This is the largest and most comprehensive atlas of the universe ever created for amateur astronomers. It provides a detailed observing guide for almost any practical amateur astronomer. Spanning some 3,000 pages, this is a project that is possible only on CD-ROM.

This is without doubt the largest and most comprehensive atlas of the universe ever created for amateur astronomers. It is the first major observing guide for amateurs since Burnham's Celestial Handbook. With finder charts of large-scale and unprecedented detail, in both normal and mirror-image views (for users of the ubiquitous Meade and Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope ranges), and an extensive list of 14,000 objects, it will provide a detailed observing guide for almost any practical amateur astronomer, up to the most advanced.Spanning some 3,000 pages, this is a project that is possible only with Springer Extra Materials, http://extras.springer.com.The atlas covers the whole range of objects viewable by amateur astronomers with 8- to 11-inch telescopes, from latitude approx +40 degrees. The projected total number of objects is (currently) 13,238, compared with Burnham's approximately 5,000 double stars (in three volumes). This is much more than just a catalog of objects.As planned, the atlas will have about 270 double star images and sketches, and 590 or so deep-sky images and sketches. Comparisons with other atlases are invidious, but Tirion's atlas and Uranometria, for example, don't go as deep in magnitude and the scale is unsuitable for "star hopping" in the eyepiecewhere the action REALLY takes place. The charts in the Complete CD Atlas of the Universe and the scale they are on, allow the user to get enough detail to easily find the objects described. In addition mirror-image charts are supplied for instruments with reverse fields (all SCTs).This is also much more than 'planetarium' software.Many planetarium programs do not have good object databases, and those that do have databases that are too large for practical field use. For example, TheSky, one of the most popular (and best) programs, can display the entire Washington Double Star Catalog (some 120,000 doubles!), but 90% of these are not resolvable (or evenviewable from certain horizons), and there is no way to determine that by looking at the screen. The result is that there are more objects plotted on the screen than you can actually see, and the clutter makes it very hard to find what you want.The pages on Springer Extra Materials are extensively indexed and referenced for quick location of objects, areas, classes of objects etc..The accompanying book gives an introduction to the Atlas, showcases the maps (thus buyers can see what they are getting without visiting Springer Extra Materials), describes the Springer Extra Materials content and organization, and includes various appendices.

Large-scale and very detailed finder charts for every part of the sky, from 40° declination to the North Celestial Pole in both normal and mirror image views, let the observer find things just as they appear in his telescope Extensive catalog of 14,000 objects, including double stars, nebulae, planetary nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters, galaxies, etc. Plenty to observe for years and years Detailed descriptions of the author's observations of hundreds of objects, and observing reports from various amateurs are included. Readers can have confidence that these objects really have been observed with an amateur telescope instrument of 8 inches or larger Extensive historical data on important objects in the catalog. Helps build an understanding of the development of modern astronomy and man's awareness of the vastness of the cosmos Extensive double star measurement histories are included for most of the double stars. This helps show when pairs are in rapid displacement so the observer can be ready to adjust for separations and position angles

Autorentext

Richard Harshaw lives in Kansas, where he works as a consultant. During his 40 years of practical observing, (seventeen of them with large-aperture instruments) he has received eight Astronomical League observing awards, and has published measurements of approximately 1,600 double stars. His many published papers include Third Degree Views (The Webb Society's Deep Sky Observer, No. 121, Summer 2000); Color in Double Stars (Deep Sky Observer, No. 116, April 1999); An Investigation Into Discrepancies In the Washington Double Star Catalog (Deep Sky Observer, No. 129); On Double Identities, Recovered Pairs, and Optical Imposters in the Washington Double Star Catalog (Webb Society Double Star Section Circular No. 12, 2004); New Measures for Some 'Neglected' Double Stars of the Washington Double Star Catalog (Double Star Section Circular No. 12, 2004); Possible Quadrant Reversals in the WDS Catalog 2001.0 (Double Star Section Circular No. 11, 2003).

Inhalt
Book: Introduction.- How to observe different types of objects.- How to rate the sky.- How to keep a log.- How to observe double stars.- Detailed instructions on how to use the CD-R, with screen shots, examples, and a tutorial.- Appendix : summaries of the CD-R contents. CD-ROM: Approximately 3,000 pages (in PDF format) of maps and descriptive material, broken down as follows.- Double Stars.- Dark nebulae.- Bright nebulae.- Planetary nebulae.- Supernova remnants.- Open clusters.- Globular clusters.- Galaxies.- Quasi stellar objects.- Other.- Index.- Acrobat ® Reader.- Appendices.