# Star hopping

Finding a faint object by hopping from a bright star through recognisable patterns of fainter ones.

Without a computerised mount, observers find objects the way sailors used landmarks: start at a bright star you can see, then follow chains and shapes of stars in the [finder](https://astropilot.space/glossary/finder) and eyepiece until the target appears. It's a skill that turns the sky into familiar territory.

**In AstroPilot:** Object pages name the nearest bright star and its direction, and the sky chart shows the route.

**Related:** [Finder](https://astropilot.space/glossary/finder.md), [Constellation](https://astropilot.space/glossary/constellation.md), [Asterism](https://astropilot.space/glossary/asterism.md), [True field of view](https://astropilot.space/glossary/true-field.md)

From the AstroPilot astronomy glossary: https://astropilot.space/glossary/star-hopping