
Cool stuff in the sky
#1
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 29 January 2005 - 02:28 AM
Well, now I do have a pair of binoculars at my disposal (as well as 6" and 10" newts), and I am wishing that I still had that book so that I could remember all the cool things I read about as a kid. I'm tempted to go out and buy another copy, but I'm wondering if there is something better. Is there a slightly more advanced book out there along the same lines? Something that talks about the interesting stuff in the sky from both a visual and scientific perspective? A book that could be called Cool Stuff in the Sky (with a 6-10" scope)?
#2
Posted 29 January 2005 - 07:16 AM
#3
Posted 29 January 2005 - 12:02 PM
#4
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Posted 30 January 2005 - 03:54 AM
Burnham's looks outstanding. It only has two (minor) drawbacks. First it is pretty old so the science will be somewhat dated. And second, the layout is somewhat awkward from an observers perspective (ie. it isn't obvious what to read at what time of year).
Houston looks like it is an excellent observers guide. Might be a bit light on the science though...
Eicher didn't have as much written about it on amazon. My impression is that it is kind of a mix between Burnham and Houston.
Are my impressions accurate? All of these are priced reasonably, so I might end up getting several. Right now I'm leaning toward getting Burnham with either Eicher or Houston to tell me what order to read Burnham in.
#5
Posted 30 January 2005 - 10:16 AM
...now I do have a pair of binoculars at my disposal (as well as 6" and 10" newts), and I am wishing that I still had that book so that I could remember all the cool things I read about as a kid.... Is there a slightly more advanced book out there along the same lines? Something that talks about the interesting stuff in the sky from both a visual and scientific perspective? A book that could be called Cool Stuff in the Sky (with a 6-10" scope)?
As the previous posts make clear, there's no end to the books that might suit you. And why limit yourself to just one or two?
The truth is that the really meaty and current astrophysical - cosmological material is not to be found in observer's guides: e.g., Waller and Hodge, Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier (2003). But such texts are largely devoid of information aimed specifically at the observer. And yet Waller and Hodge, interpreted though a visual observers needs, is enormously rewarding. You will never look, for example, at the Orion Arm of the MWG or M82 (a starburst galaxy) in the same way. (Retinal image will be the same. Meaning will be profoundly changed.)
So my


And Burnham's is classic, if dated in some ways. You can find Burnham's in almost any decent used book store for half price.
Good reading and observing to you.
Cheers.
Max
#6
Posted 30 January 2005 - 01:01 PM
I also cherish my Burnham's (hardbound, bought for a steal in new condition on ebay) as well as "The Night Sky Observer's Guide".
As suggested by Max, it is often best to pursue the hard science in a separate edition from the observer's manuals, however, Craig Crossen does offer a wonderful introduction to the (relatively current state of the) science of astronomy in Kepple and Sanner's "Night Sky Observer's Guide".
#7
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Posted 30 January 2005 - 03:06 PM
#8
Posted 30 January 2005 - 04:23 PM
Burnham's is a unique and wonderful work that will give you lots of science, as well as history, literature, and mythology. The best way to get the Celestial Handbook is to buy the hardcover edition, available only as a used book. After having the bindings break on my softcover set, I found a pristine hardbound set at Half Price Books for $20.
#9
Posted 31 January 2005 - 07:59 AM
all the best,
John
link to Handbook is -- http://www.cloudynig...5/o/all/fpart/1
#10
Posted 31 January 2005 - 10:28 AM
hope no-one minds me plugging the binocular handbook I wrote . . .
As long as it's a free download, plug away! And thanks for bringing it to our attention.

#11
Posted 31 January 2005 - 12:49 PM
many thanks! I had actually editted the post to put in a little more about deep-sky books with a science content but the info got lost in the aether somewhere :o
I got a copy of Gerald Rhemann and Craig Crossen's "Sky Vistas: Astronomy for Binoculars and Richest Field Telescopes" over the weekend. Not cheap, but it was a case of a late Christmas present to myself!
the book is lavishly illustrated by Rhemann's photographs and Crossen delves into the astrophysical quantities of deep-sky objects in some detail. It has to be said that he highlights only those objects accessible to the optical instruments mentioned in the title.
a quick glance through it late last night gave me a little idea of what it's about. However, I thought he glossed over globular clusters a bit -- to be fair, binoculars will not show a globular more than a spot of light ('cept in those 20-inch monsters I saw at RTMC last year!)
another source worth checking out is the Springer-Verlag "Practical Astronomy" series that is editted by Patrick Moore but has a wide range of books. One nice edition is the book on stellar evolution which shows how you can track down DSO's that are examples of various stages of stellar evolution.
all the best,
John
South Dublin Astronomical Society
#12
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 02 February 2005 - 07:41 PM
J
#13
Posted 07 February 2005 - 07:49 PM
It's "Concise Catalog of Deep-Sky Objects" by W.H. Finlay, Springer-Verlag Press, 2003.
It's available here
if anyone is interested in obtaining this fine book.
#14
Posted 08 February 2005 - 11:32 AM
#15
Posted 08 February 2005 - 12:43 PM
I reviewed the book on that amazon.com page, a little further down the page. If that's not enough, send me a PM and I'll tell you what you want to know about the book.