Find an observing site with as little light pollution as possible.
Give your eyes plenty of time to become fully adapted to the dark. This will take about 20 minutes.
Try not to look at any bright lights such as headlights or street lights.
The light from the Moon will wash out many of the fainter objects, so unless you are looking for something bright go out when the Moon is not in the sky (see our Lunar Phases page to plan your observing sessions!).
Use a red-light flashlight for reading. The red light will not affect your night vision.
Try to observe objects when they are as high in the sky as possible. This means you are looking through less atmosphere and less turbulence giving a better view (use our 'Live' Sky Charts page to plan your observing sessions!).
Use a tripod or other mount if possible (a broom is ideal!). The steadier the binoculars are, the more detail and the fainter objects you will be able to see.
Use a stable object to lean against if a mount is not available.
Use our Locate Jupiter's Galilean Moons page to identify where the moons be!
Give your telescope plenty of time to get to the same temperature as the outside air.
Try to find a location where you will not have to look over things that give of heat from the daytime such as tarmac or paved areas and rooftops.
Use your eyepiece with the widest field of view to find objects. This will usually be the lowest power eyepiece.
The best views do not mean the most powerful. Too much power can produce a fuzzier image. A smaller sharp image is often preferable.