Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky (Hardcover)

~ Ronald Stoyan (Author), Stefan Binnewies (Author), Susanne Friedrich (Author), Klaus-Peter Schroeder (Translator)
Key Phrases: History Astropl

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It would probably be worth buying the book just for the pictures alone, but this masterful volume is a must for any astronomer. If this book doesn't make you want to get out there and observe the wonderful Messier objects then nothing will." - Mark Armstrong, Astronomy Now

"Not another book about Messier's catalog' you might think. This would be completely wrong as you have never seen one like this. Simply put, this is EXTREMELY complete! Why have you never seen a book like this? Well, imagine the result merging books such as The Messier Album from Mallas & Kreimer, The Messier Objects by O'Meara, Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters by Glyn Jones. 'A glorious chaotic mess' would you argue? Certainly not. The authors have put all this together in good shape, with a very clear presentation in order to produce an innovative book, easy to read or just to browse." - Yann Pothier, Editor of French Deep Sky Observer's magazine Ciel Extreme

"The subtitle of this book is 'Highlights Of The Deep Sky', but it might as well be 'Everything you want to know about Messier and his catalogue' because it is amazingly comprehensive. The full-plate photographs are truly magnificent. There are also excellent drawings made by Stoyan ... this book is worth every penny--and more. There have been many Messier books, but in my view this is the best I have ever seen." - Sir Patrick Moore, Sky at Night Magazine

"There are several good books that cover Charles Messier's famous catalog of Deep Sky objects, but none are as beautiful or comprehensive as this spectacular volume from Cambridge University Press. ... Ronald Stoyan and his colleagues are to be congratulated for putting together a most beautiful and helpful volume on Messier and his catalog, one that all Deep Sky enthusiasts will wish to own, and which is unlikely to be surpassed for many years." - Nick Hewitt, Journal of the British Astronomical Association

"This atlas should be in the library of any astronomer, amateur or professional, and any library with scientific collections." - Mark A. Wilson, American Reference Books Annual

'Atlas of the Messier Objects is more comprehensive, detailed, and beautiful than any other book showcasing the objects cataloged by Charles Messier. The art of observing is practiced as much with the mind as with the eye, and this book gathers into one volume diverse aspects that both enrich the experience and serve as a valuable reference. No other book does such a masterful job of gathering all that is fascinating about the Messier objects and weaving it into a book that is both so enlightening and handsome.' - Susan French, author of Celestial Sampler: 60 Small-scope Tours for Starlit Nights

'Everything a book should be. Beautifully published on excellent paper and very comprehensive. Certainly the most comprehensive book on the Messier objects that has been written to date.' - Stewart Moore, Director, Deep Sky section, British Astronomical Association

'I received your book and must say that it is absolutely beautiful! You have created an amazing review of the Messier objects. Congratulations on a breathtaking publication!' - Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware and Touring the Universe through Binoculars

'Ronald Stoyan's Atlas of the Messier Objects should be required reading for amateur astronomers. Its impressive content, textually and visually, makes it a definitive work on the catalog and its objects. Extensive discussions of the catalog's formulation, history, and meaning precede a stunning gallery of all the objects along with nearly exhaustive historical, astrophysical, and observational discussions for each object. Numerous high-quality photographs and eyepiece drawings accompany the text. This book should be on the shelf of every observer, and deserves wide distribution in the United States market.' - David Eicher, Editor-in-Chief, Astronomy

Product Description

• Simply THE most comprehensive guide to the Messier Objects ever published

• Combines detailed historical, astrophysical, statistical and observing information for each object with stunning astrophotos and telescope sketches

• Reproduces the text of Messier's famous catalog, along with biographies of Messier and his contemporaries

• Compares modern views with historical sketches from Lord Rosse, John Herschel and other illustrious figures

