On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 10:05:55 GMT, CandT
wrote:

As a beginner with a relatively cheap 500mmx114mm (f4.3) newtonian, what am I
likely to be able to see well?

Take a look at Jupiter. you should be able to make out the fact that
the planet's disk is not round but squashed. You should also be able
to see several dark bands running across it's disk. Give yourself
time and you may start to make out other features on the disk/bands.
You should certainly be able to see the planet's four main moon - Io,
Europa, Ganymede and Callisto (I Eat Green Cabbage - gives you the
moon sequence in order of distance from Jupiter). Of course where the
moons appear depends on their orbital position. Sometimes you may not
see all four. If you are lucky then you will see the shadow of one
cross Jupiter's disk.

Another object that's good at the moment is Saturn. A wonderful sight
any time it's visible. You should be able to see the rings without
too much bother.

Venus is unmissably bright at the moment. It's just about coming up
to half phase and you should be able to see this. Don't wait for it
to get too dark with Venus. It's a very bright object and it benefits
from having it's contrast dimiished - i.e. look at it as soon as the
Sun sets and and soon as you can find it.

DSOs - M42 the sword in Orion is almost mandatory at this time of
year.

Take a look at the Pleiades - they are nice and easy to spot. Loads
of stars in there. Then contrast them with M35 in Gemini (close to
Saturn), M44 and M67 in Cancer.

While you're around the Pleiades area, take a look at Mars (bleow the
Pleiades). It's now an unloved planet compared to the obsessive
attention that was given to it back in the summer/autumn of last year.
It's size has dropped considerably and you'll be hard pressed to get
much out of it at all.

Galaxy wise, there's M81 and M82 in Ursa Major. Might give you a bit
of a fiddle trying to point your equatorial (?) mount at them, but the
view is worth it. M32 in Andromeda is also a possibility earlier on
in the evening. However, it's starting to drop into the western murk
at the moment which will dim it a bit. Don't be too disappointed if
these objects look like faint smudgy patches. They look like this for
most amateurs!

--
Pete Lawrence
http://www.pbl33.co.uk
Home of the Lunar Parallax Demonstration Project