Once you've entered the current date, time, and your location (and many newer models don't even require you to do that), the scope can point itself to, and track, thousands of celestial objects.
Some telescopes come with small motors to move them around the sky with the push of a keypad button. In the more advanced models of this type, often called "Go To" telescopes, a small computer is built into the hand control. Once you've entered the current date, time, and your location (and many newer models don't even require you to do that), the scope can point itself to, and track, thousands of celestial objects. Some "Go To"s let you choose a guided tour of the best celestial showpieces, complete with a digital readout describing what's known about each object.