I have always enjoyed looking at the night sky,however I've always had problem finding object hat weren't visible to the naked eye,I usually got frustrated & called it a night or settled for the moon or a visible planet,then I went to my first outing at CAC & had the chance to check out a telrad finder it seemed this would make finding objects much easier,I puchased one & put it to use the first clear night,now armed with a laptop(for the star charts)I have been able to find 30 of the messier objects so far(,I have been able to see more with the aide of the telrad than I ever have before,even using a goto scope,which I hardly use anymore,I have discovered how satisfying it is to find a faint object on my own,don't get me wrong I still like my goto system,& I use it to get me in the general area of what I'm looking for then I star hop from there,by observing in this manner I have learned more & can now find pretty much what I want to & I'm learnig a lot about how to observe & am training myself to look for those faint fuzzies instead of using the goto computers & thinking,"well it must be there,I just can't see it"now I can't seem to get in enough observing time.

Clear skies,
Rick

The bug has bit Rick Hill! You'll never be the same again, Rick. So glad to hear you're finding lots of Messier's favorites. I prefer the Telrad and star-hop method over ANY other way of locating objects.

Are you working on a logsheet set for earning a Messier Certificate? I'm going to send you a set that I created for use at the computer to input information in any of the information fields. You'll print off a set for field use at the telescope, but sometime later, maybe the next day or week, you can input all the information you logged in a MUCH more clean and neat way.

When you finish your list and send off for that certificate, they'll congratulate you for the excellent way the logsheets are shown perfectly printed.

Check your email......

Hey now, that's my job!

You should do the Messier Logs, they are very rewarding. Oh yeah, 2 objects to go!

I am keeping a log,for now it's just a on a spiral bound 8x6 note pad,I planned on printing the logsheets & copying the information over at a later date,the ones you emailed me will make that much easier Bob,thanx,I have two goals pertaining to the messier list,(1) find all of 'em(2)image 'em,that should keep me busy for a while.

Rick, that is an outstanding goal! If you get images of all of them, I'll put together a calendar of them that we might sell for fund-raising. I have so many things that I want to complete in the imaging area of amateur astronomy that I may try imaging them myself as well.

Jon, get those last two on your list finished and send off for your Honorary Certificate. Now you have some competition.

And RICK.....You can get the first level of the Messier Club Certificate by finding and logging at least 70 objects. When you've found all 110, you can upgrade as Jon is about to do.

Bob