Question

Which point should be considered before a sky watch

Answer 1

1. Learn the sky in a general sense

And I mean general: Earth rotates once a day and orbits the Sun once each year. The first motion causes sky objects to move from east to west, and the second causes different constellations to appear in each season’s sky.

Next, learn why the sky is the celestial sphere. It has a north pole, an equator, and a south pole. Two sky coordinates exist: Right ascension is like earthly longitude, and declination mimics latitude.

Read up on Moon phases. The Moon first becomes visible as a thin crescent low in the western evening sky. Each night thereafter, it appears to grow and move eastward until Full Moon, after which its lit part shrinks to invisibility. When you again spot the thin crescent low in the west, roughly 30 days have passed. You’ll want to know the Moon’s phase because its light can prevent you from seeing faint objects.

Finally, become familiar with bright seasonal constellations. Start with just a couple per season: Taurus the Bull and Orion the Hunter in winter; Scorpius the Scorpion and Cygnus the Swan in summer; and so on. Don’t worry about the faint ones. If you haven’t heard of them — for example, Lacerta and Serpens — there’s probably a good reason why.

2. Immerse yourself in the subject

You’ve made a good start. In each issue, Astronomy magazine features a combination of science- and hobby-related articles. “The Sky this Month” is an up-to-date guide to the current sky. But there’s so much more out there. Your public library and bookshops offer many observing guides. Except for where you’ll find the planets, such texts don’t go out of date.

In this video, Senior Editor Michael E. Bakich shares the top 10 things you should know before buying your first telescope. Click the image to watch the video.
3. Try (equipment) before you buy

You wouldn’t buy a car without first getting behind the wheel, so don’t purchase a telescope without first viewing through it. Some astronomy shops will set up equipment for you, and a few even will walk you through its operation.

Another way to test-drive a scope is to attend an observing session or a regional star party hosted by an astronomy club. Take your time, visit manufacturer websites, ask lots of questions, and you’ll soon enjoy a lifetime of viewing pleasure through your very own scope.

Related: How to Buy Your First Telescope

You won't see galaxies under a light-polluted sky. That means you'll have to pack up you scope and accessories and head to a dark site. Choose it carefully.
Richard Best
4. Pick your observing site carefully

If you’ll be content with the Sun, the Moon, planets, and double stars, pretty much any location will do. To see faint, diffuse objects like nebulae and galaxies, however, you’ll need a dark site.

Some things to consider are how light-polluted the location is, the driving distance, how portable your telescope is, safety (do you get cell phone service?), and weather factors. The last point includes how generally clear the sky is and how steady the air is.

5. Double your observing time with the Sun

Night isn’t the only time you can sky watch. The Sun beckons beginning observers because it’s big, bright, and full of features that change daily. Put safety first by using a filter, and even a small scope will deliver high-quality views.

After several years of quiescence, when few sunspots appeared across its face, our nearby star has begun offering observers lots to see again. Be sure to get a filter that fits correctly over the front end of your telescope. A good solar filter — many retailers sell such accessories — will not transmit harmful ultraviolet or infrared radiation. It will also drop the brightness of the Sun to a viewable level.

6. Comfort is everything

Comfort means a lot more than just staying warm during the winter. In particular, I see many observers who use various gyrations while looking through an eyepiece. The one my late observing buddy Jeff Medkeff labeled the “monkey squat” i

Answer 2

The points that should be considered before a sky watch:

proper arrangement of telescope and other equipments.

clear cloud free sky.

proper altitude and location of the observatory.