So any last hints and tips?

[Stivius]

So I finally got my  copy of "Turn left at Orion", my DIY green laser pointer/finder works a treat. Found a nice dark spot to observe from and only a 10 minute drive away. Just waiting now for clear nights to align with days off work. So the plan is sit and practice finding my way around using book and binos and attempt to try and find a few targets in the scope. What would be the best targets to start off with in your opinion for this time of year?

[rwilkey]

Hi Stevius, and welcome to SGL, the biggest targets in the sky are best to get you started and practising - the Moon and glorious Jupiter and its Galilean moons.  Seek out the detail on both objects.  Jupiter excels at about 150x and needs about an hours' viewing to appreciate it.  The Moon just needs patience and appreciation and will respond to most magnifications, particularly medium to high.  Good luck and enjoy your new venture.

[damnut]

Hi There,

Jupiter and Venus  are  easy targets, as is the moon!. Unfortunately the moon light will obscure some objects. Download stellarium, its great and free it will show you whats in the sky also, to be found here :--- http://www.stellarium.org/

A good resource too is :-- http://www.astronomy.co.uk/skytonight

[ghostdance]

The most obvious right now: The Moon - lovely detail to be seen along the 'terminator' shadow - craters, crater floors, rilles and what not...always worth a prolonged eyeful. And the mountain shadows as they lengthen across the seas, just beautiful.

The Moon will blow out a lot of DSO's, but (reckoning Co Down skies may be a whole lot darker than mine) - the trio of clusters in Auriga (M38, M36, M37) are good...look for the 'Cheshire Cat' face right next to M38 (M38 is the left end of its smile) and the 'Flying Minnow' asterism a hop or so over to the right of the Cat. 

And of course, the worker's favourite, M44 The Beehive - always a beauty. And just to the left, Jupiter. Just below Jupiter little X Cancri is a glowing-red spark. And just to the right, Gemini's Castor and Pollux ( nice double- triple? - at Castor). Later on in the night, M13 globular cluster is swinging up Hercules' armpit. Saturn is coming round in the wee hours, low-ish to the South/Southwest.

And bag overhead, Ursa Major...fun to be had. Though I would think the Moon at present will do for M81/82 perhaps (haven't tried for a week or so), same for M101 I should think.

Enjoy your green lightsabre! Should increase the phone calls to the constabulary

Doh! And Venus of course! Tsk....I should hand in my badge...

[ronin]

I would say just start to get familiar with the constellations: Plough (not a constellation), Casseiopia, Leo, Auriga.

Then a bit of finding from one to another:

Plough to Polaris (easy), Plough to Leo (pointers the other direction), Casseiopia to the double cluster, Plough to Arcturus.

Likely not visible but Casseiopia to M31.

Find Hercules if you are up late, M13 is somewhere along one edge of the square.

Equally if up that late Lyra should be visible - worth finding that.

With binoculars locate Mizar in the Plough.

[mikeyrea]

As Ronin says, getting to know the constellations is a great start.    I also have TLAO and have drawn in the 'classic' constellation lines between the stars, and a few extra labels when I've felt this is appropriate.