Viewing the Night Sky with a Telescope

Depending on the type of telescope you have purchased, you should be able to see many wondrous images with it. You might see the moon's surface, the moons of Jupiter, or even Saturn's rings. With some knowledge of the sky and constellations, you may be able to pick out some star clusters.

The best way to get your hobby going is to join your local astronomical society. They will sometimes have telescopes you can borrow to get the hang of using one before you buy. They also meet in the evenings so you can learn how to observe the night sky. It is truly fascinating to see the images with your own eyes instead of just looking at pictures on the web or in books.
Telescopes are used for two reasons. One is to see fainter objects and the other is to magnify images far away. You must discern which focal ratio is the best for what you are trying to see. A focal ratio is the ratio of the focal length to the aperture. Usually starting around f/8 is good for beginners. Going below f/8 will give you wider, brighter views, but image quality will be lower. Going above f/8 is usually saved for viewing the moon and planets and deep sky objects such as galaxies or nebulae.
To get started, just set up your telescope and start looking into the night sky. There is no telling what you might see. You can look at the moon every night for a year and still not see everything it has to offer. The same is true for the entire Milky Way galaxy. There really is no limit to what you can find. Another neat thing to do is to count sunspots which provide a gauge of solar activity. Be sure to have the proper filter. Just have fun and see what you can find.