Faint Objects and How to Observe Them

Description

Faint Objects and How to Observe Them is for visual observers who are equipped with a 10-inch or larger astronomical telescope and who want to "go deep" with their observing. It provides a guide to some of the most distant, dim, and rarely observed objects in the sky, supported by background information on surveys and objects lists - some familiar, such as Caldwell, and some not so familiar. This book not only provides a wealth of experience compiled from several sources, but it also gives an historical background to surveys whose names may or may not be familiar to most amateur astronomers. Finally, it includes a listing of the many galaxy clusters out there, from "nearby" ones such as Stefan's Quintet to some of the most distant groups observable through the largest telescopes Front Matter....Pages i-xxii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Astronomical Surveys....Pages 3-18 The Astronomers Behind the Historical Surveys....Pages 19-40 The Nature of Star Clusters and Nebulae....Pages 41-70 The Nature of Galaxies and Galaxy Clusters....Pages 71-91 The Nature of Quasars and Other Exotics....Pages 93-100 Ground- and Space-Based Observations of the Most Distant Parts of the Universe....Pages 101-124 Front Matter....Pages 125-125 General Guidelines for Observing Faint Objects....Pages 127-132 Preparation and the Observing Session....Pages 133-146 Some Suggested Observing Projects....Pages 147-152 Suggested Projects by Survey and Source....Pages 153-181 Recording Your Observations and Other Tips to Help You Stick with the Program....Pages 183-192 Citizen Science Activities and Searching for Supernovae....Pages 193-201 Back Matter....Pages 203-241