Reddit reviews Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them
We found 47 Reddit comments about Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The tent is pretty useless unless you are only interested in a tiny spot of sky. The mirror isn't an observatory at all, just a way to kinda be lazy and decide you'd like to look through the imperfections of a non-optically-polished surface while looking at the sky. It'd honestly be easier just to inflate a small kiddy pool and lay back in it to support your head. (Binocular astronomy is really awesome, by the way. Buy a $50-$70 pair of wide-aperture binoculars and a copy of Left Turn at Orion, and you'd be floored by all the cool stuff you can see at night!)
The shed-looking observatory is pretty standard, it's one of a number of roll-away model observatories, of which this one is my favorite. Wide, shallow, plenty of room, plenty of sky. The one in the instructable is a bit tall and cuts off a ton of sky unless you're using a schmidt-cassegrain on a tall tripod, but if you're using a Dobsonian (which pivots much closer to the ground than a SCT), you've lost most of the sky.
"Turn Left At Orion" by Guy Consolmagno and Dan M. Davis. Can be found on Amazon here.
EDIT: Apparently there is an updated version of the book (5th edition).
EDIT 2: watch the delivery time - the link in my former edit says ships within 1-3 months. Might not be the best choice for under the xmas tree.
The usual advice is to learn your way around the sky with just your eyes and some binoculars before getting a telescope; you don't need anything more than that to learn constellations. I've also found these links helpful:
Turn Left At Orion
Arguably the greatest resource ever written to help backyard astronomers find their way around the sky.
I hope your neighbor gets better. That being said you can see a lot with that scope! I'd recommend checking out the book took left at Orion. It's gives instructions and list a bunch of different objects in the night sky for beginners.
> How difficult is it to set up a GoTo each time you drive out to the country vs the dobsonian style?
You have to set up, power up, configure, align the GoTo before observing. Dobs are plop down and observe, that easy.
> How difficult is it to learn to map the stars and find your way around and can you recommend some learning material?
It's about as difficult as learning how to navigate your neighbourhood. I'd personally recommend Turn Left at Orion.
> Can you fine people recommend a model of each style? I understand with this I'll be getting lots of Puritans who don't recommend GoTos.
There is a solid reason why we rarely recommend GoTo scopes at this budget -- most of your money go into the electronics, leaving you with a small scope on an otherwise weak (physically) mount. Both work as a detriment to your observing. There's a nickname for those cheap GoTo telescopes: "We have 40,000 objects in our database you won't be able to see".
For a visual telescope the most important bit is the aperture. The larger it is, the more light it collects, the more faint objects you will be able to see. All of the objects you could see in a small GoTo scope you can also locate yourself with some effort, but 8" of aperture will easily show you much more in the same object. Plus, having found the object yourself is often its own reward, since you'll soon find out most of the harder objects are just a varying type of gray fuzzy splotch against the background.
So my recommendation would be the Apertura AD8. It's the same scope as the highly regarded Zhumell Z8, but High Point Scientific seems to be also shipping to Canada as well (unlike TelescopesPlus). Alternatively, locate a nearest shop selling SkyWatcher Skyliner 200P.
There's bad news and good news with this scope. The bad news is that it's Jones-Bird design which has some serious flaws and limitations so people are going to tell you a variety of things ranging from it's going to be hard to collimate to you won't see a thing through it. Because it's cheap it's also got a wobbly mount. So long story short, don't expect a great deal out of it.
The good news is that you can still use it as a nice introduction to aligning eq mounts and all the other basic beginner stuff. Also any eyepieces you buy are going to be reusable on better scopes you purchase in the future.
The highest useful magnification of this scope is about 250x (50x per inch of aperture), however on a jones bird scope, pushing it to maximum magnification probably won't be very pretty. So forget about using the 4mm with a Barlow, all you'll see is an out of focus blob.
