by Jack MacDowall

Created on: January 17, 2007   Last Updated: May 02, 2007

Very often, while observing the sky, others ask how I find stuff so quickly without aid of a computer. I use a Meade 4.5" Newtonian, which looks pretty amateurish, set up next to some of the scopes at the observing sessions. If you read ahead, I will share some of my secrets. I don't have a fancy SCT with a LX200 so I had to learn to do it the hard way. The best optical aid I've found so far is a good knowledge of the constellations. I very often don't even use my telescope or binoculars when observing. I just arm myself with a star chart and a red flashlight. I also spend a good deal of time studying / memorizing / staring at star charts. This makes for a good indoor pastime during our recent stint of cloudy nights.

Star Hopping refers to the practice of using a predetermined path of "hops" between known "landmarks" in the sky to get from an easily observed star to a more difficult or dimmer celestial object. Each successive hop is framed by stars on the edges of the field of view. Imagine using your field of view like a ruler to measure from point to point in the sky, using it to connect the dots to your target. I find it easiest to star hop with my 6x30 finderscope and then once I have found my target, center it and view it at higher power through the scope. Using the finderscope successfully requires that the scope be aligned. This is a good excuse to play with your telescope during the day. It helps to align your finderscope during the daylight hours for the first time to get a feel for how to do it in the dark. It's also easier to do the alignment on a terrestrial object that isn't moving. However, you will have to fine-tune your finderscope alignment before every observing session. Look through your main scope and find a distant point. Now find it in the finderscope, and try to center the crosshairs on the point. This procedure varies from scope to scope; on mine there are some locking screws to adjust. Loosen the locking rings and the screws. Holding the finderscope steady, tighten the screws checking the alignment in the telescope and in the finderscope from time to time. Once you're content, retighten the locking screws.

The other trick to successful star hopping is knowing exactly how big your hops are. There's an easy way and a tricky way to find out. The easy way is to find two stars that you can line up with the edges of your field of view and then check a star atlas to determine their angular separation. This works well for checking very low power

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