Telescope Reviews: New CSOG edition: Hickson Compact Galaxy Groups

A new Clear Skies Observing Guides edition: Hickson Compact Galaxy Groups !

As an introduction, for one week only, the Hickson guides are available for less than 50% of the normal price of 9.95 euros. As always, customers outside of the European Union are exempt from VAT. For them it means the price this week is 4.09 euros: That's (only!) approximately 5.40 US dollars, or just over a nickel for a Hickson group. This price will remain valid until Sunday March 10th. Take advantage of this introductory offer before the normal price of 9.95 euros takes effect!

Please feel free to download a few samples to view Hicksons and other CSOG editions.

The CSOG Hickson guides differ slightly from other CSOG content, as explained below.

There is one assumption: A user owns a starchart, can plot a celestial coordinate on it and is able to point his or her scope to within one degree of that position, or uses a goto system. From there, the observing guide takes over.

Data for Hickson group members always contain a galaxy's common name, along with "special designations" (Arp, VV', Markarian) and synonyms (MCG - PGC - UGC - ESO). Data for all of the objects was crosschecked with NED.
Below the object data is a large image depicting all group members. The image scale is displayed at top left, with a minimum size of seven arcminutes (7') east to west.

The second page of every Hickson guide contains four images. These images are uncompressed and therefor "zoomable" when using a computer or tablet. The size of an image is noted in the upper left corner: 1.25 degree (75'), 1 degree (60'), half a degree (30') or a quarter of a degree (15'). When using a laptop or tablet when observing, the image that best matches the telescope's field of view can be used. No need to switch to another image, just use the one you started with to zoom in on the object's position.
When using the guides in print or on a non-zooming device such as some e-readers, the images can be used consecutively. DSS images beat any starchart.

As for most CSOG content, three types of tours for goto telescopes are included: Autostar Tours for Meade's scopes, NexTours for use with Celestron's NexRemote and EQTours for use with EQMOD. As always, an AstroPlanner planfile is part of the package.

Of course, one of the main CSOG features applies to the Hicksons, too: The option of mirrored images.

"True" (unmirrored: north up, east to the left)
Mirrored Horizontally (north up, west to the left)
Mirrored Vertically (south up, east to the left)
Mirrored Horizontally & Vertically (south up, west to the left)

Counting the mirrored ones, there are now 200 CSOG editions. Read all about it on the website: www.clearskies.eu

Clear Skies!