How can i find stuff with my telescope?

Question

i have a skyquest dobsonian i forget which 1 but its not the biggest 1 but the 3rd biggest 1. and i keep it in my room and it faces east and all i seem to b able to find is the moon....can some1 give me some advice wut 2 do and also how do u use cordinates and degrees. cuz im gonna admit im kinda stupid in that stuff but fascinated in space and its the thought that counts to plz help and thank u

Answer 1

Do you take it outside at all or do you just point it out the window?

I'd suggest that you need to learn your way around the sky and start with a short list of things to find.  I recommend you look up the skymaps website (www.skymaps.com)  You can download a chart for the given month (make sure you choose the one for the hemisphere, northern or southern, in which you live.)  It has an all-sky star chart drawn for the early evening and shows the prominent stars, constellations and any visible planets.  On the reverse side are 3 lists of objects to identify, for naked eye, binocular or telescopic viewing.  Hopefully these tools will get you learning your way around the sky, learning to read a star chart and giving you the thrill of locating objects.

Another thing I think is very valuable is getting in contact with members of a local astronomical society.  Hopefully there you will find people who will be only too willing to help you get the best out of your equipment and help you to learn about astronomy and what to look for in the sky.