****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I just recently got into astronomy and after a year, have become increasingly interested in deep space objects (as opposed to my usual fascination with the planets in our solar system). This book is a fantastic resource, especially for planning out a night's observing session or when documenting/writing up your notes from an observing session. The first section contains all the objects in the Messier Catalog (M1 through M110) and best of all, photos of those objects. I have found that having those photos is extremely helpful as sometimes I'm not sure that I'm focused on the right object, so the photos and descriptions really help. Many folks like to see how many Messier objects they can see in one night (with the goal being all 110), so having a book where they are all listed, described and illustrated makes this much easier and more fun.The section after the Messier Catalog is the list of New General Catalog Objects (NGC) and finally Index Catalog (IC) Objects. Those sections don't generally have photographs/illustrations, but a few do. The Messier Catalog objects are cross-referenced to the NGC numbers (and vice versa, where applicable) which is wonderful for obsessive record keepers like myself who like to have all of that information in my observation records.Objects listed have all the pertinent data including their constellation, the object type, the approximate date when they are highest in the sky at midnight, object magnitude, apparent size, distance, and more. There are excellent description which include common names and other interesting facts.This is an invaluable reference for anyone interested in astronomy, particularly those (like myself) who are just starting out. If nothing else, the chapter on the Messier objects is one of the best resources around since that catalog/list is often the first set of deep space objects that one targets. The photographs are very closer to what one would see through an average telescope (around an 8" or wider) so they make it easier to ensure you are looking at what you think you're looking at.Of all the books I've bought for my hobby, this one (and the "Turn Left at Orion" one) is the one I reach for the most. I can see why it is part of a series called "Practical Astronomy" because it is very practical and useful.
