10 best

[blueranger]

Can anyone maybe give any links for websites displaying "Tonights 10 best" like the GOTO scopes do.

This would be quite handy as a newbie to know where to start with things that a worth looking for on a particular night.

I have done the saturn thing, so I want to move on.

I also have various books etc, but they are quite general.

Thanks in advance.

[**Space*Hopper**]

You might like to check out at the monthly sky maps available at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

That's what I use.

Ian

[blueranger]

Thanks,

But I was looking for something that would say, tonight look at.........

But I will definatly use those skymaps.

[scotastro]

Blueranger

One of the problems is what time of night are you actually observing.

If you go out just after sunset in May Mercury is visible climbing higher each night until May 14 when it sets about an hour after the Sun.

As soon as it's dark (say 10pm) you have the Spring stars still visible Gemini, Leo, Virgo, etc, but if you are out at 2am the summer triangle constellations of Lyra, Cygnus and Aquila are high up. So it is a near impossible task to say what are the 10 best things to look at tonight.

Can I suggest you try another approach which is to hunt down as many DSOs above magnitude 9 or 10 in a particular constellation. The Mak 127 is also great for viewing double stars which can be colourful and sometime challenging objects if they are close together.

Here is a link to a website details the DSOs in each constellation

http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ (there are more maps on Net)

plus one that lists double stars

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dblstar/dblstar2.htm[/color][url=http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dblstar/dblstar2.html]l

To help you know what constellation are visisble when or to locate the double stars use free the planetarium program Stellarium

http://www.stellarium.org/

Happy hunting

Scotastro

[Andrew*]

This is a great idea actually. A website you go to, and you enter in what time you're going out that night (or any night you choose) and a few perameters (what scope you have/object preferences/restrictions in particular cardinal points) and it comes up with a list of the best objects on offer considering altitude in the sky, proximity to moon, magnitude etc..

You click on an object, and it gives you a few vital stats and a star-hopping guide and what to look out for.

You can go back and check the objects you wish to view, and it compiles an observing plan which you can print out and take out with you.

So many ideas, so little time...or knowledge...

Andrew

[SteveP]

Hi Blueranger

As an alternative, find yourself a copy of 'Turn Left at Orion'. A great book IMHO. It takes you through each season and provides instructions of how and where to find the good stuff. It's especially good if you don't have GoTo

Good hunting!

Steve

[blueranger]

Thanks for the input guys.

AstroPhethean idea is the perfect solution but I think it will be hard to find as a free download but possibly as a software product??

Thanks for the links though scotastro they will come in handy.

I do have Turn left at Orion but I was just being a bit lazy if I just wanted a quick viewing!

Thanks again all.

[FLO]

Some of the 'Starry Night' range of planetarium software offer a 'what up tonight' (or words to the effect) listing.