Use the 20mm for most of your targets. You should be able to see Jupiters moons, Saturns rings, Mars and Venus are less impressive. For DSOs obviously the bright ones are within this scopes capability - so the orion nebula, Andromeda, Pleiades, Beehive, great cluster, etc. Only bother with the 4mm when you're trying to get a closer (but dimmer) view of a planet.
I'd recommend you buy the book Turn Left at Orion and play with this scope with the understanding that it is the bottom rung of the ladder but at least you're off the ground :-)
Look up a book or two on star hopping, like Nightwatch or Turn Left at Orion. These are incredibly fun to read and will inspire a hundred nights' viewing - and learning to star hop (finding and identifying things up there by their relationships to other things) is a skill you'll use every time you look up.
As to getting a telescope, my first (I still use it sometimes) was a $20 yard sale find - sold by Sears sometime around 1970. Binoculars, any telescope, and a "viewing list" are what I'd recommend to start having fun.
Get a pair of 10x50 binoculars and a copy of Turn Left at Orion. Don't rush out and buy a telescope. The most impressive things I've seen have been with my 10x50s. Using that book and learning your way around the circum-polar constellations is a great way to get started.
I think addressing both of those with in-depth answers could fill a book... Oh wait, it has! Check out [Turn Left at Orion] (http://amzn.com/0521153972). While you can probably find pirated versions around, you're far better off with the spiral bound version--this book is meant to be out in the field with you (and not screwing with your night vision like display screens will).
It gives a big list of cool things to look at through 1) binoculars, 2) small telescopes like yours, 3) larger backyard scopes.
It then tells you how to find them by "star hopping". It even has pictures of what to expect in your finder scope, etc.
Turn Left at Orion is a perfect beginner-level book: https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972
"Turn Left At Orion"
http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325019980&sr=8-2
A excellent guide to finding objects that look good in a telescope.
Also/or "Nightwatch" http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/155407147X/ref=pd_cp_b_1
Adding a cheap green laser pointer REALLY helped with aiming my scope. Granted, my scope came with a pretty crappy viewfinder. The laser also makes it super simple to point to objects in the sky when sharing with people "no, not that little star near the other thing, THAT little star near the other thing". Just get some rubber bands to attach it to the scopes main tube.
But the MOST important thing I ever did for my astronomy hobby: Joined cloudynights.com. An online astronomy message board.
Get binoculars. Celestron 15x70's in particular.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN
They're a good value and you can spend your time learning the night sky first with a book like this
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=mt_spiral_bound?_encoding=UTF8&me=
or this.
https://www.amazon.com/Binocular-Highlights-Revised-Expanded-Celestial/dp/1940038448/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1526757470&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=binocular+astronomy+book
That's a great scope you got yourself there, it'll treat you well. Check out the books NightWatch and Turn Left at Orion for great information on how to get started in Astronomy. "NightWatch" answers a lot of questions you might have where "Turn Left.." serves more as a guide and map to the night sky, and both serve as excellent resources.
Eyepieces, skymaps (or just download Stellarium), books like Nightwatch and Turn Left at Orion. You might also consider a Telrad and a red-filtered flashlight.
> Sky Watcher 8' Dob
8" dob. An 8' dob would be a huge beast. :)
> im not even sure if my scope is good enough to see them.
Your scope is plenty capable of seeing all sorts of things, don't worry.
> Maybe im just terrible at tracking these guys down because this is my first time?
Takes some time and experience.
Get this book, it will show you all sorts of things that are easy to find for a newbie, with plenty of explanations and diagrams.
http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/
On a laptop or smartphone, install the free software called Stellarium. It's like a map for the sky, you could look up objects using the search function, etc. It's great for the planets.
A planisphere might be useful to give you an image of the whole sky at once (as opposed to a detailed map which only shows a tiny chunk):
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Stars-Ken-Graun/dp/1928771017/
Once you understand how to read sky maps, you could use a paper map (but don't worry about that for now):
http://www.amazon.com/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317/
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Once you have the vicinity of the object on a map, the process is like this:
When you know the approximate area where the object is located, you point the scope that way, and look through the finderscope - it will show you that area at low magnification and wide angle.