The 110 star clusters, nebulae and galaxies of Messier's famous catalog are among the most popular of all the deep sky objects and are beautiful targets for amateur observers of all abilities. This stunning new atlas presents a complete and lively account of all of the Messier objects. Details for each object include a thoroughly researched history of its discovery, historical observations and anecdotes, the latest scientific data detailing its astrophysical findings, and descriptions for observers to view the objects, be it with the naked eye or a large telescope. This atlas has some of the world's finest color astrophotos, labeled photos pointing to hidden details and neighboring objects, as well as historical sketches by well-known figures alongside new deep sky drawings. Quite simply, this is THE most far-reaching and beautiful reference on the Messier objects there has ever been, and one that no observer should be without!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 370 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (October 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521895545
• ISBN-13: 978-0521895545
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,939 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book!, April 19, 2009

By	P. Beach (Auckland, N.Z.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this book today and it's everything the hype says it is. Hard-cover, beautiful, and complete. Everything is here, the comprehensive history, Messier's own notes, drawings and stunning pictures, all the basic facts about each object, a map of the full sky showing the location of all 110 objects, etc, etc. When I saw the photos of Messier's observatory at Hotel de Cluny in Paris, I realised with some dismay that I had been there without realising it's connection to Messier (It's now the Museum of the Middle Ages)! The book contains much more than just information about the 110 objects. For example the diagrams on the spectral types of stars and stellar evolution are superb. This book is so complete, if you want just one book on the Messier objects this is it. Very strongly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good, November 17, 2008

By	dad_of_tutu (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews

How comprehensive?
*4 catalogs from Hevelius, De Cheseaux, Lacaille, Bode and, mini-bios of many famed observers before, at and after Messier's time, so how they influenced Messier, how Messier's catalog evolved into what we see today. Glad to learn European point of view(this book was originally published in German, 2006).
*A complete copy of Messier's catalog(in English).
*Historical observations of each object.
*Stoyan gave his descriptions on each object through an ARRAY of optical aids-a 10x50, a 4.7-inch refractor and 14-inch, 20-inch reflectors, when appropriate naked-eye, 8x30, 20x100...
*Astrophysical data is the latest; findings from Chinese, Japanese, Korean astronomers are mentioned.

How beautiful?
*Charts? Some remind me of the charts in The Night Sky Observer's Guide, but in color!
*Pictures? Most are 30min. to 1 hour exposures(so beautiful some amateurs may think they are in the same league as NASA's) through some light buckets, taken by amateur astrophotographers while Hubble images are basically used to zoom in on particularly interesting spots.
*Drawings? Imagine yourself watching 7 drawings done by 8 19th-century observers and 4 by Stoyan(4.7-inch refractor, 14-inch Newtonian, 20-inch Cassegrain) just on Orion Nebula!

Practical info?
*Detailed info about all pictures is given-aperture, used focal length, camera, exposure time, site...; with drawings, aperture, magnification, date, site...
*Recommendations for visual observation like filters; for photography, focal lengths.
*Messier Marathon.

Lackluster objects like M40 get the least-one full-page treatment(because of this volume's larger size still much space is left for the text) while Orion Nebula gets 11 pages, Andromeda Galaxy gets 9, Ring Nebula gets 8, Pleiades gets 7...

Overall, the aesthetic and the quality recall Dickinson's The Backyard Astronomer's Guide.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the best book on the Messier objects, January 2, 2010

By	Ivan W. Ong (Charlotte, North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Finding all 110 of the Messier objects has long been a rite of passage for generations of amateur astronomers. I remember taking 6 months to finish the list with a 4" refractor when I was just starting out- nothing could compare with the excitement of each discovery and my notebook with sketches and notes is still one of my treasured items.

This book is a monumental achievement in many ways. The level of scholarship is very high. The author clearly knows his stuff and has done his research thoroughly. I enjoyed in particular reading about Charles Messier's life and the historical context in which he lived his life and carried out his discoveries. Also insightful were mention of his many contemporaries and peers.

The separate listings of Messier objects is very well organized- I especially like the well-written "Astrophysics" sections that explain in sufficient detail each object. The author always informs, and never talks over or down at you. It is a rare ability and one that works well for a book that is targeted towards a wide audience.

The photos and sketches are well done. Kind of a nice synthesis of Kenneth Glyn Jones' and O'Meara's individually superb books on the Messier objects. The author keeps focus pretty much on the objects, and avoids tangents into surrounding IC and NGC objects.

All in all, a very well produced book and one definitely for my collection.