reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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Hi. Anyone else embarking on this journey? I'm diving into it full force with my new 12" reflector. 
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novbabies
Postmaster
Reged: 06/05/05
Posts: 15678
Loc: Northern Georgia!
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I am - somewhat furtively - too many other distractions! 
Good seeing!
Mark
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Good Seeing!
Mark
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector
Assorted binoculars
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hello Reflector,
I just recently finished the 400. I am just waiting for the certificate and pin. Was there a question you were wanting to ask about the 400?
Roger
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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Is there a decent guidebook out there??
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
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Brian Carter
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/24/04
Posts: 3115
Loc: Atlanta, GA
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Post deleted by Brian Carter
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10" F/5.5 Astrosky
SkyCommander DSCs
A loving dog, Buddha, who tolerates my hobbies
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Cygnus_x1
Sketcher Extraordinaire
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 2119
Loc: Isle of Wight, England
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I have got "Observe The Herschel Objects" published by the Astronomical League. It costs $8 and you can find it at http://www.astronomicalleague.com/herschel.htm
I think it's not a bad little publication and worth getting, although some of the sketch reproduction leaves a bit to be desired.
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Visual Deep Sky Observing
Visual Astronomy blog
Fotopic astronomy gallery My photos from astronomy events, etc
8x42 binoculars 'light thimble'
4" refractor and 4" Meade SCT 'light cups'
12" Dobsonian 'light bucket'
Various TeleVue eyepieces
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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I'm about 1/2 way through the program, but other things have distracted me at this time. I agree that the AL manual is great, as are O'Meara's tomes on the Messier & Caldwell objects. Have fun, and rest assured you'll be amazed at how spectacular some of the H400 objects are. I enjoyed hunting the brighter ones down with small scopes, but now I'm down to the really faint fuzzies.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Gammarose
journeyman
Reged: 11/02/05
Posts: 36
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Yeah, I am slowly working on the list with my 17.5" reflector. I work on it in spurts due to the distraction issue as well. It requires considerably more organization than the Messiers.
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17.5" f/5 Newtonian
10" f/4.5 Newtonian
20x80mm Binos
10x50mm Binos
My backyard weather
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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This Astronomical League Herschel 400 book....is it any more information than what is already available on the AL website?
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
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Cygnus_x1
Sketcher Extraordinaire
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 2119
Loc: Isle of Wight, England
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Quote:
This Astronomical League Herschel 400 book....is it any more information than what is already available on the AL website?
Well, the book gives you descriptions and sketches while the AL website just gives a checklist.
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Visual Deep Sky Observing
Visual Astronomy blog
Fotopic astronomy gallery My photos from astronomy events, etc
8x42 binoculars 'light thimble'
4" refractor and 4" Meade SCT 'light cups'
12" Dobsonian 'light bucket'
Various TeleVue eyepieces
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1677
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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I'm working on it. The AL programs have been great. I've been concentrating mainly on the Messier program for the past year or so, but all that remains of that now is in Ursa Major and Virgo...so I've got plenty of time to swim around in the wide-open waters of the Herschel 400. I've coincidentally caught a few of them along with my Messier observations, but I'll be hitting them more often now I think.
Scott, are you finding you need to get outside of town to have any hope of catching the faint remainders?
Also, congratulations Roger!
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/6 Newt) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars
The Belt Of Venus || Astro-Sketch Gallery || Astro-Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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Quote:
Quote:
This Astronomical League Herschel 400 book....is it any more information than what is already available on the AL website?
Well, the book gives you descriptions and sketches while the AL website just gives a checklist.
http://www.ngcic.org/DSS/dss_H400.asp
The NGC/IC Project website is better than any $8 booklet you just described, as it has photos and a whole lot more data. At the AL website, it gives enough description in the size, magnitude, celestial coordinates, and constellations the objects are found in. Plus the rules are outlined at the AL. If a person still can't find these objects with this free information, they should get more experience with DSO's first. I'm looking forward to the other guidebook, which aims to be a lot more thorough. I'll review it when I get it.
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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Quote:
I'm working on it. The AL programs have been great. I've been concentrating mainly on the Messier program for the past year or so, but all that remains of that now is in Ursa Major and Virgo...so I've got plenty of time to swim around in the wide-open waters of the Herschel 400. I've coincidentally caught a few of them along with my Messier observations, but I'll be hitting them more often now I think.
Scott, are you finding you need to get outside of town to have any hope of catching the faint remainders?
Also, congratulations Roger!
I'm glad to see you taking your time enjoying things slowly so you'll be ready for the H400. Going to a darker site will always allow you to go deeper and enjoy better views.
