Hack19.Keep Your Charts at the Eyepiece

Hack 19. Keep Your Charts at the Eyepiece

Refrigerator magnets aren't just for refrigerators any more.

Think back to the last time you tried to find a difficult object. You probably sat at your chart table, trying to memorize the relative positions and magnitudes of several field stars near the object. You then returned to your scope and scanned around a bit, trying to locate that pattern of stars in the eyepiece. Before long, you weren't entirely sure what you were looking for. Back to the chart table. Back to the eyepiece. Back to chart table. Rinse and repeat.

If you have one of the incredibly popular steel-tube Chinese or Taiwanese Dobs, there's a better way. Print out (or copy) the chart, take it with you to the eyepiece, and stick it right on the tube using refrigerator magnets, as shown in Figure 2-14

Figure 2-14. Using a chart right at the eyepiece

In fact, nothing limits you to having just one chart. A strong magnet will hold half a dozen or more sheets of paper, ready for immediate use.