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pdfermat
super member
Reged: 11/12/07
Posts: 142
Loc: Wisconsin
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I'm looking for a reference guide that is more centered around basic information about objects vs. how to find them. I was looking at a number of doubles in Cassiopeia the other night, and I wanted to check my observations against known data - magnitudes, distances, who first observed and so on. Also to answer questions like "Was that a true multiple system or just an optical one? In addition to stars, I would like it to show info on a wide variety of DSO's, not just the Messier, Caldwell, etc... For instance, I was also recently observing a number of galaxies in Draco, and it would be nice to know the surface brightness, distance, etc...
As I said earlier, I don't need maps or charts - I've already found the object, and I don't need pretty pictures either. Does anyone know of one nice reference guide that contains all of this type of info? Kind of a "Just the facts, ma'am" type of thing - some cold hard data and maybe an interesting historical blurb or two.
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Pat
Orion XT8i
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9mm Planetary
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Siderea
Astronomess
Reged: 11/21/05
Posts: 1639
Loc: Novato
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Just the thing, and some of the best reading in astronomy...
Robert Burnham's Celestial Handbook in 3 volumes. Wonderful historical, poetic and scientific data on every object you can think of.
You can find inexpensive used copies on Ebay, or post wanted here on Swap and shop forum.
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Clear skies and pumpkin pies!
lc Carol
60mm Telescope Club
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GeorgeDuke
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 1143
Loc: PARADISE! (So.Florida)
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I second that. Burnham's has everything you want to know and a lot more!
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George
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LX200GPS 203mm f10
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scopethis
sage
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 239
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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Might try this one if you can find it, it's outta print but I've seen it used on Barnes and Noble website. It is an excellent helpful book. The book is "Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects" by Christian Luginbuhl and Brian Skiff.
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2062
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I'm looking for a reference guide that is more centered around basic information about objects vs. how to find them.
A very important niche. To some extent, the best sources are online. Every double-star expert at least needs to consult (though not necessarily agree with) the Washington Double-Star Catalog. The NGC/IC project is the canonical source for information on NGC objects, and the Saguaro Astronomy Club database extends that to many other popular amateur targets.
Beyond that, you need professional sources: NED and RC3 for galaxies, Harris for globular clusters, WEBDA for open clusters, and SIMBAD overall.
Many of these databases are built into the highest tier of planetarium software.
However, all of these tend to be overwhelming and not necessarily very convenient. There are also some good paper sources. Sky Catalog 2000.0 Volume 2 has everything you've asked for in a single volume, but it's out of print, and some of the data has been superseded. You might find it second-hand.
Sissy Hass's "Double Stars for Small Telescopes" is the source that most of us at Sky & Telescope currently use for double stars. It's slender yet pretty comprehensive, and the data has been vetted very carefully.
Burnham's is OK for your purposes, but its real strongpoint is the flowery prose, not the hard-core data. The Night Sky Observer's Guide might be better.
Archinal & Hynes "Star Clusters" is the canonical source for star clusters in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, not likely to be superseded for a long time.
Galaxies are simply too overwhelming to handle well in print. Tens of thousands of them are visible in medium-sized amateur scopes.
You may be disappointed to discover how much simply isn't known. Distances to nebulae of all kinds tend to be quite unreliable. A handful of double stars can be clearly classified as true binaries or optical doubles, but for the great majority, we can only make educated guesses.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
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spencerj
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 577
Loc: Derry, NH
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Tony,
Does the book "Double Stars for Small Telescopes" include the SAO number of the double stars?
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--Jason
"I am the victim of a series of accidents, as are we all." --Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Intes-Micro MN66 with Moonlight CR1 focuser
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jimarshall
super member
Reged: 03/20/07
Posts: 102
Loc: Virginia
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"Field book of the skies" by Olcott and Mayall contains a lot of the information you are looking for.
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Jim
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 2062
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
Does the book "Double Stars for Small Telescopes" include the SAO number of the double stars?
Sorry, no. Very few sources use SAO numbers any more these days.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 29970
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
"Field book of the skies" by Olcott and Mayall contains a lot of the information you are looking for.
One of the first observing guides I ever encountered, back when I was in high school. And it was an old book then! It's fairly easy to find from online used book sources and for all the years it has on it, is worth picking up if you can.
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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Snaproll
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/20/04
Posts: 3471
Loc: Wisconsin
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Quote:
Just the thing, and some of the best reading in astronomy...
Robert Burnham's Celestial Handbook in 3 volumes. Wonderful historical, poetic and scientific data on every object you can think of.
You can find inexpensive used copies on Ebay, or post wanted here on Swap and shop forum.
It is a classic. I've had my set since the 80's. It looks like it's still in print. Does anyone know if it has ever been updated? I used to read those cover to cover when I first started in the hobby.
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-Jim-
Happiness is a clear sky and a Denk II
old AP images and some new C14 Hyperstar images
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