Really really really basic Road map

[Mr niall]

I bought a telescope around Christmas last year - it had a Goto. 

I didnt have a very good knowledge of the night sky but I didnt really learn any more with my Goto, it would just buzz around and point at something I usually couldnt see because of light pollution or my tiny scope etc etc. 

So I've had exponentially more fun by just looking up and trying to learn my way around - I use a planisphere and Starwalk 2 on my ipad and am slowly learning my way around. But it is slow, really slow. 

I remember learning arc to arcturus and spike to spica and thinking that was epic and I know people talk about pointer stars and road maps etc but I always seem to get a little overwhelmed after that. When I look up from my light polluted back garden I can probably make out about, I dont know... a hundred stars on an average night, is there like a cheat sheet anywhere that helps you jump from star to star to star? I can get from orion to sirius ok and up to aldebaron, and I can get from the plough to bootes  and polaris but i start to get a bit lost when it comes to regulus and gemini and further round!

Many thanks

Niall

[happy-kat]

If you are in the northern hemisphere then the book Turn Left at Orion is a great read and includes what expect to see and how to star hop to it and goes from binoculars to a large telescope with smaller in between.

[iPeace]

The best way is to make your own.

I teach myself little reminders, like: if those are the Twins, what is each one of them pointing at? One says to the other, get a load of this crab! It looks like it's going to jump that lion! Yeah, but have you seen the charioteer over here?

That sort of thing.

[gnomus]

I would also recommend 'Turn Left At Orion'.  This will give an idea of what is viewable in your scope and an idea of what it might look like.  One of these might also be handy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494597186&sr=8-1&keywords=sky+and+telescope+pocket+sky+atlas

[Stu]

What about a planisphere like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Philips-Planisphere-Latitude-51-5-North/1849071888

 

[Stu]

This is also a very handy monthly download

http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1705.pdf

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

 

[Davesellars]

I know you're asking for a road map...  but I really recommend if you don't have some already is getting yourself some binoculars. 10x42 or 10x50 will give you a nice field wide field and sufficient magnification.

With the binoculars then each time you go out concentrate on one constellation for the night with an atlas in hand (Sky & Telescope's Pocket Atlas is nice for bins) perhaps having done a bit of research before-hand on the constellation and its objects.  Then move on to the next adjacent constellation that is either side of what you have just studied.  Like this, you'll really get to be familiar with each constellation where each one is and what it contains of interest.

[swamp thing]

27 minutes ago, Stu said:

What about a planisphere like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Philips-Planisphere-Latitude-51-5-North/1849071888

 

^^^This. 
Planispheres are excellent to show you around the skies. 

[domstar]

Don't want to mention astrology on this forum but here goes..... If you know your star sign and those of a few people, you can know what comes next along the ecliptic. The constellations of the zodiac are the ones that the moon and planets run through- in the past people thought that for example Jupiter in Virgo would mean something. So, for me, I can easily recognise the lion in Leo so I know that Virgo is going to be next. My sister is a Virgo and was born in September so I assume Libra is next followed by Scorpio (tell me I'm wrong) because my Dad's birthday is in October and my Mum's in November-a month and star sign apart.

Strangely enough, I never thought there was anything to astrology until I took up star-gazing and discovered Pisces-my sign- was the dimmest and least interesting of all the zodiac constellations. Now I'm not so sure .

[Mr niall]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

What about a planisphere like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Philips-Planisphere-Latitude-51-5-North/1849071888

 

That's the exact one I'm using! Excellent buy very useful.

[Stu]

19 minutes ago, domstar said:

Don't want to mention astrology on this forum but here goes..... If you know your star sign and those of a few people, you can know what comes next along the ecliptic. The constellations of the zodiac are the ones that the moon and planets run through- in the past people thought that for example Jupiter in Virgo would mean something. So, for me, I can easily recognise the lion in Leo so I know that Virgo is going to be next. My sister is a Virgo and was born in September so I assume Libra is next followed by Scorpio (tell me I'm wrong) because my Dad's birthday is in October and my Mum's in November-a month and star sign apart.

Strangely enough, I never thought there was anything to astrology until I took up star-gazing and discovered Pisces-my sign- was the dimmest and least interesting of all the zodiac constellations. Now I'm not so sure .

Here are the Zodiac constellations highlighted....

....I had to 'travel' to Gibraltar to get them high in the sky  

[Mr niall]

20 minutes ago, domstar said:

Don't want to mention astrology on this forum but here goes..... If you know your star sign and those of a few people, you can know what comes next along the ecliptic. The constellations of the zodiac are the ones that the moon and planets run through- in the past people thought that for example Jupiter in Virgo would mean something. So, for me, I can easily recognise the lion in Leo so I know that Virgo is going to be next. My sister is a Virgo and was born in September so I assume Libra is next followed by Scorpio (tell me I'm wrong) because my Dad's birthday is in October and my Mum's in November-a month and star sign apart.

Strangely enough, I never thought there was anything to astrology until I took up star-gazing and discovered Pisces-my sign- was the dimmest and least interesting of all the zodiac constellations. Now I'm not so sure .

Don't believe in astrology? Typical Pisces....

what do you mean by "followed by", as in next one round?

[avtaram]

When I first started out in Astronomy I found this book to be very useful in learning the night sky.

