Send probes, and wait for them to return.
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Setting aside what has already been said about predicting cosmic events with accuracy. 

If you have FTL technology and it is brand new, you may not want to travel very far while your work out the issues with the technology. But once FTL is established and understood, if there has not been an FTL sensory breakthrough you can simply do the following.

Equip several probes with FTL capability. Send these to various locations in and around your destination. Wait for them to return with the data that they observed from jumping to that location and collecting star light for a few hours. You should not be able to form a pretty complete picture of what is going on at your intended destination.