Customer Reviews

Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects

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This text is not for people who take their scopes out once a week to do casual oberving. It is packed with technical and visual data on about 2,000 deep-sky objects, most of them galaxies. This book competes directly with the 2 volume Night Sky, which details some 5,000 objects. Which to choose? Luginbuhl's text has close to 30 detailed charts, and maybe three dozen sketches; it has basic information on magnitude, size, and nature of deep-sky objects. It deliberately limits the objects described to those visible in scopes no bigger than 30 cm (12 inches). The descriptions range from 3 or 4 lines (for distant galaxies seen a hazy patches in 12 inches scopes) to almost a full page (for objects like the Orion Nebula).This book works well for observers with smaller scopes. Luginhuhl begins his descriptions with how the object appears in 6 cm (2.4 inch) scopes. Then moves up to 15 cm (6 inch), then presents the view from a larger socpe (ranging from 20 to 30 cm). So, the owners of smaller scpes are not left out. Owners of smaller scopes can't see most of the 5,000+ objects presented in the 2 volume Night Sky. So, for those of us with more modest scopes (and bank accounts), we can use Luginbuhl. However, you will still need a good set of star charts to find the objects. Overall, a very useful book for amatures with smaller scopes and an interest in oberserving deep-sky objects. But not intended for observers in the southern hemisphere; no objects south of -50 declination are covered. I recommend it.

If you're an amateur astronomer in a rut of a few dozen Messiers and want someting else, here's the place. Some 3,500 deep sky objects with paragraph descriptions. Helps you get a lot more enjoyment out of a scope. Describes objects through various apertures from 60mm through 30cm (=12"), consistently describing at 6" 10" and 12" apertures. Mostly text, some drawings, some pix. Organized by constellation: you can pick a constellation near zenith for the night, and then do "saturation viewing" of dozens of objects in that one area. The descriptions really help you learn to notice detail: you'll be directed to a red star at the s end of one cluster, or advised to notice a double or triple star in another cluster. Much attention paid to appearance of galaxies. Includes items by NGC, M, and IC numbers. Follows ascending RA in each chapter like the NGC catalog. Provides info on magnitude: surface brightness, visual magnitude, etc. Keyed to be used with a good skymap like Tirion. Extremely powerful tool in conjunction with digital computer. Main defect is that RA and Dec coordinates are in separate listings in back which is clumsy in field use; RA and Dec are also provided for 1950 and 2000 coordinates in a way that is difficult in field. If you're star hopping with a good map or have an e-brain for a digital setting circle system this isn't much of an obstacle, however. This book is one of the most underused resources in amateur astronomy. I am mystified as to why. If you have a scope 4" or bigger and want some universe to explore, this is the book.

This book explains the view of numerious deep sky objects through 60mm, 150mm and 200-250mm scopes. The explanations are helpful in finding the objects in the field. However; although introductory chapters may be helpful for beginners, this book is for intermediate or advanced telescope users.

I'm a hard-core observer and love nothing better than a good reference book with information that is relevant to my goals. Since my friend Roger and I started an Observer's Challenge with the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, he has been telling me to get that book. After almost a year, I finally got it as a Christmas present.

The book is not cheap, but it is well worth it. If you are a hard-core observer, or just a casual observer, this is a great reference source. For years, all I had were Burhams books, and there is a lot missing from them, despite being three volumes. Skiff & Luginbuhl list over 2,000 deep sky objects, most of them visible in small to moderate back yard telescopes.

The book is organized by constellation, and the key objects are listed with concise descriptions. These descriptions (along with a few other references) are usually the basis for our Observer's Challenge each month.

Included are a few photos here and there to help you spot the objects, especially in the crowded galaxy fields. At the end is a listing of all the objects plus an additional list of double stars.

My only beef with the book is that the listing at the end includes some objects that are not obtainable, including some anonymous galaxies, and some with magnitudes in the 16-17 range. I created an observing list in Megastar using their list and found some of the objects not listed, or having a different designation. I also had to filter out anything of magnitude 15.7 or fainter as my 16" scope will never see a galaxy that faint unless power goes out to the entire west coast on a super clear and stable night. Not likely.

