Method for finding a non-visible(with naked eye) object with telescope?

You probably have setting circles. If it an old Celestron SCT, your right ascension (sometimes called "hour angle") circle is on the base and your declination (sometimes called latitude) circle is up on the pivots for the tube on the fork ends. The wedge should be set to your latitude in degrees. This setting won't change if you don't change locations with the telescope. At my home, that is 37.37 north.

The declination circle is divided into plus and minus degrees. (Plus for the northern sky, minus for anything south of the equator) The tube will be near the zero mark when it is pointed at Orion's belt which is on the celestial equator. Rigel is somewhere near minus 8 degrees and Betelgeuse is about a plus 8. When the tube is pointed at the North celestial pole (just 1/2 degree from Polaris) and the forks are in line with the tube, the Dec circles should read 90. They need to be set once, and then forget 'em.

The RA circle is broken into hours and minutes. To set it you need to find Vega or the Andromeda galaxy or some known object where you can find the Right Ascension number. (both easy to find this time of year.) You only need one. If you picked the Andromeda galaxy, set the wheel at zero hours, 43 minutes. If you picked Vega, set the wheel at 18hr, 37 minutes. You are set to go. Don't touch the RA wheel anymore tonight, just rotate the telescope tube to the coordinates next to any object on any list of objects.

Looking for NGC891 the famous edge on galaxy? Dial in RA:02h 22.5m Dec:+42.3° look in the lowest power eyepiece you have. Center up the galaxy and go up in magnification. You are now a wiz at celestial coordinates!

You can get the coordinates of any known object off the Internet. The planets change daily so be sure your coordinates are "fresh." Just google "sky coordinates of "and the name of the object. Uranus is ra 23 hours.20.5 minutes and dec of -5 degrees. Those coordinates came from Google sky.

There are two basic ways of finding objects that are not visible with the naked-eye or in the finderscope (without a GoTo scope). One of them requires an equatorial mount with accurate right ascention and declination scales. Both require a quality star chart or catalog.

The first method is called star-hopping. You start by printing a chart that shows the location of your target in relation to other, brighter objects that are identifiable with the naked-eye (or at least the finderscope). With the chart in hand, you align your telescope on a bright star that is not far away from the object of interest. Then, using your lowest magnification eyepiece, you move the telescope to the next star that brings you closer to your target. You continue "hopping" from star to star following the path from the chart until the object you want to see is within the field of view of the eyepiece. It's an easy method, but requires a bit of practice.

The second method involves knowing exact coordinates of your target (right ascension and declination) and the coordinates of a nearby bright star. First, you have to polar-align your mount - the more precise the polar alignment, the better are your chance of finding your target. Then, you align the scope with the bright reference star and adjust the RA and declination scales to read the exact the coordinates of that star (taken from a star chart or catalog). Then you use the RA and declination scales to move the scope to the position where your target is located. If you are careful with the alignment procedure, you should be able to get within +/- half degree or so, so your target should end up within the field of view of a low power eyepiece.

You have setting circles. You north align it, level it, and calibrate the circles by using a star whose coordinates you already know. Last time i did this on a C8, it was about 20 minutes to find the Pleiades. Perhaps i needed more practice. But i was borrowing the C8.

But you could bring up a free planetarium program like Stellarium, Celestia, or kstars and make yourself a finder chart. Use the stars in the finder chart to "hop" over to Uranus. It should show as a disk in the C8, not very star like. Last week, after finding it with a telescope, we hooked up a laser pointer so you could easily find it with the unaided eye (and see it once the laser pointer was turned off). Still needed to know which point was which. Very cool.

First identify the constellation,find out few visible star near the planet. then do what is called star hopping.Use low power eye piece first

Sky and telescope magazine publishes detailed star chart for these planets and by using it will be easy.

Star hop.

Start with a star you can see, then follow stars to where you want to be. For Uranus that would be phi Aquarii. Compare with star charts to see the "star" that shouldn't be there.

a good compass and star chart - compass will give you your direction and starting at 0 on the horizon your finger is about 1 degree of elevation. (held out at arms length)