Move the scope slowly, while looking through the finderscope, until the object you're looking for (or the place where it should be) is in the center.
At that moment, move your eye to the telescope and enjoy.
Make sure the scope and the finder are aligned. Point the scope at Polaris, look through the finder and put Polaris in the exact center. Now look through the scope using a low magnification eyepiece - is Polaris in the exact center? If not, adjust the finder. Repeat with successively stronger eyepieces until it's dead center even in the strongest one.
The alignment of the finder should remain stable for a long time, you don't need to do it often.
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Many "faint fuzzies" (dim objects) such as galaxies and nebulae are not easily visible from the city, because the sky is light polluted. Some of them are visible, others require dark skies.
General advice and info for newbies:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Astronomy/comments/vpij0/thinking_about_buying_my_first_telescope/c56slut
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> do i have to go out and buy another eye piece or a barlow?
"Buy moar glass" is what most beginners tend to do, and it's probably the least useful thing at first. Learn how to use and maintain the scope, then worry about purchasing gear. Astronomy is more about knowledge than it is about owning stuff.
Don't worry about pictures and videos (astrophotography). Do purely visual astronomy for a while, learn the ropes. Astrophotography is even more demanding in terms of knowledge, if you want to do it right (the blurry little pics of Saturn you see on this forum all the time do not represent astrophotography done right).
Astrophotography is a hobby in its own right.
For the budget you have listed, you would most likely end up buying a mount that is not up to the task.
I would suggest a nice pair of 10x50 binoculars and this book first.
If you are committed to getting a scope, then this is my suggestion assuming the $1000 budget is all inclusive meaning scope, accessories, and books.
2)The skywatcher comes with 2 eyepieces (25mm and 10mm IRC) THe light bridge comes with one. In either case I would invest in a NICE barlow like this one Barlows are an inexpensive way to improve your options. A 24 mm EP in a 2x barlow becomes a 12mm a 10mm becomes a 5mm. Its not as great as discrete eps in those sizes, but it is an economical way to get more versatility out of your existing eyepieces. I also can't talk enough about the Televue Panoptic EPs. They are affordable and incredibly nice. Eyepieces are something that will last through many scopes. I have 10 or so but only ever use about 3 of them.
Get a Telrad or a Rigel finder. The Skywatcher has a finderscope, the meade has a red dot finder. Personally I hate red dot finders. I think they are complete junk. Telrad is the defacto standard for zero magnification finders, I prefer the rigel for its smaller size and built in pulse circuit. They are both about the same price. You will need to collimate your scope, a cheshire works great, or a laser collimator will do as well. Many folks use a combination of both. I have gone both ways, cheshire is fine, laser is fine, a combination of both is also fine. Accessories can go on forever, the only other must have that I can think of is a redlight flashlight. This is a good one or you can add red film to an existing flashlight you have or you can do what myself and many others have done and get an LED headlamp and replace the white LEDs with red ones.
I would start with the backyard astronomers guide. Buy that first before you buy anything. It has some very good sections on scopes and observing that can help you answer some questions.
Lastly I always say go with a dobsonian scope. They are easy to setup and use and they force you to learn the sky. Once you are comfortable operating a scope and moving around the night sky, then I would think about investing in an equatorial mount and scope for astrophotography use.
Good luck and Clear Skies!
Read the instructions. Go outside and look at the moon.
Get the book Turn Left at Orion.
Yes, you can use a telescope in light polluted skies. When I got back into the hobby a few years ago, I was stuck observing on my patio practically under a street lamp facing a bright yellow wall and I could see quite a few things. A good book is Turn Left at Orion, which was originally written for people with small telescopes and light-polluted skies.
You can see quite a bit with this telescope. I highly recommend getting this book. It's a great starter for finding galaxies and nebulae and you should easily be able to see everything in the book (I could see M81 and M82 on a smaller telescope within Seattle city limits).
