You can also flip the eye patch over to your "seeing" eye when not looking into the eyepiece. It'll help it get extra dark adapted, and protect your night vision in case you have to use a light or a car drives by or whatever. In the military, we used our night vision monocles on on our non-dominant eye so we'd always have good night vision in our shooting eye. I love the channel. You've been a great help getting me started in astronomy. Keep up the great work!

With your permission Mr. Jason, I would add a couple more tips. 1. Avoid placing your telescope near heat sources such as chimneys, walls or facades hit by sunlight during the day, running motors that can give off heat or, of course, heaters, etc. Also move away from open doors or windows through which there may be air circulation that interferes with the line of sight of the tube, or close them. In summary, place the telescope in the most isolated place possible on your terrace, garden or in the field of observation. If you have no choice but to observe from the balcony of your home, which is the case for many colleagues, close the balcony door and try to isolate yourself or at least isolate the aperture of the telescope, for example with a handmade extension of the shield anti-dew, from stray light coming from urban lighting, that will avoid many unwanted reflections and strange figures in your sight. And 2. Prepare your observation in advance, consult astronomical charts, web pages or applications where the main objects visible on that night will be suggested, find out about them, something is always more pleasant to contemplate when you know about it. Select objects accessible to your viewing conditions and the aperture of your telescope, and as high above the horizon as possible, where observing conditions always improve, whatever the atmospheric or seeing conditions of the night, at least above 45º. If there is a Moon that night, it is better to forget about observing deep sky, at least until the moonset, since the moonglow dramatically decreases the contrast with the DSO, that is the time to dedicate for observing the Moon and the planets, but also double stars and open clusters... In short, as we gains experience we become aware of many things that then we execute automatically, but I think that these two tips are important to consider for the most inexperienced colleagues.

Well done Jason. Tip 7 really is gold for the visual observer. My wife used to think I was mad for wearing an eye patch over my observing eye for a good while before going out so my pupil dilated as much as possible. I would then switch eyes at the eyepiece...dual purpose :)

Great tips. Thank you!

This is information that everyone who is starting out in astronomy needs to hear. Great job in helping others get on the right track so as not to get frustrated and quit. Keep em looking up Jason! Clear Skies

Great tips and I'd put dew heater or dew straps on to stop lens getting fogged up. Collimate a reflector is good tip but I stick to refractors because they can be used straight away and hassle free. A tip I would suggest to people that they don't have a garden is to find somewhere local that's a safe place where your not going to be seen in case a nasty person sees you. I don't have much of a garden and I go to local area and I know area is quiet at night. Safety first. It's always good to hear some tips that you gave in this video. In 2013 I looked at the blinking nebula through a telescope and then looked at side of it and it blinked at me and I thought thats so cool this nebula knew I was looking at it and it blinked at me. Great tips and very enjoyable video to watch! Stay safe buddy!

Newcomer to your channel. You are great at what you do! Thank you for informing me

Love your videos brother.❤

As a Canuck, I have a rule when I am out at night to dress for 20 degrees lower than the actual temp. Extreme I know, but I find it easier to open my coat or take off my scarf than get warm later.

And june bugs here in the southeast are crazy and gotta worry about them getting in your tube if you own a reflector like me and there in the eastern U.S., but mainly in the southeastern U.S.

AWESOME! You've answered so many questions I had in this video. I can't wait to get outside (when it's warmer) and use your tips and tricks. Thanks again!

Very useful tips and perfect for a beginner,Jason!

Thank you Jason 😀

Really great tips Jason, really liked 6 & 7 you make this hobby simple. Keep it up my friend. 🌜

Really really good video!! Thank you so much!

I just bought my first telescope, an Orion 90mm, with 910 mm focal length. Doing fine with low power. (25mm, but having difficulty getting an image with my 10mm eyepiece)

Great experiential sharing, very helpful...

Thank you

Thank you for explaining about the dust cap filters. I have the same telescope as the one you have on this video and that dust cap is a pain :)

As long as you have an eyepatch on, make sure you switch it to your viewing eye if you have to go inside to preserve dark-adaptation!

Great Tips Jason..Keep It up🔭🌌

your videos a very good.. far better than most . thanks :O)

Number one tip is get outside and practice this makes you a better observer.

Just to say what an excellent channel. I’ve only recently taken the hobby up and am gradually working my way through your videos. Wish I’d seen the collimation video prior to ordering a laser collimator. Never mind, I’m finding all this learning very enjoyable nonetheless. Thank you for the great content and excellent presentation. Great work 👍🏻👍🏻

Green laser pointer speeds up communication with members of your viewing party.

It's cute how you pronounce "telescope" like "telly-scope" :D

Thank you, was very helpfull! Feel a bit stupid as i had tip number 9 left on on my very first view 😂

I know the value of having dark-adapted eyes, from my backpacking trips into the Rockies, to see the sunsets and sunrises. And I only set up my Dob inside the house after clearing the entire room- it's the same as opening an umbrella! Then you take it out as soon a you can to acclimate to the night air.

Going to try the eyepatch if I can find one! I learned the both eyes open technique when using a microscope and sketching what I was viewing, but with the scope there are too many distracting light sources.

Interesting tips Jaison ❤️🤟 Love that eyepatch trick😂 Where do you get your weather updates? Mine is always way off😭

always wondered what the small caps at the end of the dust cover were for!!!!!

Thank you. I’m new to this. Learnt a few things with this video. Collimating still baffles me though. Followed your vid on the subject and a few others but can never get it spot on. (Cheap scope won’t help I suppose). Thank you again.

You're awesome at explaining things. New guy here. Question I just bought a Celestron Omni AZ102 with D=102mm and F=660 f/6.5 what's the best eye piece I can get to see Jupiter better?

My 8” dobsonian out of the box was out of collimation. I didn’t collimate it the first time playing with it. All I could get was a blurry view of the moon.

#6 & #7 🤯🤯🤯

Hi Jason I have a Skywatcher 130 EQ2 telescope which I have owned for just over a month now. I have been struggling with a number of problems with regards to understanding and using my telescope suffice to say it doesn’t help living in not so sunny Manchester If you have time would you be able to help resolve the issues I have been having. I have a red dot Finder on my scope I have managed to align my telescope using the red dot Finder. When I use the red dot Finder do I use this to locate stars etc? I have tried several times to locate stars all to no avail. Also during the night when it is dark using the red dot Finder kind of hampers my night vision. Thank you for any advice you can help me with. Kind regards Horace

Hi, I've got a celestron travel telescope d70, what options have I got to upgrade the tripod and mount?

How do you determine if your collimation is out? I'm sure if it's bad it's apparent but what if it's off by a smidge?

Ok

Hi Jason.. want an advice on is it worth to upgrade to 12 inch dobsonian from 10 inch dobsonian for visual astronomy??is the difference in view substantial?? Thank you for uploading good and informative videos.keep it up..have a nice day..clear skies..

bloody hell i took off the small dust cover but i didnt realise the whole end comes off!

one of your better videos but the audio fase on/off transitions with your own voice interrupting your own startled me.

My top tip for beginners. Pay more attention to the tripod or stand and then think about a telescope to sit on it. Save your self hours of frustration. The rubbish that comes with start up telescopes are woefully inadequate.

Don't put it on a wooden deck, it will pick up every minute vibration.

Mounted a telescope on a telescope?? In interesting in knowing why 🧐

I replaced every lightbulb in my house with smart rgb bulbs so I can red out my whole house on those clear nights

Ok