Page 68 - BBC Sky at Night Beginners Guide to Astronomy - 2017 UK

YOUR FIRST

FIVE SIGHTS

TOOLED UP AND READY TO GO, BUT DON’T If you’ve just bought or been given your fi rst
KNOW WHERE TO AIM YOUR SCOPE? HERE’S telescope, you’ll no doubt want to get out
there and start using it. However, faced with
OUR LIST OF THE TOP SIGHTS FOR BEGINNERS the countless points of light in the night sky,
it can be a daunting task to decide what to
aim your telescope at fi rst.
Once you’ve got To make sure you’re suitably impressed,
your fi rst telescope, we’ve highlighted fi ve top sights that are
the Universe awaits easy to fi nd if you’re new to observing, yet
that will be extremely impressive when you
see them through a telescope for the fi rst
time. We’ve explained where and when to
s
search for them (see right), and what to look
fo
for. This list will also give you a good taste
o
of the sheer variety of different objects you
can point your telescope at.
c
Heading up our list is the Moon – the best
place for any fl edgling astronomer to start is
p
o our nearest celestial neighbour. You haven’t
really seen this familiar celestial body until
r
y you’ve viewed it with a telescope; its rugged,
crater-marked surface will keep you coming
c
b back to your new scope for more.
Next, you’ll want to bag yourself a planet,
a and Jupiter – the largest of them all – makes
a stunning sight. We then take you to deep
a
s
space and the famous Orion Nebula, a huge
cloud of gas and dust hanging in Orion’s
c
S
Sword. Indeed, a relatively cheap telescope
w
with an aperture of 3- to 6-inches will show
y
you a wide variety of astronomical objects,
a and our fi nal two targets are a distant
galaxy and a pair of star clusters.
g
You could just rush outside and get going.
But, with a little preparation, your session
B
c
can be even more enjoyable. Use a star
c chart to get your bearings as to where the
d
different constellations are, to help you fi nd
e each of the fi ve objects. Once you’re at the
s scope, with your eyes properly adjusted to
t the dark after 20 minutes or so outside,
y
you’re ready to go.
What you won’t see are grand, colourful
o o
objects that look like the stunning Hubble
t t
telescope images you see in books and on
TV. However, what you will get is a feeling
T T
o o
of great satisfaction as you fi nd these
incredible objects for yourself!
i in
68 skyatnightmagazine.com 2012 kskskyayay ttntniigigghththtmamamagagagazizinne.comom 22010122
68
68
68