How to Use a Telescope: From Setup to First Views

You have completed your research and bought your first telescope, and now you’re wondering how to use this new piece of astronomy equipment. You’re ready to see the Moon and planets up close for the first time, and you can’t wait to show your friends and family the Rings of Saturn.

As a beginner, you might be feeling overwhelmed as you learn new terminology and try to understand all the moving parts of your telescope. A telescope’s optical design and function may seem simple, but seeing the cosmos for the first time still requires a bit of upfront knowledge. 

In this article, we will break down how to use your telescope so you can start enjoying views of the night sky. I’ll start by saying: never point your telescope at the Sun; this can destroy your telescope (and your eyes!).

Before Using Your Telescope

Before jumping into using your telescope right away, there are a few things you will want to do to ensure you have the best viewing experience:

Consider the Moon Phase 

The new moon phase is when the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun. When this happens, the side of the Moon facing Earth is not illuminated by the Sun and there is no moonlight in the sky. 

Without bright moonlight, you can enjoy darker skies when viewing objects through your telescope. You can download moon phase apps for your phone, or mark new moon dates on a calendar to plan your viewing sessions around them. 

If you are viewing planets (and the moon, of course), the moon phase does not matter. You can see the brightest galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters on a night with a bright moon, but they will be much harder to find.

Check Observing Conditions

The weather is the number one factor to determine when to set up your telescope. Not only will you need clear skies (i.e. no clouds) for great views, but you will also need to consider things like seeing conditions.

As a visual observer, seeing conditions will determine the amount of clarity you can see on your subject when viewed through the eyepiece. High levels of atmospheric turbulence or disturbance will cause objects (like stars) to lose sharpness and appear as fuzzy blobs through the eyepiece.

Helpful tips:

• Get a Weather App: Download a weather app on your phone so you can stay up to date on precipitation, cloud cover, and seeing conditions to plan your observing sessions accordingly.
• Take your telescope out a few hours before imaging: Minimizing the temperature difference between where you store your telescope and the outdoor temperature helps the air inside adjust and reduces tube currents, which can cause poor seeing.
• View Closer to the Zenith: Point your telescope away from the horizon, where turbulence and atmospheric dispersion are typically greater.

Choose your Location Wisely

A good location for your telescope matters. For the best views through your eyepiece, choose a location away from city light pollution.

If that is not an option and you’re setting up in your backyard, turn off all outdoor lights and shield interior lights from spilling outside. If you have a good relationship with your neighbor, consider asking them to turn their lights off after a certain time. 

Sky Glow in my backyard sky, as a result of Light Pollution

Helpful tips:

• Avoid light-polluted areas: Light pollution will affect the quality of the views you see through your telescope. Darker skies will provide more detail and contrast for viewing.
• Set up on the grass: Finding a location on a natural surface will help reduce the disturbance of hot air that rises off nearby surfaces (like a hot driveway), which hold heat for long periods of time.
• Avoid certain surfaces: decks and other raised surfaces are not great for visual observation. The vibration causes the surface to shake, ruining your view.

The Importance of Dew Prevention

Dew forms when an optical surface cools to the dew point. A misted lens, corrector plate, finder, or eyepiece can make a clear night look hazy and eventually hide your target.

A dew shield helps delay condensation. On damp nights, a compatible dew heater and controller can keep exposed optics just above the dew point. Start prevention before the glass fogs, using only enough heat to keep it clear. Keep unused eyepieces capped, include heaters in your power budget, and let damp equipment dry before closed storage. Avoid wiping dew from optical surfaces.

Be Prepared 

Be prepared for your observing session by planning ahead. If you plan to travel to a location to set up, make sure you have all your equipment with you. Leaving even one piece behind could ruin your whole night.

A checklist can help in these situations to ensure you don’t leave anything behind (for setting up and tearing down). 

A red headlamp is important to maintain night vision.

