The Complete Guide to the Herschel Objects Sir William Herschel's Star Clusters, Nebulae and Galaxies

Sir William Herschel's contributions to astronomy during the late eighteenth century are unrivalled. His lasting legacy is his dedicated all-sky survey of star clusters and nebulae, and these objects continue to be among the most studied in the night sky. This unique book provides a complete re-examination of Herschel's entire catalogue of non-stellar discoveries, making it the most accurate and up-to-date reference of its kind. Retrace the footsteps of one of history's greatest astronomers and explore every one of Herschel's landmark discoveries, including those considered to be lost or non-existent. Read detailed notes about each object's appearance and physical characteristics, and view hundreds of photos of the most intriguing Herschel objects, along with dozens of sketches of what is visible at the eyepiece. This superb book is a must-have for amateur astronomers seeking new and exciting observing challenges, and as the ultimate reference on the Herschel objects.

Introduction; 1. The telescope maker; 2. The deep sky before Herschel; 3. Surveyor of the skies; 4. The Herschel catalogue; General references; Index.

Providing a complete re-examination of Herschel's entire catalogue, this is the most accurate and up-to-date reference of its kind. With object data for every one of Herschel's discoveries and hundreds of intriguing photos, this unique text is a must-have for amateur astronomers seeking new and exciting observing challenges.

Mark Bratton has more than two decades of observational experience, and he is one of the few amateur astronomers to have succeeded in observing every one of the Herschel objects. He contributed to Night Sky: An Explore Your World Handbook (Discovery Books, 1999) and has written articles for several astronomical publications, including SkyNews magazine, Amateur Astronomy (US) and the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. He is a member of the Webb Deep-Sky Society and the William Herschel Society.