Avtar

[Pondus]

37 minutes ago, domstar said:

Don't want to mention astrology on this forum but here goes..... If you know your star sign and those of a few people, you can know what comes next along the ecliptic. The constellations of the zodiac are the ones that the moon and planets run through- in the past people thought that for example Jupiter in Virgo would mean something. So, for me, I can easily recognise the lion in Leo so I know that Virgo is going to be next. My sister is a Virgo and was born in September so I assume Libra is next followed by Scorpio (tell me I'm wrong) because my Dad's birthday is in October and my Mum's in November-a month and star sign apart.

Strangely enough, I never thought there was anything to astrology until I took up star-gazing and discovered Pisces-my sign- was the dimmest and least interesting of all the zodiac constellations. Now I'm not so sure .

That is not a bad way learning the night sky at all. Good tip

[domstar]

13 minutes ago, Mr niall said:

what do you mean by "followed by", as in next one round?

Yes. Some go a bit higher or lower but they move from east to west across the southern sky just like the moon does so Gemini will rise after Taurus or these days if you see Leo highish in the sky, the dim bit to the right will be Cancer and a bit further right Gemini will be starting to set before long.

[ronin]

I make my own up, as much to pass time as anything but it helps to learn.

This was the outcome of making the Plough and then adding red lines to point to whatever applicable to the plough. Drew them to print on small cards, easy to carry. Later I changed the format to A4 sheets, which gave the space to add data on objects in the constellation, or aasteriam in the case of the plough.

Plough64.doc

[ronin]

Decided to add this as a new one. If you want really basic try this Stargizing Live pdf from 2012:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_star_guide.pdf

The 2013 one was much the same , some colours changed. I remember grabbing a few of the original spiral bound printed items and still find them good for simplicity.

Clubs or universities that took part back then may I suppose have some around as memory says that Cambridge literally had box fulls of them and I guess a box had 500 or 1000 in them. However if they were returned (doubtful), binned (likely) or stored (maybe) I have no idea. But will say that a box of those for absolute beginners would still be a good item.

[Mr niall]

18 minutes ago, ronin said:

Decided to add this as a new one. If you want really basic try this Stargizing Live pdf from 2012:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_star_guide.pdf

The 2013 one was much the same , some colours changed. I remember grabbing a few of the original spiral bound printed items and still find them good for simplicity.

Clubs or universities that took part back then may I suppose have some around as memory says that Cambridge literally had box fulls of them and I guess a box had 500 or 1000 in them. However if they were returned (doubtful), binned (likely) or stored (maybe) I have no idea. But will say that a box of those for absolute beginners would still be a good item.

That's amazing, that is exactly the really basic level I was hoping for. Brilliant!

[ronin]

As said if you can find the original spiral bound ones grab a couple. One of the best "Idiots guide to the sky" I have come across. They put a compass in the 2012 one. so you could find North.

Isn't Staff's close to Manchester (lousy at geography) just thinking email Brian Cox , you never know.

[David Levi]

If you're fairly new to astronomy I wouldn't worry about it. Ditching the goto was a good idea - my opinion only, other opinions are just as valid . Yes, it can be slow to find targets but the more you do it the better and faster you will get. Knowing your way around the sky takes time. I only started stargazing last August and without trying to learn I now know quite a lot of the constellations and individual names of prominent stars. It comes with time. Be patient. Like other people I use Turn Left At Orion for target selection. It suggests appropriate targets for the time of the year. This means that by following the suggestions you will concentrate on a certain patch of the sky at a certain time of the year and that way get to learn that area of the sky. As others have also said, I use the traditional method of finding my way around the sky with the naked eye and that is to recognize the constellations.

@domstar I'm no expert but I don't think that Pisces is boring. Uranus was hanging about there last I saw it. It could be worse, you could be an Aries. Now that is a boring constellation. Apologies in advance to anyone out there emotionally attached to Aries .

[domstar]

1 hour ago, David Levi said:

Uranus was hanging about there last I saw it.

Spot on post. I totally agree with all you said. As for Uranus, I spent many an hour looking for it unsuccessfully. I suppose it made the oncoming of Orion and all the winter open clusters all the more satisfying. I have a limited balcony view at least in the winter and your advice of appropriate targets for the time of year really resonates. 4 minutes a day- I have a new appreciation of the passing of the seasons.

[Dave In Vermont]

Do be aware that if you're in an area with a large amount of light-pollution, this can and will add to any difficulties in finding the bright stars most of us use as guide-stars - such as the one's you've already mentioned: Castor, Pollux, and Regulus.

Keep at it and practice using 'averted-vision' to help stars 'pop-out' for you to see.

You'll get there!

Dave

[Paz]

Heres some things I have found useful.

Pick one constellation and focus on objects in it for a few sessions, then move to an adjacent one next door.

Pick a constellation you know well and make a point of learning all the constellations around it's border. Take Orion...everybody knows that, most  know Taurus, even fewer know monoceros and nobody knows Lepus(!!).

Pick only a few easy targets for one session - I find too many targets leads to disappointment.

Use the moon and the bright outer planets in particular (Mars, Jupiter, and saturn) as markers and pick constellations and targets that you can easily find from them as a starting point. This is especially useful when planets are near the fainter constellations like cancer.

[Pitimax]

Well, Domstar, I don't need to travel to Gibraltar,  living there as I do... observing, however, is a misery given the Banner Clouds prevalent here.

I remember a little ditty I memorized decades ago, listing the Zodiacal constellations in order... Here goes...

The Ram, the Bull,  the Heavenly Twins,

and next the Crab, the Lion shines;

the Virgin and the Scales;

the Scorpion, Archer and Sea Goat, 

The Man who pours the Water out

and Fish with glittering scales.