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Astronomy is a fascinating lifetime hobby enjoyed by young children to centenarians, by people from all walks of life and varied interests, from every corner of the earth.
You can observe the heavens on a casual or serious basis, undertake scientific study or marvel at the wonderment of our existence. Astronomy can be a fun and relaxing way to soothe our minds and bodies from our busy everyday life. It is a way to enjoy nature, being outside and marveling at the night sky.
Astronomy is easy to learn! You dont have to be a scholar in physics or math to enjoy our universe. Besides a telescope, you will need star maps or books listing the locations of various objects, and then learn simple techniques of locating the objects. Recent developments have brought computerized telescopes to the market and they eliminate the need of sky maps and books with their built-in databases of celestial objects.
Before telling you about specific celestial objects you can see, we need to discuss what factors determine this and there are numerous factors. Most people would assume that magnification (power) is the most important factor it is a factor but not one of the most important.
Aperture (diameter of the objective lens or primary mirror) of the telescope is the single, most important factor determining what you can see. The larger the aperture, the more light it collects and the fainter the objects that can be seen are revealed, and the brighter (and better) the image will be. Greater detail and image clarity will be apparent as aperture increases.
Other factors that affect what you can see are listed here in no particular order --- optical design of the telescope, mechanical (mount and tripod) stability, optical quality, focal length, focal ratio, magnification, field of view, optical and mechanical alignment, optical coatings, magnitude of the object, quality of the accessories (eyepieces, diagonals, filters) used, seeing conditions, transparency, thermal stability of the optics, your location (urban or rural), visual acuity, observing experience, and overall manufacturing and quality levels of the specific telescope.
Some of the types of celestial objects you can view are listed below and remember that even very small telescopes 50mm (2) and 60mm (2.4) sizes can show lunar details, the rings of Saturn, and other celestial wonders but with increasing aperture the observing becomes much more enjoyable.
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