Where to next?

[Guest Skytriker]

The new 200p Dob arrived in time to be taken to France. I remembered that an old TV cabinet we had stored there had a turntable. Unbelievably, the mechanism was a plastic lazy Susan affair that fitted the Dob base with no modification, as it had a centre hole that fitted the bolt perfectly, so it was incorporated in the build. It was designed to support an old style TV so should handle the 200p. I know have a very smooth tracking turntable. The collimation check showed a slight need for adjustment, which I managed to (nervously) achieve. Clear dark skies provided some good views of Jupiter, although I couldn't spend too much time on it. My question is, having spent time on Jupiter and the moon, what is the best way into viewing other objects. I would prefer to take a systematic approach and work on something until I see it, otherwise it find myself tracking all over the place. I am currently back in the UK so won't be able to get on the 200p until April.

Roy

[BAZ]

The latest edition of "Turn Left at Orion" is a good book to ease you into the best objects of the season.

Stellarium is a free planetarium software package, and very useful, you just need to stick in the co-ordinates of where you are. These are available from Google Earth if you are unsure.

 

Then if you are stuck, here's some Messier finder charts, thanks to the Mansfield and Sutton bunch.

 

http://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_finders

[Guest Skytriker]

Thanks Martyn, this is really useful. I am already using the Starwalk app on iPad, although I will also download Stellarium. The solarius charts seem just what I needed, so I will endeavour to work my way through them.

Thanks again

Roy

[catman161]

There's the messier catalogue, the Caldwell objects and then of course the Lunar 100 to work through

[Guest Skytriker]

Thanks Felix, I can see I am going to be busy..... The lunar 100 seems like a good place to start.

[catman161]

Thanks Felix, I can see I am going to be busy..... The lunar 100 seems like a good place to start.

Yep especially at the moment with the moon on display in the afternoon and evening. Careful with yours scope if you decide to look at the moon durin the day that you don ever point it in the direction of the sun though.