In binoculars, Alcor and Mizar make a flattened triangle with a third, fainter, star. A small telescope will readily separate this pair. The belt stars of Orion span 2.75 degrees and the Pleiades are about 1.5 degrees across. A pinky at arm's length represents 1 degree, three fingers is 5, a fist is about 10 degrees. Typical binoculars have fields of view that are around 5 to 7 degrees in diameter.
Amateur astronomers have a number of projects they can carry out.
Some of the most satisfying projects are those based on observing deep-sky objects on some of the well known lists. For example, certificates are available from the national office of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada for observing the 110 objects on Charles Messier's list of nebulae and star clusters. While almost all the Messier objects can be seen in a single night in the spring, sketching the entire lot typically takes most beginners at least 2 to 3 years. Binoculars will suffice for locating many of the Messier and some of the Finest NGC objects, but most will be seen as a tiny smudge against the black sky. For starting out, we propose a list of deep-sky objects, most of which will actually look like something with the naked eye or binoculars.