This Onion Has Many Layers - What Should First Targets Be?

[rabbithutch]

It seems the more information I absorb, the more questions I have.

Am at the point where I'm planning a night of viewing this coming weekend. I'll only have binoculars.

I think I can find the moon and Jupiter and be confident of what I'm looking at, but it dawned on me that I don't have a clue what other targets I might expect to find. Could someone please suggest a target list for a tyro to attempt?

I hope to get an 8" dob (shopping for an Orion Intellisense) before too long, but don't want to wait until then to try finding some targets. I think I can find relatively dark skies and hope to have clear weather (if the forecasts hold). I live about half way between the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Austin.

[TheThing]

Hello Mr Hutch,

Have you tried a book called 'Turn Left at Orion'?

It really should be compulsary reading for all beginners! It's got a whole host of great targets for bins/small scopes and tells you how to find them.

[Moonshane]

hi RH

here's a few (you'll have to do some looking online for the constellations if you don't know them)

Moon

Jupiter/Moons

M45 Pleiades Cluster in Taurus

The Hyades Cluster in Taurus

M36, M37 and M38 open clusters in Auriga

Alcor and Mizar - multiple star system in Ursa Major

Comet Hartley 103P (challenging unless skies are dark)

M81 and 82 Galaxies in Ursa Major (challenging unless skies are dark)

M33 Triangulum Galaxy (challenging unless skies are dark)

M31 Andromeda Galaxy in Andromda

Double Cluster in Perseus

M13 Globular Cluster in Hercules

these will keep you going for a bit!

M36

[nightfisher]

your binoculars will be a good way to start "searching " google the messier list and that will give you some objects to go at

[rabbithutch]

Thanks for the responses!

I have a copy of "Turn Left at Orion" on order and just received email notice that it has shipped. It might even be here by the weekend. Meanwhile, your suggestions and an app on my iPhone are going to have to suffice, I guess.

Thank you!

[Rols]

Hutch, my first target is the scope,then moon just because i can,then hopefully if the sky is not to washed out by the big ol moon something distant just to test my eyes and scope, i fancy trying tp find hartley, then i'm "going to" point my camera at whatever i can get the clearest shot of and take some pics to start my album!