If you are a dedicated observer, this book should be a mandatory addition to your library. You will not be disappointed. Highly recommended.

In the 30 years I've been involved in astronomy the Observing Handboo and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects is by far the most useful and well organized reference I've come across. It lists each deep-sky object and explains what the visual astronomer can expect to see with various sized telescopes. Many newcomers into astronomy expect to see photo quality images in their telescopes and are disapointed when they see colorless images - this book does a great job at explaining what to expect at the eyepiece.

My volume is c.1989; there may be corrections i have not noted. There is little to add to the previous reviews. All comments are pertinent: it's not for beginners tho' not opaque for the motivated , interesting observing tips in the intro chapter (a nice overview even for the experienced observer), twenty-eight hundred objects observed through a reasonable spread of apertures, and the occasional bxw sketch to remind us of what we should be constantly attempting to do: train our vision. For more sketches and verbal descriptions i refer the reader to Burnham's or more recently O'meara's three volumes. For detail, inclusivity, consistency and elegance, this is the amateur's source. The tables in the back ARE a bit cumbersome, but this is not a fieldbook; rather a reference to mark up and compare to the other reference standards. The 1950 epoch coordinates ARE now a bit awkward to translate to 2000, but the information is there, it just needs effort, and other sources are perhaps better suited for coordinates (planetarium apps). This is a serious amateur's benchmark reference.

This is the best resource of its kind. I can't add much to what the other reviewers have said, other than to say that I use this book religiously to plan observing sessions. It's expensive, but is among the best $60 I have ever spent.

This book is an excellent reference to use in planning deep sky observing sessions. It provides concise descriptions of what can be expected of telescopes of small and intermediate apertures.

Ok, this is an expensive book. Ok, no pretty pictures. Ok its a paper back. When I tired and brain dead but still have several more hours at a dark site, I find a const. and just cruse through these objects. Some are very tough or impossible with my 8" SCT but many are with its light grasp. This book will keep you looking for a lifetime. I've had mine for nearly 12 or 13 years and have certainly gotten my monies worth. I'd buy it again with no second thoughts if I lost mine.

when a $66 *paperback* book arrives in the hands of my cheerful rural mail carrier, i reasonably expect to have my wool socks knocked off by what i've commissioned USPS and amazon.com to bring me. alas, luginbuhl and skiff sorely disappoint.

the layout here is the standard lookup format adopted to much better purpose by "the sky atlas companion" or kepple & sanner's magisterial, three volume "the night sky observer's guide". but the implementation here, as published in 1990, is stodgy, rudimentary and shows its age. objects are sorted by NGC numbers within an alphabetical ordering of constellations, with designations from a dozen other specialized catalogs interleaved in order of right ascension -- for the northern hemisphere (to declination -40 degrees) only. across 352 pages there are only 22 "charts" (all signified with roman numerals), which are either (1) FORTRAN era computer generated star charts of galaxy clusters, or (2) photographs of clusters or galaxies, which provide numbering or labeling of every faint star inhabiting the cluster or surrounding the galaxy -- for what purpose is never made clear.

the rest is minimal text: the object's type, catalog number, angular dimensions, visual and surface (area averaged) brightness, and a *brief* paragraph describing how the object looks in telescopes across the 6cm to 30cm range (often with larger scopes partially stopped to reduce aperture). wait, what about celestial coordinates? get thee to the back of the book, my son, and consult the FORTRAN printed, sideways formatted tabulation of data, sources and notes. the final disappointment? -- the authors describe in detail (p.290) "an all sky map printed on the endpapers of the book" which has been deleted in this paperback reprint.

there is nothing here that is not reproduced in the same or newer data, with more detailed and accurately scaled finder charts, far more extensive photographs, informative tables, constellation maps, graphs, diagrams, drawings of objects as they appear within eyepiece fields, and more useful and minutely gradated observational descriptions of objects as they appear in scopes of different apertures -- all printed on durable paper under hardbound covers -- in the two northern hemisphere volumes of "night sky observer's guide", and for about the same price as the single paperback by luginbuhl & skiff. it has become a relic.