It’s easy to go out on a rare clear night and set off on an unadventurous tour of familiar objects with your telescope. It’s understandable – people want to make the most of any gaps in the clouds. But it could also be a wasted opportunity. With the whole sky to explore, when the clouds clear shouldn’t you be looking for things you haven’t seen before? After all, when you go on holiday you don’t just go into the same shops you have at home – you go exploring the backstreets and alleys, looking for unusual sights and experiences.
Here, we’re going to lure you off your beaten celestial track, swapping objects you've probably looked at again and again for 10 fresh alternatives. All of our recommendations are visible before midnight on cool nights this autumn.
1. Globular cluster M15
INSTEAD OF: the Great Globular Cluster, M13
The most impressive globular cluster in the northern sky is generally accepted to be M13, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, and it is indeed a stunning telescopic treat, visible throughout this month in the western sky after sunset. But a short distance to its east, over
