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Reflector Book Review:
OBSERVE The Herschel
II Objects
Category: Observing
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OBSERVE The Herschel II Objects
A Guide to 400 Deep-Sky Objects
Carol Cole and Candace Pratt
Astronomical League Sales
P0 Box 572
West Burlington, IA 52655
110 Pages, Paperback, $10.00 PPD
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Observe the Herschel Objects, developed by the Ancient
City Astronomers (ACA) of St. Augustine, FL, has been
for years, the definitive, structured, certificate observing
program that accomplished amateur astronomers could
complete. In the 16 years that the program has been
available, 157 amateur astronomers have completed the
project.
In the Pacific Northwest, the Rose
City Astronomers of Portland Oregon has seen quite few
of their members actively working on all of the available
observing programs of the Astronomical League. The Messier
Club and the binocular programs provide a great introduction
to building the navigational skills, and developing
the observing and note taking skills necessary for finding
deep sky objects. The Herschel 400 has been the logical
next step, and many members have worked their way through
and completed this challenging project. However, all
too often, the excitement of logging object No. 400
and receiving that certification has been dampened by
a "what's next?" letdown.
This letdown at the end of the Messier
program prompted the Ancient City Astronomers to develop
the original Herschel 400 program. And the same type
of letdown has now prompted the Rose City Astronomers
to develop the Herschel II program. The ACA were supportive
and helpful, giving the RCA their blessing and good
wishes, and when the news leaked out, developers Candace
Pratt and Carole Cole started receiving phone calls
and e-mails from all over the U.S. Clearly, there was
a need felt by amateurs across the country. The developmental
process took two and a half years. The resulting Herschel
II program is a challenging undertaking for those observers
already familiar with the night sky, navigational techniques,
taking field notes, and operating telescope equipment.
There are 2,478 Herschel objects.
At the beginning, the RCA selected 650 possible objects
for the development team to hunt down and consider.
25 members of the RCA, and 5 additional observers around
the country tackled the project.
Realizing the challenge of reviewing
such a large number of dim fuzzies, the team selected
a computer program to help with the search. They selected
MegaStar 3.1 as the most comprehensive software
to meet their needs, and developer Emil Bonanno of the
Houston [TX] Astronomical Society graciously volunteered
a copy. A 2-degree field MegaStar chart was printed
and used by the observers to help locate each object.
At the end of the two and one half years, a final list
of 400 objects was selected.
The Herschel II manual includes the
descriptions of the selected 400 Herschel objects in
NGC ascending order. It also includes a planning guide
with NGC numbers listed in RA order, to help in planning
an evening's viewing session. The coordinates are Epoch
2000, with MegaStar 3.1 serving as the source
for all location information, as well as magnitude.
The "Criteria and Submittal Instructions" section gives
specific minimum criteria to meet Herschel II certification.
Instructions and forms for submitting observations are
included.
Developing good field descriptions
is a combination of several components: looking for
the specific features in each object; observing minute
detail in the object; and then writing an appropriate
description. Several examples of observing forms are
offered in this manual. You can use what is provided
here or devise your own method. The observers in the
gathering phases of the Herschel II program reported
an increase in their ability to pull out minute detail
as a result of using the "object-specific" questions
on the observing forms provided.
The Herschel II program was originally
planned for observers with telescopes 8-inches and up,
but that seems to be a stretch. A scope with a minimum
aperture of 10-inches will probably be needed to complete
the whole program.
Technology continues to add many wonderful
options for amateur astronomers. The Herschel II program
leaves the choice of how to navigate to the object totally
up to the observer, whether it be star hopping, geometric
placing, stellar off-setting, right-angle sweeping,
setting circle methods, or computerized locating programs.
Accordingly, the certificate issued will include an
alpha-numeric designation that will indicate "M" for
a manual search or "DA" for a device-aided search.
The Observe the Herschel II Objects
manual itself is one of the most attractive and well
laid out books that the AL has offered. The book is
110 pages, spiral bound, paperback, with a handsome,
dark teal cover featuring the Hubble Wide Field. The
spiral binding will make it very easy to use during
a night's observing session. Inside, the pages are a
full 8.5 x 11 inches, with large, easy to read type.
The best feature, aside from accurate descriptions of
each object, is a selection of observing forms. These
can be photo-copied and used for any observing project,
not just the Herschel II. The price is very attractive,
and the observing hints inside more than justify the
cost of the manual, whether you eventually pursue the
program or not. And it would make a great Christmas
stocking stuffer for that astronomer in your family.
Ed Flaspoehler
former Reflector Editor
Reviewed in the November 1997 issue.
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