Glenn Chaple's observing basics: Do the Hop
May 2005: One, two — find the star! Three, four — aim that scope!
One, two — find the star! Three, four — aim that scope! Five, six … oh, hi. I was practicing the steps to my favorite astronomical dance — the "Star hop." Actually, "star hopping" isn't a dance. It's the way I locate faint, out-of-the-way sky objects with my telescopes — especially my Dobsonian-mounted ones.