Shpongle

I use Nikon Action Lookout IV's (10x50). I think they were about $200 (Cdn; that would probably be about $130 U.S.). They work very nicely for astronomy, and are small enough to be used without a tripod (I'd avoid buying huge binoculars for this very reason).

Wyz_sub10

I have a 120mm / F1000 refracting scope. I have lloked at the moon in phases. It's been very low on the visible horizon here, and blood red. Just watching the clouds over it and the shimmer of the image was very cool.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think Saturn swings into view over the lake late, late at night. (until then, it is over the city which makes it hard to see properly. Sirius is also in good view right now.

BTW - Puck - definitely get a good pair of binoculars, but you don't have to go overboard. We spent about $75CDN on ours, and I was amazed at what you can see with them.

If you add a small but stable tripod you can get some great views of the moon and some star clusters.

Shake

Yes, that color flickering you're talking about is more than likely from the atmosphere. I remember being up in the (Adirondack) mountains and just being amazed at how many more stars I could see there. I've seen Saturn and Jupiter both with some decent 'scopes. Yeah, it's pretty cool!

One of the coolest things, though, but first I must warn you:DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!, was (obviously) with a strong filter in place, looking at the sun and seeing the sunspots. You absolutely must have a strong filter in place or you will cause permanent eye damage. NEVER look through an unfiltered scope at the sun!!! It was pretty cool, though.

Asha'man

Saturn is up earlier than Jupiter right now, it's currently between Tarus and Gemini, and between Orion and Arigua. It'll be high overhead shortly after sunset, with Jupiter reaching the zenith close to midnight.

Mars, on the other hand, is a early morning target.

You can get alot of good information at a variety of astronomy websites, Heavens-Above is a good one.

Friar Bellows

You should get Burnham's Celestial Handbook (3 volumes). It provides you with some inspiration to go out there with your 'scope on a freezing winter night. Plus it's good for armchair astronomy.

* Saturn is pretty damned cool. Aside from the rings, there are its moons. You'll be guaranteed to see Titan. Not sure if you could see Cassini's division with a 120mm.

* Mars is good, again not sure if you could see could see the polar caps with a 120mm. I heard Mars is in the middle of a big dust storm so you might not see any features at all.

* Venus and Mercury are cool because they demonstrate that not only the Moon has phases.

* Sunspots are nice but I wouldn't risk expensive optics on it. Not without an expensive filter.

Non-solar-system objects. OK, where to start? First thing is: you poor Northern Hemisphere person, I pity you. Actually, there are some really cool objects in the northern sky.

* Globular Clusters. OK, here is where you northerners suffer compared to us southerners. Of the roughly 150 globulars we know of in the Milky Way, only 25 have a positive declination. But no matter. Almost 2/3's of them are north of -30° dec. With your telescope and latitude you'll be able to see at least a few dozen. Highlights for you (diameters and magnitudes in brackets):

M 12 (10', mag 8), M 10 (8', mag 7), M 2 (7', mag 6), M 92 (8', mag 6.5), M 15 (10', mag 6.5), M 3 (18', mag 6), M 13 (23', mag 5.7), and M 5 (13', mag 6.2). Also, M 22 (18', mag 6) if your southern horizon is clear.

* Planetary Nebulae. There's some nice ones out there for you:

NGC 246 (about 4', mag 8.5), NGC 2392 (40", mag 8, "Eskimo Nebula"), NGC 6543 (about 20", mag 8.5), M 57 (about 70", mag 9, "Ring Nebula"), M 27 (8'x5', mag 8, "Dumbell Nebula"), NGC 7622 (30:, mag 8.5).

* Galaxies. Plenty to choose from, especially around Virgo. Highlights for you:

M 110 (15'x8', mag 8), M 31 (175'x62', mag 3.5, whoah!, "Andromeda Galaxy"), M 33 (64'x35', mag 5.7), NGC 2403 (18'x10', mag 8.4), M 81 (20'x9', mag 6.9), M 82 (8.4'x3.4', mag 8.4), M 106 (12'x4', mag 8.3), M 104 (8'x5', mag 8.3 "Sombrero Galaxy"), M 94 (14'x13', mag 8.2), M 64 (10'x4', mag 8.5), M 63 (13'x8', mag 8.6), M 51 (9'x8', mag 8.4, "Whirlpool Galaxy"), M 101 (40', mag 7.7).

* Open Clusters. Many of them. Try these:

NGC 869/884 (Double cluster), M 45 (Pleiades), NGC 1981 (in Orion), NGC 2232/2244/2264 (in Monoceros), M 41 (in Canis Major), M 44 (Praespe), M 47 (in Puppis).

* Diffuse Nebulae. They make pretty pictures. Can be stunning through the eyepiece, too. Here's a few:

M42/43 (Orion Nebula, like I'd forget this one!), NGC 2264 (Christmas Tree plus Cone Nebula, associated with one of the open clusters above), M16 (in Serpens).

You could try comets (not sure if there are any bright ones around at the moment) and asteroids. Uranus and Neptune for challenges. Double stars are neat. And occasional events like occultations, transits and who knows, maybe even a supernova (like the one I saw in 1987).

Friar Bellows

Try this page:

Deep Sky Collections and Catalogs

Lots of astronomical lists and catalogs especially good for the amateur astronomer.

Answerer

If anyone enter Jupiter's atmosphere, things are no longer that pretty and wonderful.

crazyfingers

Mars will be the closest it will get to us in 50K years this summer.

HeatherD

You probably mean you have a 120mm /f8.3 scope. The 1000 is the focal length, 1000mm. The f is focal ratio which is 1000/120 = 8.3

Unless this is an APO (Apochromatic) scope, the false color you are seeing isn't from the atmosphere, it's the nature of moderately priced refractors, usually achromatic. APO scopes are very expensive but the lenses correct for chromatic abberation. These are very good scopes for the money but will show color fringing on bright objects like planets, the moon and bright stars.

Clear Skies!

Wyz_sub10

Thanks everyone!

There was a lot of good information here, and I plan to put it to good use (if the weather ever clears).