Helpful tips: 

• Wear warm clothes: wear the right clothing for your climate, which changes depending on the time of year. You don’t want to cut your observing session short because you weren’t prepared with the appropriate clothing. It usually cools off at night, so bring warm clothes (i.e., a sweater/jacket, gloves, a hat, etc.).
• Use a red headlamp: a red headlamp is extremely important for visual observation, as it helps maintain your night vision. You will not want to use any white light for finding your way in the dark, switching to a new target, taking notes or referencing your guidebook. A red headlamp is the easiest way to do this so you can remain hands-free.

Steps for How to Use Your Telescope

Now that you know what to consider before you start, let’s go through each step for using your telescope.

Set up Equipment

As mentioned above, you’ll want to choose the right setup location. Assuming you’ve done that, you can now set up your equipment. 

Choose an area that is not too close to anything you may run into or trip on throughout the night. This may sound a little funny, but I have personally run into things after viewing the bright moon on a dark night. 

If you are setting up your telescope in a place where other people may be walking by (like a star party), make sure that is not obstructing a path, and that it is thoughtfully placed so that others will see it. 

Setting up my Dobsonian Telescope at a Star Party. 

The first piece of equipment to set up will be your telescope mount, which will vary depending on which type you have:

• Alt/Az mount: This type of mount operates manually with basic up, down, left, and right movements. An example would be the cradle-style mount with a flat table that rotates around a vertical axis, which is typical for visual Dobsonian telescopes.
• Equatorial Mount: An equatorial mount (EQ mount) is a computerized mount that allows you to track the motion of the stars. The equatorial mount head is fastened to a tripod that elevates the telescope to a practical height for imaging or observing. It requires additional setup (i.e., polar alignment and balancing) before you can start observing.

If required, the next step would be to add your telescope to the mount and any additional accessories you may need. This may include installing the finder scope bracket, adding the finder scope, etc.  

Powering Computerized Telescopes

A computerized mount needs reliable power for alignment, slewing, and tracking. Depending on the model, you can use its internal battery, a compatible AC adapter near home, or a portable DC battery at a dark-sky site.

Check the manual before connecting a supply: match the required voltage, connector, and polarity, and meet the manufacturer’s current requirement. Charge batteries beforehand and allow extra capacity for dew heaters. Route cables with enough slack for movement without snagging. If the mount resets or behaves erratically while slewing, check the battery and power connection first.

Level Your Tripod

Next, you’re going to want to level your tripod/mount. Adjust the legs of the tripod so they are at a comfortable height and lock them into place. If you’re using an alt-az mount for visual observing, this is likely accurate enough. 

Leveling the tripod before adding the mount

If you plan to utilize the GoTo function of your EQ mount, you will want to use a bubble level for better accuracy. Place it on the accessory tray (if the mount is already attached) or on the tripod (before the mount is added) and adjust the tripod legs accordingly. 

For a cradle-style mount, simply make sure it’s on a relatively flat surface. Try to keep the telescope off of the grass if possible. The soft grass may become very wet with condensation as the night progresses. 

Align Telescope and Finder Scope

You want to make sure your telescope and finder scope are working together. To do this, you will want to make sure they are aligned so your finder scope sees the same object that is in the main telescope objective. 

Find a stationary object (like a tree) and aim the telescope at the top of the tree so it sits in the middle. Now look through the finder scope and make sure it is also seeing the top of the tree in the center.

This Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope uses a red dot finder instead of a finder scope.

If not, use the adjustment knobs to adjust your finder scope slightly so that both the telescope and finder scope has the top of the tree (or whatever object you choose) in the middle of the field of view. This may take a few tries, looking through the telescope objective and then the finder scope to get it right. 

Once this is complete, lock in your finder scope. You can now use it to help you locate objects in the night sky with confidence, knowing they are properly aligned.  

Select An Eyepiece

Your eyepiece is a very important piece of equipment for visual observing. It affects the quality of your views and your telescope’s magnification, and it can also help you find your target by choosing the right magnification. 

