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Reflector Book Review:
Observer's Guide to the
Herschel
400
Category: Observing
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Observer's Guide to the Herschel 400
by S. J. Martens, December 1997 c/o SaberStar Productions
4343 16th St., Suite 102
Moline, II 61265
(309) 797-2712
E-mail: saber@revealed.net
Paperback, 250 pages, spiral bound
$24.95 + $3.00 shipping
I just received in the mail a copy
of S.J. Martens' manual, Observer's Guide to the
Herschel 400. Since I am currently working on the
Herschel project myself, I was very interested to see
how it could help in my search.
First of all, let's make it clear
that this book is not a replacement for the AL's Observe:
The Herschel Objects as originally printed in 1980.
In that book, there are detailed descriptions of each
of the 400 objects on the list, in order by NGC number,
and divided into four groups, for each season of the
year. But that is all. Unlike even the AL's Messier
manual, there are just a few pages of generic forms
in the back, and not even enough to complete the project.
In my case, I photocopy forms as needed.
Martens' book, however, is both a
guide and an observing log. Here, the list is grouped
within each constellation. Then, for each object, there
is the NGC number, coordinates for help in finding the
object on your star chart, page number in both Uranometria
and Sky Atlas 2000, and a place to make notes.
But Martens has added an additional
feature that you might find useful. It is a brief and
specific notation on how to star hop to find the object
you are looking for. Each page of the Guide is face-to-face
with a map of the constellation in which you are working.
On the maps are designated "start off" points from which
to star hop, and instructions on which direction and
how far to go to find your object. I have not been able
to try this out in the field yet, but since this is
how I usually go about finding an object, I am sure
it will work. The only catch here is that none of the
NGC objects are actually notated on the maps. For that
information, you will still need to supply your own
star chart, such as the Sky Atlas 2000, Uranometria,
etc.
This book is really an organized observing
log, and that alone makes it useful. In my notebook,
I currently have numerous loose-leaf pages of observing
logs. The only way I can keep track of how many and
which objects I have observed is to make a check mark
in the Herschel book. I also have another list in constellation
order, so I end up making multiple notations for each
object. A real chore. Martens' book will make this job
easier.
At $24.95, plus shipping, The Observer's
Guide to the Herschel 400 is perhaps a bit expensive.
But this is a privately published manual, and the author
deserves to cover the cost of developing and distributing
his work. And if it makes your time in the field better
spent, then it is surely worth the price.
Ed Flaspoehler
former Reflector Editor
Reviewed in the August 1998 issue.
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