Observing the Caldwell Objects

Background A new collection of deep sky targets for the modern amateur astronomer was long overdue. The traditional catalogue of deep sky objects, i.e. that produced by Messier over 200 years ago, has become a victim of its own success. Those objects have now become far too well known, over-viewed, over-imaged and over-published. More importantly they have often resulted in more interesting objects being totally overlooked. The logic behind the compilation of Messier's objects was nothing more profound than that they might be confused for a comet! There must be a better way to choose the best deep sky objects for the modern era. It was time for a fresh approach. Enter Patrick Moore. As an active observer for over half a century and the last 40 years of which, as presenter ofBBC TV's Sky at Night, he has travelled all over the World and never missed the opportunity to observe the skies. This has given him an in-depth, practical knowledge of deep sky objects in both northern and southern hemispheres. 1. Introduction: How And Where To Start -- 2. Virtual Sky Watching: Sky Simulations, Mapping And More -- 3. Data Sources I: Deep Sky Objects -- 4. Data Sources Ii: The Solar System: Planets, Asteroids And Comets -- 5. Data Sources Iii: Eclipses And Occultations -- 6. Astrometry And Photometry: Real Science -- 7. Images And Videos: Stunning Pictures And Instructive Videos -- 8. Ccd Imaging And Image Processing: Getting The Best From Digital Images -- 9. Telescope Making: Do-it-yourself Help And Inspiration -- 10. Satellite Tracking: What's Passing Over Tonight? -- 11. Observatories: Virtual Tours Of The World's Biggest Observatories -- 12. Your Own Homepage: Join The Revolution And Publish Your Own Material -- 13. Miscellany: Too Good To Leave Out! -- 14. The Accompanying Cd-rom: Try It Our Way First! -- Appendix. Index Of Cd-rom Contents. David Ratledge. Includes Index. System Requirements For Accompanying Computer Disc: Dos; Windows 3.1; And Windows 95/98/nt. The objects listed in the Caldwell Catalogue supplement Messier's famous catalogue of 110 non-stellar objects, and they include some of the most fascinating objects for amateur astronomers. This comprehensive guide to the Caldwell objects has been produced specially for observers. Each object is conveniently on a double-page spread (which can even be photocopied for field use). There is a photographic image of every object and full technical data including position (with the major Star Atlas chart numbers) and NGC number. It also includes a finder map showing TelradTM circles, a star-hopping guide, a visual description of what the object looks like through amateur telescopes, and a physical description of the object itself. There is a fold-out map showing the location of all the Caldwell objects in the sky. Every practical amateur astronomer will find this an essential guide to observing the Caldwell objects The objects listed in the Caldwell Catalogue supplement Messiers famous catalogue of 110 non-stellar objects, and include some of the most fascinating objects for amateur astronomers. This comprehensive guide has been produced specially for observers, with each object conveniently shown on a double-page spread. There is a photographic image of every object and full technical data including position and NGC number. It also includes a finder map showing TelradTM circles, a star-hopping guide, a visual description of each object as seen through amateur telescopes, and a physical description of the object itself. Finally, there is a fold-out map showing the location of all the Caldwell objects in the sky. A practical and essential guide. Charge-coupled Devices (CCDs) have revolutionised astronomy. Even affordable CCD cameras can be ten times a sensitive as photographic film, and they deliver a digitised image that is easy to enhance using a personal computer. David Ratledge has brought together contributions from twelve leading amateurs from around the world, people who are routinely producing astronomical images of a quality that rivals those of professional observatories only of 10 years ago. These experts describe their techniques and solutions, and offer essential tips and advice for anyone who is choosing or using a CCD camera. Now glance through the Colour Gallery at the back of this book to see just what they have done! The Internet contains so much information and data for astronomers that just finding what you want is a daunting task, and downloading can take hours of computer and telephone time. Front Matter....Pages i-v Introduction....Pages 1-14 The 109 Caldwell Objects....Pages 15-233 Back Matter....Pages 235-245 The NGC describes this open cluster as "very bright" but this should be taken with a pinch of salt.