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lphilpot
sage
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 326
Loc: Central Lousiana, USA
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There are lots of computer resources for the H400 now, but when I started the list several years ago they basically didn't exist. What I did to make a quick reference set of charts was to use the program "NGCview" to print out 50 sheets of small charts, 8 per page, covering the entire list. They all had Telrad circles on them, so I could quickly get in the right area, then drop down to Uranometria or SkyAtlas for confirmation when needed.
As I observed each object, I would (in addition to creating a conventional log entry) check off that particular chart. It was neat to look at 50 pages of completely checked charts once I was done. 
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Len Philpot
len@philpot.org ><> http://pages.suddenlink.net/lenphilpot
14.5" TeleKit, 8" Hardin DSH, Orion ST80, Orion 10x70, Celestron 8x40 ... How long 'til the next TSP...?
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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What are some more computer resources?
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
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novbabies
Postmaster
Reged: 06/05/05
Posts: 15678
Loc: Northern Georgia!
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Hey, wow, thanks for the link! I've bookmarked it for future reference!  
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Good Seeing!
Mark
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector
Assorted binoculars
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Cygnus_x1
Sketcher Extraordinaire
Reged: 11/17/04
Posts: 2119
Loc: Isle of Wight, England
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
This Astronomical League Herschel 400 book....is it any more information than what is already available on the AL website?
Well, the book gives you descriptions and sketches while the AL website just gives a checklist.
http://www.ngcic.org/DSS/dss_H400.asp
The NGC/IC Project website is better than any $8 booklet you just described, as it has photos and a whole lot more data. At the AL website, it gives enough description in the size, magnitude, celestial coordinates, and constellations the objects are found in. Plus the rules are outlined at the AL. If a person still can't find these objects with this free information, they should get more experience with DSO's first. I'm looking forward to the other guidebook, which aims to be a lot more thorough. I'll review it when I get it.
Only trying to help. You asked, I gave you an answer. *Shrug*.
Yes the NGC/IC website is pretty good, especially as they are trying to clear up the discrepancies in the RNGC.
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Visual Deep Sky Observing
Visual Astronomy blog
Fotopic astronomy gallery My photos from astronomy events, etc
8x42 binoculars 'light thimble'
4" refractor and 4" Meade SCT 'light cups'
12" Dobsonian 'light bucket'
Various TeleVue eyepieces
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reflector74
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 1249
Loc: Milky Way Galaxy, Orion Arm
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Of course, and your help is appreciated my friend! I'm wondering if there are other internet resources I am not aware of. There seems to be other resources from the sounds of it.
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
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lphilpot
sage
Reged: 10/15/05
Posts: 326
Loc: Central Lousiana, USA
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Quote:
What are some more computer resources?
I was referring to programs such as MegaStar, SkyTools and the like that already have the Herschel lists pre-defined in them and offer the ability to build observing lists (and chart sequences, etc.) on them. The Herschel II book you can purchase through the AL is pretty good, too.
But in the end result, you have to find them just the same. :-)
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Len Philpot
len@philpot.org ><> http://pages.suddenlink.net/lenphilpot
14.5" TeleKit, 8" Hardin DSH, Orion ST80, Orion 10x70, Celestron 8x40 ... How long 'til the next TSP...?
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Brian Carter
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/24/04
Posts: 3115
Loc: Atlanta, GA
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Hi Reflector74. I really recommend you check out this site:
http://www.geocities.com/saberscorpx/SGH400.html
I'm using Saber's Herschel 400 guide. It is a spiral bound book with a few entries on each page ordered by constellation, which is really the easiest way to hunt these objects. There is space for notes and drawings. It has really helped me refine my starhopping skills because it starts with a guide star and says something like 'Move one degree north and so many degrees west' etc, it is really quite easy.
I have found a lot of the Herschel's are a little boring, others are spectacular, and most fall in between. The great part of the Herschel program is that by the end of it one is expected to be able to easily find anything in the sky without GOTO. Unlike the Messiers which are always bright and easy to find, the Herschels are more challenging and you can't just generally sweep an area and it pop out.
Saber's guide helps teach what The Herschel Program is suppossed to instill, starhopping to find challenge objects. After I'm done and I start working on the Herschel II, or Abells, or really faint objects, I know I am gong to be really greatful for those starhopping skills. The more I practice, the less time I spend searching and the more I spend observing.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. I really recommend you check out his book before you try the AL's guide. He's a fellow CNer and really put some great work into it, and he's always been available to answer my questions when I have them.
Clear Skies,
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10" F/5.5 Astrosky
SkyCommander DSCs
A loving dog, Buddha, who tolerates my hobbies
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