Start with a lower magnification (higher focal length) to help you find your object. This provides a larger field of view in the sky to help you locate your object and align your telescope. 

The focal length of the eyepiece can be found stamped on the side of the eyepiece in millimeters (i.e., mm). Once you have chosen your eyepiece (25mm is usually a good place to start), insert it into the tube. 

Helpful tips: 

• Use a diagonal: You can use a diagonal with other types of telescopes, such as refractors and SCTs. This gives you a more comfortable viewing position so you can avoid kneeling down on the ground to look through the eyepiece. Look for a 90-degree diagonal (aka a star diagonal) which is meant for astronomy. 

How to Calculate Telescope Magnification

Magnification = telescope focal length ÷ eyepiece focal length. Use millimeters for both numbers.

For example, a telescope with a 1,000mm focal length and a 25mm eyepiece provides 40× magnification. Switch to a 10mm eyepiece and you get 100×. Adding a standard 2× Barlow approximately doubles those values to 80× and 200×.

Use the telescope’s stated optical focal length, not its physical tube length. The same eyepiece produces different magnifications in telescopes with different focal lengths.

The Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope can point to objects for you using the onboard computer. 

Find Object

There are so many exciting things to observe in the night sky using a telescope. Beginners often wonder what they can see through the eyepiece of a basic telescope. 

With a manual mount, you will need to locate these objects using the finder scope and a star chart or planetarium app. 

Finding objects in the night sky involves a technique called ‘star hopping‘, You use easy-to-find, bright stars in a pattern to help narrow down your search.

The idea is to find an identifying pattern of stars in the sky near your deep-sky object. Then use your star map as a reference to move the telescope toward your object.

It is best to do this using a wide-field eyepiece (32mm is perfect). You should be able to spot your target in a wider field of view, then replace the eyepiece with a higher-magnification one once you have found it. 

In the example below, you can see how we use the primary stars of the constellation Lyra to find the Ring Nebula. 

Star hopping from the constellation Lyra to the Ring Nebula.

If you have a GoTo mount that has been polar-aligned (and star-aligned), this will be easy. Simply use the hand controller to enter the object you want to find and watch your telescope slew to it.

For accurate pointing, you must first run a simple star alignment routine. This involves confirming the position of 2-3 bright stars in the sky. 

Other telescopes, like the Celestron StarSense Explorer, also offer StarSense software to help you locate objects in the night sky. 

Using the Celestron StarSense software on a Dobsonian Telescope

Solar system subjects such as the Moon and planets are often the most rewarding targets to observe through a telescope. You will find a list of detailed objects to observe at the end of this post. 

Remember, don’t expect to see objects as you do in an astrophotography image. Through a telescope eyepiece, the objects will appear much dimmer and without color.

Helpful tips: 

• Use a star chart or planetarium app: if you are new to visual astronomy, you may need help locating the objects you want to observe (even with your finder scope). A guidebook with the constellations will help, or a planetarium app you can download on your phone.

Using GoTo Slew Speeds on a Computerized Telescope

The slew rate controls how quickly the mount moves when you press a direction button on its controller or app. Use a fast rate for large movements, a medium rate to position an alignment star in the finder, and a slow rate to center it in the eyepiece.

Choose a slower rate at high magnification so the target does not shoot past the center. Button names and speed scales vary by model. Slew speed is separate from the tracking rate that follows the sky. Avoid moving the tube by hand unless your manual permits it; doing so can invalidate alignment on some mounts.

Focus Telescope

Using a bright object like the moon, adjust the focus knob to move the eyepiece in and/or out to achieve sharp focus. Keep turning the focus knob in small adjustments until the object is clear in your field of view. 

This is easiest with a low magnification eyepiece so you can find and center the object. Once the object is in focus, you can switch out the eyepiece for one that has a higher magnification. You may need to fine-tune focus again once switching to a different eyepiece.

