After preparing a checklist of objects, take some time to set a date to make your observations. If your interest is galaxies and nebulae, you'll want to pick a night where the moon is dark, since a full moon tends to wash out faint objects. However, if you only want to observe bright objects—the planets, for example—a full moon won't hinder your observations.

Some objects are only visible at certain times of the year. Starry Night can help you determine if a particular object of interest will be visible on the night you want to go out.