This book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0521153972/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
I just got Turn Left At Orion that everyone on here recommends from Amazon. It was on sale for only $17 and it was worth every penny for finding interesting things in the night sky. A good star chart is nice as well, learning where stuff is makes the sky that much easier to enjoy.
North is a better viewing direction for me, and M81/82 were the first galaxies I ever saw through the telescope. They've been the only galaxies I can fairly consistently see from my backyard.
M51 looks like a very light gray fuzz in my light polluted (B6-7) backyard. If see conditions aren't really good it's very easy to miss. But, if I go a short distance away (B4 skies) it starts to get some more structure (though admittedly still not very much). I found M51 easier to see than M101, but relatively similarly sized.
Do you have the Turn Left at Orion book? They have great tips for locating tons of DSOs as well as what to expect through various types of scopes.
Others have already mentioned it but join an astronomy club and download Stellarium. Here's a couple book suggestions:
Turn Left at Orion will get you familiar with some of the more interesting objects to look at in the night's sky. This is definitely a good place to start. You also want to pick up a star atlas to help you navigate the sky and find some of the dimmer objects in the sky. A favorite is Sky and Telescope's Pocket Star Atlas. Another favorite for new astronomers is Nightwatch which will educate you a bit more about astronomical bodies and the night sky.
Lots of people are going to say 8" dob, Z8 specifically, and I have nothing but good to say about that. For a lot of people that's the only answer necessary.
However, let me offer an alternative case in favor of OneSky telescope by Astronomers Without Borders.
Three reasons for this recommendation:
SIZE The OneSky is a collapsible tabletop reflector. It is quite modestly sized when collapsed. It will fit in the front seat or trunk of a car and can easily be carried by even a child. Size ultimately is the thing that keeps a telescope indoors. There have been several nights this year where I've had 20 minutes to sneak a peek out at a beautiful crescent moon or something, but haven't, because I knew it would take me 20 minutes to set up my telescope and I would have no observing time. Plus all the work of lugging the heavy parts from my shed to my front yard. With a tabletop scope there's none of that. It takes 2 minutes to set up and requires no heavy lifting.
You will never miss an observing session due to the work of setting up the telescope, and you will never have to leave the telescope at home on a trip. An 8" Dob is going to show more simply because it's a larger scope, but the OneSky is going to show more than an 8" scope in the shed.
COST With a budget of $400, you will be able to afford some killer accessories after getting the $200 OneSky. Turn Left At Orion is the ideal book for a new telescope owner. A wide-field eyepiece like this one will give really good views of clusters like the pleiades and large nebulae like the Great Orion Nebula. A 6mm, 66 degree eyepiece will allow excellent, comfortable viewing of planets and smaller objects like binary stars. In addition you will be able to afford a comfortable stool to place the scope on, and a nice chair to sit on.
If you buy an 8" scope you will not be able to get all that stuff and stay in your $400 budget.
COMMUNITY The OneSky is well reviewed (review 1, review 2 under the Heritage 130 name) and has an active community of fans who have a lot of ideas about how to improve the performance of the scope for very little money/effort.
Troubleshooting this telescope is a breeze and the community is favorable. Even among seasoned enthusiasts the OneSky is popular.
Get yourself a good star chart, observing guide or phone app. Learn about what you can see in the sky and then point your telescope, see what you can find.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Astronomy-Eyewitness-Companions-Ian-Ridpath/dp/1405312912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345918376&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345918384&sr=8-1
Planets - Jupiter rises quite late at night at the moment. Saturn sets not long after sunset. The Moon would be a good target to start off with.
DSOs - Some will be harder to locate that others. With a Dobsonian, you can learn to starhop and it becomes easier with practice. Some will look amazing, others will just be faint fuzzies.
I'd strongly advise against getting a goto dob. They dont work that well and for the most part make it less likely you will use your scope.
