What can you see? More than you know.

You have many, many times gone outside in the evening and looked up and saw zillions of stars and perhaps planets. But have you really wondered what’s really up there? Wonder why you can’t see the galaxies or the nebulas or what ever? Because our eyeballs aren’t designed to capture light as well as a telescope. So we need that scope to show us the wonders of the Universe! So lets pretend you have a telescope. It’s a clear night and you’re away from city lights.
Before you do any of this; you should have star chart book or a Planishere.
Just about everybody knows that one. Then consult the star chart to see if you know where you’re looking. From there you can find the "North Star (Polaris). Polaris is considered "0" on the sky.

If it’s wintertime look for Orion. If it’s summer look for Sagittarius in the south. These areas are rich in cellestial objects. Don’t expect to see sky objects that you see in magazines. All objects in the sky through a scope are in black & white. Once you find an object, study it, and pat yourself on the back for finding an object. Try find a planet or the moon. The moon is the best target to get broken in on. Get used to aiming your scope by looking at a planet.

M13 is a good globular star cluster to start with. In the scope it’s big enough to "catch" easily in the eyepiece. Once you’re centered on it, focus it as best you can and look at it a little while. If you move the center of your vision (the blind spot) just right or left of the cluster, you can just make out the pin size stars. There are tons of clusters out there to look at so take your time. Hunting these objects is over half the fun! Next try a galaxy or a nebula. These targets are harder to locate because of their faint light. Some nebulas require a broadband or Oxygen III filter to see. During the summer, M31 Andromeda in the east by northeast skies promises to be a good show. Plus it’s easy to spot. In the Big Dipper there are several galaxies and one nebula. M81 & M82 and M97 "Owl Nebula" are there. M108, M109 and M101. This is why you’ll need that star chart. Too many cellestial objects up there to look for.

Remember…be patient! There are literally thousands upon thousands of objects up there. Some are seasonal and will have to wait for months for a good view. But waiting is no problem if you hunt the night skies at all times. Depending on the scope you have, there is always something to look at. Join a star party, or a Astronomy Club and get to know people who love what you do. Swapping information is a great way to learn quickly.

Some of the types of celestial objects you can view are:

The Moon
Prepare for an awesome spectacle. The moon's disk has a pastel-cream and gray background, streamers of material from impact craters stretch halfway across the lunar surface, river-like rilles wind for hundreds of miles, numerous mountain ranges and craters are available for inspection. At low or high power the moon is continually changing as it goes through its phases. Occasionally you will be treated to a lunar eclipse.

The Sun
It is quite safe to view the Sun if you utilize a proper solar filter. The Sun is fascinating to inspect as you detect and watch the ever-changing sunspot activity. If you are fortunate enough, and are willing to travel to remote locations, you may at some point experience a solar eclipse.

The Planets
Observation of planets will keep you very busy. You can see Jupiter with its great red spot change hourly, study the cloud bands and watch its moons shuttle back and forth. Study Saturn and its splendid ring structure, watch Venus and Mercury as they go through their moon-like phases. Observe Mars and see its polar cap changes or watch the dust storms and deserts bloom with life. Uranus, Neptune and Pluto can be seen easily with 8" or larger telescopes.

Star Clusters
There are two types of star clusters- (1) open star clusters (also called galactic clusters) which are loosely arranged groups of stars, occasionally not too distinctive from the background stars, and (2) globular star clusters which are tightly packed groups of many millions of stars.

Nebulae
These are glowing clouds of gas falling into two types- (1) planetary nebulae which are relatively small ball-shaped clouds of expanding gases and are believed to be the remnants of stellar explosions, and (2) diffuse nebulae which are vast, irregularly-shaped clouds of gas and dust.

The Galaxies
These are vast, remote "island universes," each composed of many billions of stars. Galaxies exist in a variety of sizes with regular and irregular shapes.

Comets
Magnificent comets are routinely visible through telescopes.

Double (Binary) Stars
These are pairs of stars orbiting around a common center of gravity, often of different and contrasting colors.

What you can see is dependent on a lot of factors. The most important of these for astronomy is aperture. Other important factors are optical quality, steadiness of your tripod and mount, seeing conditions, your location (city or rural), brightness of the object and your experience. You won't be able to see the American flag on the surface of the moon or black holes. You won't see as much color as you see in astrophotographs (photos of celestial objects) because these utilize long exposure times which allow the light and color to build up on the film.

Most telescopes can be used to see things on the Earth. You can use them for long distance terrestrial viewing, nature study, sports action, surveillance or general land usage. You can also easily photograph terrestrial objects since a telescope can be used as a long telephoto lens by attaching the body only of a 35mm SLR camera. Our T-Ring and T-Adapter accessories are also required.

Astrophotography is also a rich and rewarding experience. With many telescopes it is relatively easy, but takes patience and experience to produce excellent results. Taking your own astrophotographs is a thrill as you can share the results with others.

See also:

Telescope Choices

Choosing The Right Telescope

Telesope f/ Number

Telescope Questions & Answers

Telescope Characteristics