The key here is patience, as it can take several attempts to get the object in sharp focus. 

Helpful tip:

• Avoid touching the telescope/eyepiece while focusing: this can create vibrations that can make achieving critical focus more difficult. 
• Check collimation: the process of checking collimation involves making sure the mirrors or lenses of the telescope are properly aligned. If the mirrors or lenses are not aligned, you might experience blurry views when you’re in focus. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to adjust the collimation if necessary.

Observe

Now it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for; you get to enjoy the views through your eyepiece.

This would be the time to take notes or photograph your object. In your notes, you can include details like the shape, color, and visible features. You could even include a rough sketch.

If you have a telescope that is capable of taking photos, like the Celestron StarSense Explorer, you will get a chance to capture some photos with your smartphone, using the StarSense software. 

Take your time moving across the night sky to different objects.

Adjust Magnification

As you observe certain targets, you may want to switch out your eyepiece for something with more magnification. Remember, the shorter the focal length, the higher the magnification – so to increase magnification, use a short focal length.

You will want to experiment here and see what magnification works best for the object you are viewing. A higher magnification does not always provide better views. This is especially true on nights with poor seeing conditions, where high-magnification views may appear blurry or distorted. 

A standard 2X Barlow Lens 

• Explore using a Barlow Lens: after you have some experience using lower magnification eyepieces, look into using a Barlow lens. It works by increasing the telescope’s focal length, which in turn increases magnification. A Barlow lens lets you increase your eyepieces’ magnification, giving you more options when paired with different eyepieces. 

Practical Magnification Limits

A common upper guideline is approximately 2× the aperture in millimeters, or 50× per inch, under excellent conditions. For a 114mm telescope, that is roughly 228×. This is a guideline, not a promise of a sharp view.

Atmospheric turbulence, optical quality, collimation, and telescope temperature often make lower powers more useful. Increase magnification only while additional detail remains visible. If the target becomes larger but softer, dimmer, or harder to keep steady, step back down. A sharp, smaller image is more rewarding than a large blur.

Track Object

As you observe your object, keep it in view through the eyepiece. As the object moves across the sky and drifts out of the field of view, you will need to make small adjustments to the telescope’s position to keep it centered. 

With a manual telescope, simply make small, periodic adjustments to keep the object in the field of view. 

If your telescope mount can track the night sky, it will move the telescope at the same speed as the object in the sky, compensating for the Earth’s rotation. This requires additional setup, as mentioned above, including an accurate polar alignment. 

Polar alignment with an equatorial mount for astrophotography

When you finish observing, remember to return your mount to the home (starting) position before turning it off. 

Helpful tips: 

• Don’t get discouraged: remember that tracking an object can be challenging, especially for beginners. Don’t get discouraged if you struggle at first. With time and experience, you’ll become more skilled at tracking objects.

Pack up Your Equipment

When packing up your equipment, cover the objective lens to protect it from dust and moisture. Before covering your telescope, remove any added accessories. 

Store your telescope in a safe location to avoid theft or damage. If your equipment is damp, try to towel it off (not the telescope optics) to keep it from rusting or developing mold.

Helpful tip:

• Use a checklist: If you plan to travel frequently to dark sky locations for observing, use a checklist to ensure you leave with everything you came with.

What Can You See Through a Beginner Telescope?

A telescope can reveal craters on the Moon, the rings of Saturn, and the faint glow of distant galaxies. Knowing what these objects actually look like through an eyepiece makes them easier to recognize and helps you get more enjoyment from your first observing sessions.

The examples below use an 8-inch Dobsonian telescope. This is a capable beginner telescope, with more light-gathering power and resolving ability than smaller starter models. A smaller telescope can show many of these targets, but faint objects and fine details may be harder to see.

The following examples are shown using an 8-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope (simulated views)

Set your expectations: These examples are a guide, rather than a guaranteed view. Light pollution, atmospheric steadiness, telescope alignment, and your observing experience all affect what you can see. Most faint nebulae and galaxies appear gray through an eyepiece, unlike their colorful long-exposure photographs. Different eyepieces are used below, so the images do not represent one fixed magnification or field of view.