Instead teach yourself how to star hop using:
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972
Then mount a telrad quick finder on your scope:
https://www.amazon.com/Telrad-Finder-Sight/dp/B0000ALKAN/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1502122336&sr=8-2&keywords=rigel+quickfinder
Dobs are all about setting the scope on the ground and getting to viewing quickly and easily, a cheap goto mount will just fight you in doing that.
I highly recommend "Turn left at Orion" - it's a book that's available here: http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377269030&sr=8-1&keywords=turn+left+at+orion
It lists, by season, what's in the sky, which constellation it's in, and rates them for binoculars, small telescopes, and Dobs. Doesn't have a ton of objects, but really gives a good start to people just getting into the hobby who are looking for things to see.
Here is what I bought:
Orion 5691 LaserMate Deluxe II Telescope Laser Collimator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XEGXMO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_iXYTub1Z3HSD4
Celestron Accessory Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006RH5I/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_MYYTub0G8V843
Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521153972/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_bZYTub0ZKHRFC
I got the accessory kit as a Christmas present. I wanted to get a range of eyepieces then upgrade the ones that would benefit, I'm going to get the eyepiece mentioned by someone else.
Orion 8920 6mm Expanse Telescope Eyepiece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_g0YTub1471RN7
As I'm having issues with my current 6mm eyepiece . Great scope!
Nightwatch is a pretty good book for beginner level that I find is better for those that don't have a telescope or binoculars. Helps give you the basics.
Turn Left At Orion is another good book for beginners, but it is better if you have a telescope or pair of binoculars to get the full use out of this book. It is probably the most detailed beginner book IMO.
Sky and Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas is a very good star map to use, though it is only that.......star maps. So it is good to use once you learned the basics.
Your teenaged relative could learn how to navigate the stars, and identify constellation locations by sight with a quality pair of binoculars and a book like Turn Left at Orion.
For an even more involved and rewarding gift, check out local telescope making workshops.
You only need a mirror blank (typically made of pyrex glass) and some grit, so he can certainly do this at home when he's not at the workshop. An 8" mirror will take about 40 hours of grinding and polishing the surface, which ends up being optically superior to machine-made mirrors.
Congrats on your first nebula! I'm always amazed at the ambivalence some people have about astronomical things. Years ago when comet Hale-Bopp was riding high, my ex and I had gone to visit another couple who lived in a pretty dark area. One of them knew my love of Astronomy, and asked about the comet. "It's up right now and spectacular!" was my reply.
We went outside to take a look... except for my ex, who complained that it was chilly and that she just wasn't interested. The other couple loved it, and we were out for a while looking and talking. When we went back in, my ex said "That took a while! How long does it take to look at the sky?"
BTW, you may be interested in my favorite book for small telescope owners: "Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them" by Guy Consolmagno.
> Did Messier have an incredibly developed skill of observation or is it modern day light pollution that makes it so difficult for me to see the same objects he cataloged?
Probably both. From a clear dark sky an 8 inch telescope should have no trouble showing you any of the Messier objects, if you can find them. Star-hopping to DSOs is a skill that takes practice, and you can't expect to be as experienced an observer as Charles Messier in less than a year. If you don't have them already, these books may help:
http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972
http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/155407147X/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0YDF3XK7HN215ZN4QDEN
Which objects have you found, and what are some that you're having trouble with?
The Z10 would be a great scope. I have the Z12, and I love it. It's a lot to handle though. The Z10 would give you some more mobility and wouldn't take up too much space. A 10 is still a great light bucket and will give you wonderful views of lots of fun objects.
There are myriad resources to get you going on what to see and when to see it. You can check out earthsky.org for a day-by-day update on what's happening in the sky. Telescopius is another great resource. Also, grab yourself a copy of Turn Left at Orion. It'll help you get acquainted with the night sky.
The Bahamian sky should treat you quite nicely. Just be patient with the equipment and the hobby. Learning takes time.
