Computerized astronomy binocular?
Two of the challenges to a newcomer using astronomical binoculars, are locating objects and identifying objects when you do locate them, since there are no computerized astronomy binoculars on the market - you are the computer when you use an astronomy binocular. If you want a computer, you need to buy a computerized telescope. I don’t see learning the night sky without the aid of a computer to be a problem, at all; it is a very necessary and useful step on the path to becoming an amateur astronomy and, best of all, it's a lot of fun.
The key to locating objects is to first learn the basic constellations and that means getting a basic star map that shows constellations, such as the Celestron Sly Maps Chart. Constellations are where you start when you wish to locate an object; astronomy objects are commonly organized by the constellation where they are found. The officially recognized constellations by astronomers are actually chunks of the sky rather than any specific outline of stars. You can connect those star dots any way you like, but knowing where those constellations are gets you into the right stellar neighborhood. Then, too, just tracing the outlines of constellations is fun in, itself and a relaxing way to spend an evening.
Now that you have a map with the basic constellations, you need to match up what you see on the map to what you see in the sky in terms of scale. Obviously, that little outline on the map will be a much larger object in the sky, but once you have identified one constellation in the sky and note how it relates to the map, the other constellations start to fall in place in terms of relative size.
Still having problems? Come on over to my place some clear night and I will be happy to help you trace those outlines and be your tour guide to the night sky or visit your local astronomy club. We astronomers tend to be a social lot and newcomers are welcome.