An ideal first target

The Moon

What to look for: Crater walls, mountain shadows, and broad, dark lunar plains. Even a small telescope reveals an impressive amount of surface detail, making the Moon one of the most rewarding places to begin.

The most dramatic shadows appear along the terminator, the boundary between lunar day and night. A crescent or quarter Moon often shows more striking relief than a full Moon.

Viewing tip: Find the Moon with your lowest-power eyepiece first. Once it is centered and focused, increase magnification to explore individual craters.

Planet

Jupiter

What to look for: A bright planetary disk, darker cloud belts, and up to four bright moons nearby. The moons change position, and some may be hidden behind Jupiter or lost against its bright disk.

The cloud belts are subtle. Spend a few minutes watching for moments when the air steadies and the detail becomes easier to distinguish.

Viewing tip: Observe when Jupiter is high above the horizon. If increasing magnification makes the planet larger but blurrier, return to a lower power.

Planet

Saturn

What to look for: Saturn’s pale disk surrounded by its remarkable ring system. The planet looks small through an eyepiece, but seeing its rings for yourself can be unforgettable.

The rings’ apparent tilt changes over the years. They can appear wide open or nearly edge-on, so their appearance may differ from this example.

Viewing tip: Center Saturn before increasing magnification. With a manual Dobsonian, you will need to nudge the telescope periodically to keep it in view.

Open star cluster • M45

The Pleiades

What to look for: Bright stars surrounded by fainter companions. This large, loose cluster is especially attractive at low magnification, although the entire group may not fit in your telescope’s field of view.

The blue nebulosity familiar from photographs is generally not visible to beginners. Enjoy the star patterns and differences in brightness instead.

Viewing tip: Use your widest-field, low-power eyepiece. Binoculars also provide an excellent view of the complete cluster.

Emission nebula • M42

The Orion Nebula

What to look for: A pale, glowing cloud around a bright central group of stars. Darker skies reveal more of the nebula’s sweeping shape beyond its bright core.

Expect a mostly gray appearance, sometimes with a subtle greenish tint. Look closely at the center for the compact group of stars known as the Trapezium.

Viewing tip: Start at low power to appreciate the surrounding nebula, then try more magnification to examine the central stars.

Spiral galaxy • M31

The Andromeda Galaxy

What to look for: An elongated, hazy glow with a brighter center. In a light-polluted backyard, the central region may be the most obvious part.

The galaxy extends far beyond its bright center and may exceed your eyepiece’s field of view. Do not expect the colorful spiral structure seen in long-exposure images.

Viewing tip: Use low power under a dark, moonless sky. Look slightly to the side of the galaxy to help detect its faint outer glow, a technique called averted vision.

Globular star cluster • M13

The Hercules Cluster

What to look for: A compact, rounded glow with a brighter center. An 8-inch telescope can resolve individual stars under suitable conditions, especially as you increase magnification.

In smaller telescopes, the cluster may remain mostly hazy. Check the sharpness of nearby stars before assuming that its soft appearance means your telescope is out of focus.

Viewing tip: Locate M13 at low power, then increase magnification gradually. Use averted vision to look for faint stars around its outer edges.

A note about planetary magnification: The Jupiter and Saturn examples use a 6mm eyepiece with a 3× Barlow, a very high-power combination. These equipment details describe the examples, rather than a recommended starting setup. Begin without the Barlow and increase magnification only while the view remains sharp. Atmospheric conditions often make lower power more useful.

Not sure which target to try tonight? Check a planetarium app for your location and time. These objects are visible at different times of year, and some may be below the horizon. Start with the Moon or a bright planet when available, and choose a darker, moonless night for faint galaxies, nebulae, and globular clusters.

