At the Telescope Help Shop on 9 February we launched our ASE-24. This is an introductory observing list of 24 objects for people new to astronomy, numbered for our founding year of 1924.
The idea behind the list is that a lot of people get a new telescope and then don’t know where to begin. This list is a sort of introductory checklist of some of the most interesting and obvious objects in the night sky. By going through the process of observing objects in the list they will also gain valuable observational skills, especially locating objects in the night sky, as well as seeing some of the best sights in the night sky.
Our guests at the Telescope Help Shop were introduced to the list as a way of taking their first steps in observational astronomy, which will also help them decide which areas they might want to specialise in.
The list is in 2 parts:
- a 1-page checklist of objects
- a longer description with finder charts and how and when to observe all objects
The whole thing can also be downloaded as a PDF or viewed online.
Mark Phillips