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What to Look For in the Sky
There is a whole universe of objects you could view at night, so where do you start? We recommend starting with the most
prominent objects first.
The moon
The moon is the easiest target to find at night. When the moon is in full position, it bathes the night with a silvery light that washes
the sky of all but the brightest objects. The best time to view the moon is not when it is full, but rather when it is less than half full.
The dividing line between dark and light on the moon, called the terminator, shows the best detail in the craters and mountains.
The planets
The planets, our solar system companions, range in size from moon-size rocky bodies to giant gas balls, which could hold Earth
1000 times over. To find the planets, you will need information about their times of visibility. An astronomy magazine will give you
the locations of the planets, as they change position from month to month. The Internet is also an excellent source of information,
starcharts, maps, and more! The popular and more familiar constellations often provide the easiest landmarks to help find the
planet’s locations and paths of orbit. Most people have looked up at night and seen some of the planets without even realizing it. A
planet appears like a bright star but does not twinkle like a star; it will look like a tiny ball. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, are the
easiest planets to view. Mercury is dimmer, usually below the horizon, and is more challenging to find.
Each of the planets provides interesting views. Venus is covered with clouds so all that is visible is an extremely bright light, the
brightest next to the moon. Venus, like the moon, goes through phases, however. As it travels around the sun, different areas of the
planet’s surface are illuminated, producing crescent shapes of varying size. Mars is the red planet. When it is above the horizon, it
is noticeably red and stands out like a beacon in the night sky. The apparent brightness of Mars varies as the planet orbits around
the sun and throughout its period of visiblity, it will brighten and dim depending on how near or far it is from Earth.
Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and the second brightest next to Venus. Jupiter has many moons, four of which are
often visible through your telescope, when viewing conditions permit. As you watch them throughout the evening, you will see that
they change position relative to each other and to Jupiter. It is possible with careful planning to actually see one of the moons
disappear either in front of or behind Jupiter as it orbits around the planet.
Saturn, the second largest planet, is not as bright as Jupiter and so its moons are not as visible through small telescopes. The large
rings that encircle Saturn are spectacular to observe, however. The planet and its rings appear pale yellow.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
1) How far can I see?
If you stand outside and look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you can see hundreds of stars with the unaided eye. The
telescope is a light-gathering instrument which magnifies the view—providing significantly more detail and unveiling more stars,
nebulae, and celestial objects. With the aid of a telescope, you will be able to enjoy exciting views of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s major
moons, the Orion Nebula, and much more.
2) Why can’t I see anything?
If you see only gray or black when looking through your telescope, even after searching for an object to view, it is very likely that
you are using an eyepiece that is too powerful. To solve this problem: Always start with the lowest power eyepiece first, and only
insert the higher power eyepiece after you have found an object. Also, be sure to remove the dust cap from the lens.
3) When I use my high power eyepiece, everything looks much darker. Why?
As magnification in a telescope increases, brightness diminishes. Conversely, brightness increases when magnification is reduced.
If an image appears too dark or unclear, use a lower-powered eyepiece. Views of small, bright objects are better than those of
large, dark or blurry ones! Atmospheric conditions, air currents, as well as light and air pollution also affect viewing quality.
4) As I look through my telescope, objects in the sky appear to move. Why is that?
The constant rotation of the earth makes things appear to move. Lower-power eyepieces will reduce this effect of movement
considerably and allow you to observe an object for a longer duration before you have to readjust your telescope.
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