Alternative DSO observing lists?

[michaelmorris]

I'm putting together a talk for my local astronomical society on visual deep sky observing. I'm including a section on observing projects, concentrating on the Messier, Caldwell and Herschel 400 lists. I also want to mention alternatives/additional DSO observing projects. What would you recommend?

[Qualia]

It may be of interest to mention in your presentation double star systems and carbon stars, both of which have a kind of 'best of' hunting list.

[Mike73]

I'm still sketching my way through the Messiers but Acey on this forum recommended Dyers Finest NGC's, everything in the list is viewable to UK latitudes and there are some real corker objects in there!

http://messier.seds.org/xtra/similar/rasc-ngc.html

[michaelmorris]

It may be of interest to mention in your presentation double star systems and carbon stars, both of which have a kind of 'best of' hunting list.

Thanks, but I'm specifically excluding double stars from my definition of DSOs.

[michaelmorris]

I'm still sketching my way through the Messiers but Acey on this forum recommended Dyers Finest NGC's, everything in the list is viewable to UK latitudes and there are some real corker objects in there!

http://messier.seds....r/rasc-ngc.html

Thanks.

[Mr Q]

Michael - How about going to the S.A.C. (Saguaro Astronomy Club) database site and check on the "lost" NGC objects? There are many that have not been confirmed in many years (some plot mistakes, etc.) and recovering or denying any one lost object is a very worth while endeavor that will contribute to the astronomical community.

If you are interested, use the link below to access their home page and click on "Contacts". Ask one of the members about the "lost NGC objects" and if the list is still available (it was a couple years back).

SAC

[m.tweedy]

how about one of the faint fuzzies guides

http://www.faintfuzzies.com/DownloadableObservingGuides2.html

my favourites are the globulars

[Mr Flibble]

Maybe the Hidden Treasures list?

[m.tweedy]

Maybe the Hidden Treasures list?

Like that one

[cotterless45]

This is quite cute;

http://deepskypedia.com/wiki/NGC_3166

Nick.

[cotterless45]

This one'll blow your socks off!

http://www.faintfuzzies.com/DownloadableObservingGuides2.html

[onesmallstep]

Maybe this one?

http://www.las-astro.org.uk/docs/Loughton_List_v1_2.pdf

HTH!

[acey]

Maybe too late to be worth mentioning but there's also the US Astro League Urban DSO list

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/urban/urbanld.html

the Deep Sky Binocular Club list

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/dsbinoc/dsbnlist.html

lots of lists listed here

http://messier.seds.org/xtra/similar/similar.html

some more obscure ones (e.g. Hicksons, Palomar Globs) here

http://astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/catalogs.htm

and finally the ultimate challenge: Aintno 100

http://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space/aintno.htm

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I am happy with my copy of the Revised Shapley Ames Catalog of Bright Galaxies (got for 19$ (ex library)). Online it is here: http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Shapley_Ames/frames.html

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Another nice list is this one: http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/plannebs.html

[acey]

And the historical catalogues given here:

http://www.klima-luft.de/steinicke/index_e.htm

There are various sites for Arp observers:

http://arpgalaxy.com/

http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/Arp_contents.html

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/arppec/arppec.html

I've seen 120 of them so far. Another list I keep track of is the Arakelian high surface brightness galaxies: there are 139 of them in the NGC, of which I've seen 46 to date. The full list goes down to about mag 16 and has about 600 galaxies.

http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/nph-objsearch?search_type=Search&refcode=1975SoByu..47....3A

[waccoo]

Try the Astronomical League's Urban Astronomy club.

http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/urban/urban.html

It has some very nice (mostly large and bright) objects for those of us who live in cities, and, can't get to a dark sky site very often.

Surprising what is listed there.

[acey]

Don't think we've covered southern hemisphere yet (other than southern Caldwells). Best known is the Dunlop Catalogue, objects recorded by James Dunlop in the 19th century - notorious because many of his "discoveries" subsequently proved non-existent (i.e. double stars or other errors). The following page has links to a "Dunlop 100" selection and a fuller "Dunlop 244":

http://messier.seds.org/xtra/similar/dunlop.html

This one has a "Dunlop 150"

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-649-0-0-1-0.html

There's also the "Jack Bennett catalogue", first published in the 1970s:

http://www.astrosurf.com/antilhue/Bennett.htm

[Mark at Beaufort]

Hello Michael hope you are keeping well.

After I completed the Messier list I decided to have a go at the Caldwell objects (those visible from the UK). I then bought Steve O'Meare's book on Hidden Treasurers and started that as well. Certainly the Herschel 400 is the most enjoyable list that I have done since I did the original Messier list.

However, to get to your question - I wanted to find a list that would cover a good range of objects that could be seen in a standard amateur telescope and the one produced by Deep Star Watch is OK. I am fllowing the 666 list of which about 600 are visible in the UK. Yes you go over the Messier list again but I don't think thats a bad idea.

Here is the link - http://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-guide.html

Perhaps I can persuade to come over to Hereford and give the lecture to us sometime?

Mark

[michaelmorris]

Thanks for everyone's input. It has cerrtainly given me much food for thought.

Mark - drop em a PM and we can discuss giving a talk at Hereford sometime

[Mark at Beaufort]

Mark - drop em a PM and we can discuss giving a talk at Hereford sometime

Thanks for that Michael - I know we have 3 clear dates in 2013 so I will chat to the other committee members and send you a message.

Mark