Synopses & Reviews
Every amateur astronomer has at least heard of the many different catalogs of the deep-sky objects. These catalogs are, in general, readily available. Charles Messier's famous catalog is perhaps the most widely known, along with Sir Patrick Moore's later addition to it, the Caldwell Catalogue. Then there is the Herschel Catalogue...and many others. However, very few amateur astronomers are in a position to choose the best catalog for their particular deep-sky observing program, and fewer still realize how to use them and even how many there are out there! The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-sky Catalogs is intended for anyone interested in having a single source of all the major easy and hard-to-find astronomical catalogs, including historical ones. This book compares what's in them, explains how to interpret the data they contain, and even outlines how readers can create suitable 'custom' astronomical catalogs for their own use. All other current books on astronomical catalogs focus on descriptions of the objects contained in a single catalog. The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-sky Catalogs not only provides its readers with the knowledge of how to interpret astronomical catalogs and data, it is a convenient single source for many of the popular catalogs. The introduction looks at astronomical catalogs from a newcomer's point of view. What is all the data in the tables, and how should it be used? This section also explains how the data was collected, the importance of each item of data, and how it is used as a road map to finding your way around the night sky. The catalog section of the book starts by showing how Hipparchus and Ptolemy represented the two greatest influences on early astronomy, how the 'Almagest' catalog was carried across Europe by the Islamic invaders, and the heavy influence of the Persian astronomers such as Al Sufi and Ulugh Beg. The sections ends with the entire catalog of the 'Almagest.' Next, the early and middle ages are spanned, with the catalogs and modifications created by well known figures including Johann Bayer, Henry Draper, Charles Messier, John and Caroline Herschel, and J L E Dryer, who began work on the New General Catalog (NGC). Finally, in this part of the book, the author takes a look at modern catalogs, such as the Caldwell and Halton Arp's "Catalog of Peculiar Galaxies." Other important catalogs are discussed, too - those that have been created by organizations and institutions such as the European Space Agency's Hipparchus and Tycho catalogs, the Washington Double Star, and the Yale Bright Star catalog. The last section of the book provides a set of astronomical catalogs created by the author. They come in three different versions: for the beginning astronomer, for the intermediate, and for the expert observer. These lists will also be based on the type of equipment the amateur astronomer is likely to own: binoculars, small telescopes, or large telescopes. They provide a wonderful starting point for the amateur to customize his or her own catalogs and can form the basis of a major observing program.
Review
From the reviews: "The book provides complete listings of the important deep sky catalogs considered useful for amateur astronomy. ... The catalog listings will make an excellent resource for amateur astronomers giving co-ordinate locations and other information on thousands of galaxies, stars, and nebula. The all to brief bio's provide a delicious taster into the lives of some fascinating characters and will act as a prompt for more in depth research. A thoroughly recommended book for all amateur astronomers." (Paul Rumsby, Best Astronomy Books, October, 2012)
Review
From the reviews: "The book provides complete listings of the important deep sky catalogs considered useful for amateur astronomy. ... The catalog listings will make an excellent resource for amateur astronomers giving co-ordinate locations and other information on thousands of galaxies, stars, and nebula. The all to brief bio's provide a delicious taster into the lives of some fascinating characters and will act as a prompt for more in depth research. A thoroughly recommended book for all amateur astronomers." (Paul Rumsby, Best Astronomy Books, October, 2012)
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-sky Catalogs provides a
Synopsis
Every amateur astronomer has at least heard of the many different catalogs of deep-sky objects; the most
Synopsis
All of us familiar with astronomy know of Charles Messier and his early work on creating a catalog of celestial objects. Did you know that Messier was compiling a list of objects to avoid when searching the skies? He was a comet hunter, and he wanted to not mistake other things for comets. Other lists and catalogs followed this, and many, including Messier's, have become popular with amateur astronomers who see it as a challenge to find everything on the list or as a guide on what to see when they look through their telescopes or binoculars. In this "catalog of catalogs," the author introduces the figures behind the most famous of the star catalogs and includes the catalog listings as well. Thus here, all in one book, is your complete guide to the heavenly bodies - including constellations, galaxies, nebulae, supernova remnants, and much more - that most people seek to see when they observe the night sky. Here are enough challenges for a lifetime of exciting viewing!
About the Author
Jerry Cavin first turned to amateur astronomy while growing up under the dark skies of Iowa.
Table of Contents
Preface.- Chapter 1: Claudius Ptolemy and the Almagest.- Chapter 2: The Abd-al-Rahman Al-Sufi Catalog.- Chapter 3: Ulugh Beg.- Chapter 4: The Tycho Brahe Catalog.- Chapter 5: The Johannes Hevelius Catalog.- Chapter 6: The Charles Messier Catalog.- Chapter 7: The Johann Elert Bode Catalog.- Chapter 8: Christian Mayer Catalog.- Chapter 9: The Herschel Catalogs.- Chapter 10: The J.L.E. Dreyer and the NGC Catalog.- Chapter 11: Halton Arp and the Arp Catalog.- Chapter 12: The Caldwell Catalog.- References.- Appendix A.- Appendix B.-