Herschel 400 Observing Guide
Herschel 400 Observing Guide
$60.99
USDThe Herschel 400 is a list of 400 galaxies, nebulae and star clusters, picked from over 2,500 deep-sky objects discovered and catalogued by the great eighteenth-century astronomer Sir William Herschel and his sister Caroline. It comprises 231 galaxies, 107 open clusters, 33 globular clusters, 20 planetary nebulae, 2 halves of a single planetary nebula and 7 bright nebulae. In this guide Steve O'Meara takes the observer through the list, season by season, month by month, night by night, object by object. He works through the objects in a carefully planned and methodical way, taking in some of the most dramatic non-Messier galaxies, nebulae and star clusters in the night sky. Ideal for astronomers who have tackled the Messier objects, this richly illustrated guide will help the amateur astronomer hone their observing skills.
- Focuses on helping you plan and organize your H400 observing project, with an emphasis on finding the objects with minimal fuss through O'Meara's clear directions and detailed finder charts
- For each of the H400 objects, the author provides the coordinate data, a scaled image, general object description and step-by-step directions
- Includes a handy checklist in the appendix; ideal for use as an observing log for submission to the Astronomical League (or your local observing club)
Reviews & endorsements
"O'Meara takes a list of admittedly faint objects and injects new life into them. Right or wrong, many amateur astronomers won't consider you a top-level observer until you've completed the Herschel 400. Don't do it for them, however. Pick up this book, set up your telescope, and do it for yourself. It's a lot of fun."
Michael Bakich, Astronomy Online
'O'Meara is well known for his columns in both Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines as well as his previous three books on deep-sky observing. The Herschel guide is a bit different from his previous ones as, due to the larger number of objects presented, there are only short descriptions of each one along with an image from the DSS. The book starts with a short introduction to deep-sky observing and then the meat of the book is divided into … sections that cover when to observe objects by season. … it is a far better guide to the Herschel objects that the one available from the AL. It is well presented … to be recommended to observers looking for an organized project with medium-sized telescopes after completing the Messier list.' The Observatory
"The layout is very well thought out. ... The book is very well indexed to ensure that there is no difficulty in locating objects. ... [The author] works through the objects in a carefully planned and methodical way, ensuring that a minimum of telescope time is employed both in locating objects and in moving from one object to the next. The author explains clearly how to locate each object and gives a short description. ... I would recommend this book to experienced observers who wish to progress beyond the Messier and the Caldwell objects." - Alex Crowther, Astronomy & Space
"...a very good book, whose main strength is its instructions for locating objects. Even if you are not interested in seeing all the Herschel 400 objects, I recommend it as a good mid-range guide to the deep sky." --Journal of the British Astrological Association
Product details
February 2013Paperback
9781107632004
379 pages
273 × 218 × 20 mm
1.07kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I. Winter:
- 1. January
- 2. February
- 3. March
- Part II. Spring:
- 4. April
- 5. May
- 6. June
- Part III. Summer:
- 7. July
- 8. August
- 9. September
- Part IV. Fall:
- 10. October
- 11. November
- 12. December
- Appendix A. Herschel 400 observing list
- Appendix B. Herschel 400 checklist
- Appendix C. Photo credits
- Index.