I guess it really depends on how familiar you are with the night sky - but there's one book that's literally invaluable for astronomers of all levels - Turn Left At Orion - there's no finer book, quite frankly, and the authors are an inspiration to me. If my books were anywhere near as good as theirs, I'd be very pleased and proud.
(Get the larger, spiral bound edition - http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414368749&sr=8-1&keywords=turn+left+at+orion)
I would also buy Astronomy Hacks - there are a TON of tips and tricks in there and, again, it's aimed at astronomers of all levels.
(http://www.amazon.com/Astronomy-Hacks-Tools-Observing-Night/dp/0596100604/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414368782&sr=8-1&keywords=astronomy+hacks)
I had an Orion XT 4.5" Dobsonian and loved it. Celestrons are also excellent and both companies have equipment that are reasonably priced and well suited to amateurs of all levels. I'd start with something relatively small, like a 4" or 6" reflector and then go from there.
Beyond that, I would highly recommend joining a local club or, at the very least, ask a question here on Reddit or join a group in Facebook.
The two I like the most are the Telescope Addicts (https://www.facebook.com/groups/telescopeaddicts/) and Astronomy 4 Beginners. (https://www.facebook.com/groups/astro4beginners/)
I hope this helps. Feel free to email me at [email protected] at any time. At some point in the nearish future I'd like to write an astronomy book for suburban astronomers (especially beginners) but I'm not sure when that might happen!
(In the meantime, have a look at my other book, 2015 An Astronomical Year - the Kindle version has a lot of graphics and text highlighting the best naked eye sights throughout the year - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LVEUJI2/)
Clear skies!
While it's not directly related to the telescope, if you are buying from amazon the Orion 27193 XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope and Beginner Barlow Kit isn't going to be in stock for another 3 weeks.
In my opinion you will not be missing much to get the one without the additional barlow lens+red light.
Instead I would spend that extra $20 the way u/schorhr's recommended to me by buying the book, Turn Left at Orion. It is an awesome book that teaches you a ton about all different aspects of astronomy including what you can see in a telescope, and where/when you can find it.
When you do buy a telescope get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398695492&sr=8-1&keywords=turn+left+at+orion
It is a MUST HAVE for beginning observing.
I know this isn't what you're looking for, but I looked into this quite a bit when I used to go out stargazing myself. In all honesty apps aren't the best for this properly.
If the 2 of you are actually getting interested in the night sky then I would say buy yourself the Turn Left at Orion book.
Stellarium is an amazing free computer program that you can use to do your homework beforehand and see what you'll actually be looking at that night.
Some cheap binoculars and tripod would add a lot to the experience as well.
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As for the answer to the question you're actually asking:
Google Sky Maps is what you need for some quick and dirty casual sky scanning.
The other must have app is Astro Panel. It'll tell you when sky viewing conditions are good (it's pointless going out when conditions are terrible and not really seeing much)
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If the trip is to go out and set the mood to make a move on a girl you like then all of this will only get in the way and there's a lot to be said for just going out with a picnic blanket and a warm blanket to look at the plain night sky to set the mood.
You could look up when there's a meteor shower to give you something to see without any equipment or sky map.
32mm Eyepiece 2" wide-angle
6mm eyepiece
15mm - consider buying at Corvus optics; At Amazon: Astromania ~€50, Orion Expanse ~€70
Skywatcher's full tube 8" is out of stock at Amazon. The Flextube's in stock.
The choice of eyepieces is a bit limited at Amazon. In general it makes more sense to buy a telescope at a astronomy store. Depending on what coupons you have, you might just get the accessories there, and buy the telescope at Telescopes.com for example. The better accessories of the z8 will save you a bit of money, too, as you don't have to purchase a 2" wide angle overview eyepiece and the moon filter.
Cheap collimation tools
Guides
Sit
Filters
I use printouts and books much more than apps. Printouts especially are great because you can mark them up and plan what you want to look for.
