and/or a pair of bins to pick out the more faint constellations and look at some of the bigger clusters. This approach, together with starting with the smaller eyepiece, will pay dividends I'm sure.

Living up to my handle

SHA

[Pete Presland]

good advice also download stellarium as well

Stellarium

[Tinker1947]

Yes get Stellarium, switch on the Constellation and have some fun, it a good way to get to know the sky..

[bullettooth]

great thread. i have to really strain my eyes to see cancer in my LP area. but then when i do find it, praesepe (m44) through my scope makes up for all that squinting