How to Set Up a Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ

The Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ is a popular reflector telescope with a manual equatorial mount. While I don’t consider it the best beginner telescope (this is the one I recommend), many amateur astronomers start with it.

Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ Assembly and Polar Alignment

1. Build the base: Spread and level the tripod, secure the accessory tray, and check that the equatorial head is firmly attached using the mounting knob beneath the tripod head.
2. Add the counterweights: Install the counterweight shaft and supplied weights before mounting the telescope. Tighten their locking knobs and replace the shaft’s safety stop.
3. Mount the tube: Seat the tube’s dovetail bar fully in the mount’s saddle and tighten both securing screws. Attach the RA and Dec slow-motion controls, fit the StarPointer finder if needed, and insert the 20mm eyepiece directly into the focuser without a diagonal.
4. Balance both axes: Support the telescope whenever an axis is unlocked. With the counterweight shaft horizontal, unlock right ascension (RA) and adjust the weights until balanced, then lock RA. Unlock declination (Dec), position the supported tube horizontally, and adjust its position within slightly loosened tube rings until balanced. Retighten the rings and lock Dec.
5. Make a basic polar alignment: Set the mount’s latitude scale to your latitude. In the Northern Hemisphere, aim the polar axis toward Polaris; in the Southern Hemisphere, toward the south celestial pole. A rough alignment is sufficient to begin visual observing.

The standard AstroMaster 114EQ is manually operated; a motor drive is optional. Use the Celestron AstroMaster EQ manual for assembly diagrams and detailed balancing instructions.

Aligning the AstroMaster StarPointer Finder

Start with a distant, stationary landmark, approximately 400 meters away or farther, well away from the Sun. Never aim the telescope or finder at the Sun during setup. Center and focus the landmark in the main telescope using the 20mm eyepiece, then leave the telescope stationary.

• Turn on the StarPointer: Remove the battery’s insulating tab if fitted, then switch on the finder. Look through its window to locate the red aiming dot.
• Align the red dot: Without moving the telescope, use the finder’s horizontal and vertical adjustment controls until the dot sits over the same landmark centered in the main eyepiece.

Recheck the main eyepiece and finder together, then switch the finder off to conserve its battery. If your telescope has a replacement finder, follow the instructions for that finder type. Celestron’s AstroMaster 114EQ quick-start guide illustrates red-dot finder alignment.

Finding Your First Target: The Moon

1. Start at low power: Remove the full front dust cap and eyepiece caps. Insert the supplied 20mm eyepiece without a Barlow.
2. Aim using the finder: Choose an evening when the Moon is visible. Support the tube and loosen the RA and Dec locks to point it, keeping the tripod and polar-axis settings fixed. Place the finder’s red dot over the Moon, then secure the locks gently.
3. Focus and follow: Turn the focuser slowly until lunar detail sharpens. With both axis locks engaged, follow mainly with the RA slow-motion control, correcting Dec when necessary.
4. Increase magnification gradually: Center a crater before switching from the 20mm to the supplied 10mm eyepiece, then refocus. If the higher-power view looks blurry or shaky, return to the 20mm eyepiece.

Now that you know how to use your telescope, I hope you get it set up and observe a few targets. Here are a few great choices to consider, depending on the time of year you set up your telescope:

The Best Things to See Through Your Telescope

• The Moon
• Saturn
• Jupiter
• Mars
• The Pleiades Star Cluster
• The Orion Nebula
• The Dumbbell Nebula
• The Ring Nebula
• The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
• The Veil Nebula
• The Double Cluster in Perseus
• The Andromeda Galaxy
• The M81 and M82 Galaxies
• The Lagoon Nebula
• The Swan Nebula

These are just a few of the best things to see through your telescope. Once you are able to find and observe these objects, you will feel confident enough to use your telescope to find even fainter, lesser-known objects. (Dark skies help!)

Related Content: 

• How Much Does a Telescope Cost?
• Where To Buy Used Telescopes
• How to Attach Your Camera to a Telescope