Observing guides and sky-mechanics explainers for people who own a smart telescope and want to understand what it is doing. Aimed at the first two years of the hobby, when the questions are practical rather than technical. [REPLACE: name the author and their teaching or outreach background before launch.]
Orion is the obvious answer, and it is the right one. But winter hands a smart telescope four other targets that suit it beautifully, and one that will break your heart if you try it too early.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 5 min read
The same instrument that photographs a galaxy in ninety minutes will disappoint you badly on Jupiter, and the reason is a single number in the specification.
Smart Telescope Primer · SmartScope Sky Guide · 3 min read
A deliberate progression rather than a wish list. Each target teaches one thing, and doing them in this order means every night ends with something you can look at.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 3 min read
Spring is galaxy season, and galaxies are the hardest thing a smart telescope does. Here is which ones actually work, and how to set expectations before you point at Markarian's Chain.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 4 min read
Short nights, warm air and the Milky Way core overhead. Summer is the season where a smart telescope's filter earns its money, and where twilight decides your whole schedule.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 4 min read
Andromeda gets all the attention and deserves some of it. But autumn's real gift is a run of large, bright nebulae arriving just as the nights get long enough to use them properly.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 3 min read
A clear-sky forecast tells you whether you can observe. Seeing and transparency tell you whether it is worth it. Two different numbers, two different disappointments.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 3 min read
A smart telescope is close to the worst possible instrument for photographing a meteor shower. Knowing why makes it easier to enjoy the best nights of the year properly.
Observing Guides · SmartScope Sky Guide · 3 min read
The single biggest upgrade you can make to your astrophotography costs nothing, it's a tank of gas to somewhere dark. Here's how darkness is measured and why it matters.
