With some smartphone apps all that you have to do is hold the phone up to the sky and it will identify the stars and planets for you.
The performance of your telescope will drop if the optics are not sufficiently cooled. Keep it in a relatively cool place, and before you want to start viewing place it outside so its temperature can drop before you begin. [3] X Research source
The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) has a scale for seeing conditions which goes from 0 to 10. If the conditions score lower than a 5, your chances of a good observation are very slim. [5] X Research source
You may also be able to see up to four distinct specs of light near Jupiter, these are its four Galilean moons. Jupiter has at least 63 moons in orbit. In 1610, Galileo named the four main moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. How many you can see will depend on their position orbiting Jupiter. Even if you have a telescope, it can be helpful to use binoculars to spot Jupiter in the sky before moving on to the telescope for a more detailed observation.
When searching for the belts, keep trying. It takes time to learn how to spot the belts through a telescope. It’s a good idea to try this with someone who is already familiar with spotting them.
The intensity of the Great Red Spot varies, and it can’t always be seen. It isn’t really that red, but more of orange or a pale pink colour.
If you want to try using a DSLR camera, remember longer exposures will capture the moons more clearly but will wash out the dark and light bands across the planet surface. [10] X Research source
Use your notes to compare different observations to keep track of changes on the surface of the planet and to find things of interest. The clouds are turbulent and the planet’s appearance can change dramatically in just a few days.
