For astronomy enthusiasts who received a new telescope as a gift during the holiday season, the end of December 2025 presents a perfect opportunity to explore the night sky. With a waxing crescent moon visible and Jupiter shining brightly, this time is ideal for new telescope owners to familiarize themselves with celestial observations. Additionally, the upcoming Wolf Supermoon in early January 2026 offers a spectacular sight for those eager to utilize their new equipment.
Setting Up Your Telescope
Before diving into celestial observations, it is essential to ensure that your telescope is properly set up. Assemble your telescope while it is still light outside, following the instructions provided in the box. Once assembled, take it outdoors to level the tripod and tighten all clamps securely. Familiarizing yourself with the various knobs and levers is crucial, especially for aligning the finder scope with a distant object, such as a tree. This alignment is vital for accurate observations.
Setting up your telescope during daylight also allows it to cool down, which enhances the clarity of your views once night falls.
Ideal First Targets
The crescent moon is an excellent first target for novice telescope users. Between December 25 and January 1, 2026, the moon will transition from a thick crescent to a first quarter phase, making it easy to locate and observe. The moon will be visible in the southwest shortly after sunset, approximately 30 minutes after the sun dips below the horizon.
Most beginner telescopes come with two eyepieces, typically 10mm and 25mm. Start with the low-power 25mm eyepiece, which provides a wider field of view, making it easier to locate the moon. Once focused, you can switch to the 10mm eyepiece to observe the moon’s surface features, such as craters and mountains, particularly along the terminator—the line dividing the illuminated and dark sides of the moon.
While the full moon is visually captivating, it is not the best time for detailed observations due to the flat and bright light it emits.
Navigating the Night Sky
Understanding the constellations can significantly enhance your telescope experience. Rather than viewing constellations as mere patterns, think of them as geographical regions within the night sky. This perspective will help you locate deep-sky objects like star clusters and nebulae.
In the Northern Hemisphere during late December, prominent constellations such as Orion, Taurus, Auriga, and Gemini will dominate the southeastern sky. This season, Jupiter will be particularly bright in this region. Begin by identifying Orion’s Belt and then trace your way to bright stars like Capella in Auriga and the Pleiades open cluster (M45) in Taurus.
For those in the Southern Hemisphere, Orion appears inverted and is located in the northeast. Notable stars like Sirius and Canopus will shine in the southern sky, with the Southern Cross rising beneath.
Recognizing these constellations will facilitate locating various celestial objects with your telescope.
Observing Planets
Planets offer some of the most rewarding targets for new telescope owners. A key distinction between planets and stars is that planets do not twinkle; they appear as larger disks rather than points of light. This season, Jupiter and Saturn are the highlights.
Jupiter reaches opposition on January 10, 2026, positioning Earth directly between the planet and the sun. This alignment makes Jupiter appear closest, largest, and brightest in the sky. When searching for Jupiter, look east in the early evening for the brightest “star” that does not twinkle, located near the “twins” of Gemini, Castor and Pollux. Center it in your finder scope and then switch to the 25mm eyepiece for clear views. With the 10mm eyepiece, you may observe cloud bands and possibly four of its moons—Ganymede, Callisto, Europa, and Io.
Saturn, though lower and fainter than Jupiter, can also be observed in the southwestern sky shortly after sunset. Even modest telescopes will reveal Saturn’s iconic rings.
Notable Celestial Targets
For first-time telescope users, the winter night sky in the Northern Hemisphere boasts numerous classic sights, including:
– Orion Nebula (M42) in Orion
– Pleiades (M45) open cluster in Taurus
– Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) in Perseus
– Beehive Cluster (M44) in Cancer
– Crab Nebula (M1) in Taurus
– Andromeda Galaxy (M31) in Andromeda
In the Southern Hemisphere, similar celestial wonders await, including:
– Orion Nebula (M42) in Orion
– Pleiades (M45) open cluster in Taurus
– Carina Nebula (NGC 3372)
– Southern Pleiades (IC 2602)
– Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
– Omega Centauri (NGC 5139)
Building Your Astronomy Skills
After your initial exploration with the telescope, including observing the moon and Jupiter, continue to build your knowledge and skill. Take advantage of clear nights, focusing on the dark, moonless periods between the last quarter moon and the new moon for optimal viewing conditions.
As you regularly observe the night sky, what once seemed like an overwhelming expanse of stars will gradually transform into a familiar landscape, enhancing your understanding and enjoyment of astronomy.
