Looking at the moon through a telescope really is a wonderous thing to behold, okay it's just the moon like, you see it everyday, but not like how you see it through a telescope. I almost felt guilty like I just shouldn't have all this focal power in my hand to go peeping on our closest neighbour. You just get this feeling and you wonder “what's up there?” there's a certain pull to a question like that, like what's over there beyond the hill?

The Monocular is the cheapest and a damn sight lot quicker and easier to use, it does give some lunar landscape details you wouldn't be able to pick out with normal sight, craters, shadows. The telescope is a lot more challenging initially, and finding the moon through the viewer is a pain in the arse. Once I found it with my telescope after wiggling it around for some time, you have to remember the moon is moving and quite quickly to, so you have to keep adjusting the viewer accordingly. I've got an 'economy' telescope for my budget, it a mirror telescope and quite powerful and large considering what I'd paid for it.

I would include a picture but I don't know how to embed yet, I do take photographs with the monocular, I haven't quite mastered attaching the camera to the big telescope yet. Some of the views through that are just awe inspiring and absolutely stunning. It's a real feeling of privilege to be able to behold these things in ones life time, it truly is. Hoping to purchase my moon maps soon, when I can afford them, and get down to some real lunarography drawing compass and all. Watch this space.

there's some devices/programs you can get to take pics directly to your comp/device now, makes it much easier to do...

here's one
http://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/Electronic_Gadgets/Cool_Gadgets/Astronomy_Telescope_Eyepiece_Camera

I remember the Star Gazer's club in high school. We spent many nights looking at celestial bodies. What was cool about my school is we had our own planetarium. We could submit our Star Gazer's photos to the science teacher and he would put them on the dome.

If you ever get a chance to go to a show at a public planetarium I recommend it. Take someone special with you as they can be very romantic.

There are a number of home planetarium projection systems that are affordable. These range from mechanical to digital.

As for telescopics, there are many maps available for free online. You type in your observing location and it gives you coordinates to different celestial objects.
Here is a link to a wonderful site that gives you tips on
How to Use a Star Chart at the Telescope
By: Alan MacRobert
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/using-a-map-at-the-telescope/

Celestia is a 3D astronomy program created by Chris Laurel. The program is based on the Hipparcos Catalogue and allows users to travel through an extensive universe, modeled after reality, at any speed, in any direction, and at any time in history.
Here is the Celestia Homepage, Celestia is free
http://celestiaproject.net/
I have had Celestia since if first came out.
Over the years I have downloaded many graphics sets for many different locations and they even have graphic models of science fiction ships and planets.
You can find those addons at the Celestial Motherlode site
http://www.celestiamotherlode.net/
Ooo, lots of new ones I don't have yet, time to do some downloading! All free.

Here is a NASA page dedicated to giving amateur astronomers resources.
http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/skyt/help/where_do_i_find.html

Stars and Constellations

Heavens Above (Star and satellite charts)

Your Sky (a interactive planetarium)

StarDate Online

Sky & Telescope Magazine

Welcome to the Planets

Asteroid Watch

Amateur Astronomy

Interactive Satellite Viewer

Have Fun!