I mostly use http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html to get the map of what's up this month, and it includes locations of the planets. Easy two page printout. Of course, planets are bright enough that you don't even need dark skies to find them, so you can try pointing your funscope at them right now.
Currently, the planets are coming up later at night, with Jupiter coming up after mindight, mars after 2:00am, and venus at 4:00am. So if you want to see them, I'd recommend getting up early in the morning. I'd recommending practicing finding them in the sky with an App before you leave. They are super easy to find once you've done it a couple of times, and follow the path of the sun.
Since your scope and binoculars are relative low on magnification, you'll probably want to look for big bright nebula's, star clusters, and galaxies. If you've never seen any of them before, look for the bright ones: the Orion Nebula and Andromeda galaxy are huge and going to be high in the sky in the evening. They are both bright enough to see a little bit of even in light polluted skies, so I'd practice finding them before you leave on vacation.
For traveling recently, I just brought binoculars and a tripod. I have cheap sets of 7x50 and 15x70. Your funscope has a 76mm mirror, about the size of my big binoculars.
Personally, I think it's a great idea to bring both the scope and the binoculars. You'll get a feel for what you like to look through more once you're out there.
I am not an expert on taking pictures through telescopes, but I do know that if you don't have a tracking equatorial mount, it's really tough to get anything in the sky because you have to take brief pictures. And the funscope doesn't have a parabolic mirror, which makes goop pictures very difficult, too.
If you're just starting out and want to get into the hobby, I really recommend the book Left Turn at Orion. Truly a great guide to getting started when you have no idea where to start in this hobby. And it's the best guide for finding stuff for the first time.
ah fair enough, Left Turn at Orion is highly recommended by folks around here.
https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972
So to basically make a shopping list:
> - There is also [this] (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-25-6mm-9mm-Ultra-Wide-Angle-Eyepiece-Set-Fully-Multi-Coated-for-Telescope-Hot-/322443541463?hash=item4b1321fbd7) one selling both 6mm and 9mm together, but they're as priced much lower than two individually would be and it's a different seller, what do you think?
Anything else that'd be recommended?
Thank you! I passed the link on to my parents, and I am considering getting him this book as well.
Turn Left at Orion is often recommended. It seems to be great for learning about navigating and observing the night sky with binoculars or a telescope and what you can expect to see.
I have the Backyard Astronomer's Guide, which is extremely comprehensive and teaches just about everything such as navigating the night sky, information about the various types of objects, observing with the naked eye, binoculars, and telescopes, details about different types of telescopes and accessories and how to use them, and a few sections on astrophotography.
However, it is a bit hefty and not super cheap. And it doesn't include a detailed sky atlas (but it does talk about them).
Stellarium is a very popular planetarium program. It's awesome. And free!
My favorites are:
The Backyard Astronomer's Guide, http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Astronomers-Guide-Terence-Dickinson/dp/1554073448
A Guide to Backyard Astronomy (I found this one at a 2nd hand bookstore, not sure if it's still in print. This is my absolute favorite because of some great starhopping tours they put in the back)
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Backyard-Astronomy-Starhopping-Exploring/dp/187701933X
EDIT: Here's an example of one of the starhop tours in A Guide to Backyard Astronomy. http://imgur.com/a/enXLO
The icons clearly indicate whether the target is a naked eye, binocular, or telescope object.
Of course there's the ubiquitous Turn Left at Orion. I can't say much about it since I've never actually gotten around to reading it. http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972
Alternatively, check out http://eyesonthesky.com/
as well as Mr. Fuller's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/eyesontheskyDOTcom
The "Basics" playlists are damn good, and unlike a lot of other sources, the practical demonstrations on video make things super clear to understand.
Try the Apertura AD8 instead. The AD8 has a far better finder, and the dual-speed focuser will make your life much easier. The eyepieces are of much better quality as well.
 
Turn Left at Orion is the best book you can get right now. There isn't a single person in this subreddit that would speak poorly of it. It'll get you through the learning portion of using your scope, and show you some top features of the night sky along the way.