KT4HX

Title: Cosmic Challenge, The Ultimate Observing List for Amateurs
Author: Phillip S. Harrington
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2011



(image courtesy of philharrington.net)


Overview:

In keeping with my love of books about astronomy, I recently acquired a used copy of this book in excellent condition from a public library via an Amazon seller. It appears as though it were ...

Updated 11-22-2018 at 12:15 PM by KT4HX

Tags: cosmic challenge, harrington, observing guide

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Book Reviews - a personal observation

Atlas of the Southern Night Sky
Fifth Edition (2018) by Steve Massey and Steve Quick
Published by New Holland Publishers, Australia



I had been aware of this book for a while, and the limited information I’ve found about it seemed mostly positive. I am a lifelong devotee of printed atlases and observing guides, and have been fortunate to experience observing from locations ...

Tags: atlas, observing guide, southern skies

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Book Reviews - a personal observation

Attached Thumbnails

   

(concluded from Part 1)


After one completes “The Maps” section, you will encounter the second largest chapter, “The Solar System.” Here one will find some nice detail about various entities within our local neighborhood, and it includes many excellent images and graphics to illustrate various features and ideas throughout the chapter. Following a brief four page illustrated narrative about the Sun, is an excellent 24 page sub-section dedicated to the Earth’s Moon. This ...

Tags: atlas, observing guide, southern skies

Categories

Book Reviews - a personal observation

I hope that caught your attention! Of course, in reality, Ophiuchus is the Serpent Bearer or Serpent Holder. But, I like the name I have given, because it holds within its borders a total of 21 globular clusters with an apparent magnitude of less than 11.0. In addition it has four more that range from 11.55 to 14.0 in magnitude. Yet, even with such an impressive roster of globulars, it still has to play second string to Sagittarius, where one can find a total of 21 of these orbs under ...

Tags: dsos, dstm, globular cluster, ophiuchus

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Deep Sky This Month

(continued from Part 1)

With our basic background data in place, let’s begin our journey through the brightest globulars of Ophiuchus. Using Chart 2 below, we will start at 2.8 magnitude Delta Ophiuchi (Yed Prior) and 3.2 Epsilon (Yed Posterior). From Delta we will sweep northeast for 5.5° to pick up 5.9 magnitude 12 Oph. From here we slip just north of due east for another 2.75° to reach Messier 12 (NGC 6218, mag=6.1, size=15.0’, class=9). This is a large and showy cluster, and ...

Tags: dsos, dstm, globular cluster, ophiuchus

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Deep Sky This Month