Deep Sky Objects: The Best and Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing [Paperback]

David H Levy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

Veteran comet hunter and eloquent popular astronomy writer David H. Levy takes amateur sky-watchers on a fascinating journey into deep space in this enthusiastic and informative survey of the many far distant yet observable objects in the night sky. Light years beyond our solar system, deep sky objects include such intriguing phenomena as double and triple stars, nebulae, galaxies, and quasars. Designed to be accessible for even beginners, Levy's clear, elegant descriptions will guide astronomy buffs in any hemisphere and locale (light-polluted cities as well as dark countryside) to the wonders of our enormous universe. As the discoverer or co-discoverer of twenty-one comets, including the famous Shoemaker-Levy 9 that crashed into Jupiter in 1994, Levy has devoted many decades of experience to observing the night sky. Over the years, he has located over 300 deep sky objects, of which more than 100 'best and brightest' are featured in this book. Levy offers a physical description and a discussion of each object's history and beauty, as well as a star atlas to aid in finding the objects. Proceeding from objects closest to our solar system to those farthest away, Levy gives readers an awe-inspiring glimpse into the structure of the cosmos. Complete with both colour and black and white photos, plus many helpful illustrations, "Deep Sky Objects" is the ideal guide to the wonders of the universe for both experienced and novice star gazers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Levy, of the famous comet-hunting team Shoemaker-Levy, compiles a comprehensive catalog of objects which can be observed in all light conditions and usually with low-power equipment. Targeting novice astronomers, Levy provides a brief astronomy primer-"permanent" objects, terms and definitions-before jumping into the lengthy list of deep sky sites (stars, nebulae and the like located outside our solar system). The following 10 chapters present deep sky objects in order of increasing distance from Earth, beginning with nearby stars and ending with galaxies and distant quasars. Levy provides the astronomical coordinates, magnitude and recommendations for best viewing, and the descriptions are interspersed with stories of his observations, mishaps, frustrations and beginner's struggles. His excitement over these stars is palpable and infectious, though his narrative can get clunky with techtalk. ("We inserted a 7 mm eyepiece...This combination yielded a comfortably high magnification of 726 power to try to split the lensed object, which has a separation of 6.3 arcseconds.") Dedicated stargazers will appreciate the book's reference section, which includes the full Levy deep sky list, an inventory of objects commonly mistaken for comets, 29 star maps, a bibliography and a short glossary. A thorough resource, the book will be a much-thumbed reference for amateur skywatchers. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

A successful amateur astronomer known for his comet hunting, Levy is also a notable popularizer through his occasional columns in the Sunday newspaper magazine Parade and a half-dozen astronomy books. This one is born of serendipity, being a list of fuzzy celestial objects that the comet hunter must be aware of lest they be misidentified as comets. Explaining that this type of compilation has a famous pedigree in the history of astronomy--Charles Messier compiled his catalog in the late 1700s for the same reason--Levy dives into his favorites. Arranged according to their cosmic distance, Levy personalizes the objects with an anecdote about how he first observed them over a period extending back to his early-1960s teenage days. His stories reflect the individuality of stargazing--one sky watcher gravitates to comets, another to galaxies--and allow Levy's readers to become better acquainted with their Canadian-born author. Levy loads his book with star maps and locating data--essential information for readers inspired to turn to the heavens. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591023610
• ISBN-13: 978-1591023616
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,521,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good list; so-so book., May 3, 2006

By 

Zhimbo "zhimbo" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Deep Sky Objects: The Best and Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing (Paperback)

This book really can't decide what it wants to be, and feels like it's a few editorial rounds away from being a finished book.

The book has an odd overall structure, and the organization within chapters is a free-association mess of object descriptions, personal recollections, observing advice and seemingly whatever happens to cross Levy's mind.

It's frustrating because there are elements of a good book here, but as it stands it doesn't really work as an observing guide, reference book or personal memoir, despite trying to be all three.

The list of objects itself, currently available on the internet, is an excellent and useful list which could form the basis of an interesting personal observing program.

6 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Veteran comet chaser teaches amateurs how to observe!, March 11, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deep Sky Objects: The Best and Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing (Paperback)

David Levy is a veteran comet discoverer - one of the most successful discoverers in history - and wants others to share in his personal achievement and joy in locating unusual deep sky objects. You don't have to live in the country to be able to observe distant objects: DEEP SKY OBJECTS: THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST FROM FOUR DECADES OF COMET CHASING can count city-dwellers among its astronomy fans, providing positions, magnitudes, history and best observation times to accompany a running commentary of the author's discoveries and excitement about his findings. It's this excitement which makes DEEP SKY OBJECTS unique in the world of amateur astronomy titles, pairing specifics on how and what to observe with a veteran comet chaser's exciting discoveries.

5 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catalog of objects that might look like comets, January 22, 2006

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deep Sky Objects: The Best and Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing (Paperback)

Perhaps the most famous astronomers of our time, Mr. Levy is one of the most successful comet discoverers in history (actually he's tied for third place in the number of comets found). His finds include the Shoemaker-Levy comet that crashed so dramatically into Jupiter. His formal education includes a degree in Englash. His astronomical activities came as a hobby. Who better to write a book aimed at the amateur astronomer?

This book is based on a list of objects visible in the sky that might be confused with comets. He began this list many years ago to avoid mis-identification as he searched for comets. Here he lists, describes, and usually photographs these items from deep into space. The objects are arranged from 'nearby,' that's say up to a few hundred light years away, to billions of light years.

I can't help but wonder what Galileo would have thought of this book as he spent his final years under house arrest for publishing a book saying that four moons orbited Jupiter.