The Amateur Astronomer S Guide To The Deep Sky Catalogs

Every amateur astronomer has at least heard of the many different catalogs of deep-sky objects; the most well known are the Messier, the Caldwell, the Herschel, and the NGC. All of these catalogs are, in general, readily available, but very few amateur observers are in a position to choose the best catalog for their particular deep-sky observing program, know how to use the catalog, or even realize just how many there are out there! The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-sky Catalogs is a single compilation of the historical and modern astronomical deep-sky catalogs. It discusses their origins, compares what's in them, explains how to interpret the data they contain, and even outlines how readers can create suitable 'custom' catalogs for their own use. The last section provides a set of three deep-sky catalogs created by the author, for observers of different levels of experience, from newcomer to expert.

This star guide enables astronomers to choose a class of object, and for any month of the year find an observation list that begins with the easiest through to progressively more difficult targets. Following detailed descriptive summaries of each class of object, it includes extensive lists of deep-sky targets which are classified according to type of object. Amateur astronomers of all levels will find this book invaluable for its broad-ranging background material, its lists of fascinating objects, and for its power to improve practical observing skills while viewing many different types of deep-sky objects.

This is the largest and most comprehensive atlas of the universe ever created for amateur astronomers. With finder charts of unprecedented detail, in both normal and mirror-image views, and an extensive list of 14,000 objects, it provides a detailed observing guide for almost any practical amateur astronomer, up to the most advanced. Spanning some 3,000 pages, this is a project that is possible only on CD-ROM. The CD-R pages are extensively indexed and referenced for quick location of objects. The accompanying book gives an introduction to the Atlas, showcases the maps, describes the CD-R content and organization, and includes various appendices.

This is the largest and most comprehensive atlas of the universe ever created for amateur astronomers. With finder charts of unprecedented detail, in both normal and mirror-image views, and an extensive list of 14,000 objects, it provides a detailed observing guide for almost any practical amateur astronomer, up to the most advanced. Spanning some 3,000 pages, this is a project that is possible only on CD-ROM. The CD-R pages are extensively indexed and referenced for quick location of objects. The accompanying book gives an introduction to the Atlas, showcases the maps, describes the CD-R content and organization, and includes various appendices.

Deep-sky observing is easily the most popular field for amateur astronomers. The big problem faced by non-professional observers is what to look at - what is visible at a particular time of year. The Deep-Sky Observers Year is a month-by-month guide to the best objects to view. Objects are given a "star rating" according to how difficult they are to observe or image with a particular size of telescope. The book includes many images produced by amateur astronomers, as well as photographs from NASA, ESA, and ESO. There is background information about the objects, along with lots of useful tips, hints, and resources.

Guide to Observing Deep-Sky Objects is an invaluable reference for all amateur astronomers. The book contains, for each constellation, (1) a star chart showing the Bayer labels, (2) a table for many of the stars in the constellation, along with their positions and magnitudes, and (3) a table of the major deep-sky objects in the constellation, with relevant observational data. Facing pages provide unique year-long graphs that show when the constellation is visible in the sky, which allows the user to quickly determine whether a given constellation can be seen, and when the best time to see it will be.