You may already have a computerized object locator and not know it! That is, if you have the right kind of tablet or smartphone. It must have an e-compass in it as well as GPS capability and use the Android operating system.
For over a year, I have been using the free astronomy app SkyEye in my outdoor public outreach astronomy presentations. Last night, I finally got around to using one feature in the app that few people have heard of. I just laid my Asus tablet on a Dobsonian telescope (sticking it on with Velcro) belonging to my friend Jesse Willard. I then told the app when the scope was pointed at each of two calibration stars. From that point on, when I wanted to go to a deep sky object, the tablet would tell me how to turn the telescope to get to the object. Sure, enough when the tablet said I had reached the Coat Hanger cluster, there it was in the eyepiece. Next, M27 the Dumbbell Nebula -- again in the eyepiece's field of view. I stopped at that point because I had forgotten to bring my jacket and was getting too cold.
For over a year, I have been using the free astronomy app SkyEye in my outdoor public outreach astronomy presentations. Last night, I finally got around to using one feature in the app that few people have heard of. I just laid my Asus tablet on a Dobsonian telescope (sticking it on with Velcro) belonging to my friend Jesse Willard. I then told the app when the scope was pointed at each of two calibration stars. From that point on, when I wanted to go to a deep sky object, the tablet would tell me how to turn the telescope to get to the object. Sure, enough when the tablet said I had reached the Coat Hanger cluster, there it was in the eyepiece. Next, M27 the Dumbbell Nebula -- again in the eyepiece's field of view. I stopped at that point because I had forgotten to bring my jacket and was getting too cold.
Go here to download the app (image from SkyEye download page)A display from SkyEye:
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