Volume 11: Gemini, Grus, Hercules, Horologium, Hydra
Annals of the Deep Sky: A Survey of Galactic and Extragalactic Objects
Annals is by far the most up-to-date and comprehensive observing guide available today, featuring in-depth astrophysical profiles of the major stars and deep-sky objects by constellation. When completed, the series will cover all 88 constellations.
“We developed Annals to enhance and cultivate the interest of the hundreds of thousands of amateur astronomers worldwide,” says Colorado-based science author Jeff Kanipe, who is writing the text for the new series. “Many of them actively observe with telescopes, while others prefer the comfort of the armchair, but both are driven by a sincere desire to understand the universe. Our goal is to provide extensive, noteworthy background into stars, clusters, nebulae, galaxies, and galaxy clusters — not just pithy descriptives of what they look like in a telescope. Some of the objects we profile, like the Andromeda Galaxy, are well known, but others not so much — but should be. We think each has an interesting story to tell.”
- Annals is the first series to integrate the latest observational discoveries with the most recent astrophysical research. Each profile of a celestial object effectively provides a unique tutorial on some aspect of astrophysics, from how stars are born to why galaxies look the way they do.
- Annals also draws on the extensive history of astronomy to put today’s skywatchers in context with the rich lineage of past discoveries that trace how astronomers came to understand the nature of the objects they observe.
- Innovative diagrams created by retired NASA engineer Dennis Webb, in turn, augment the text. Virtually all of them display multiple layers of scientific information in a neat, uncluttered format. For instance, the binary star illustrations depict not only the locations of the components but also how they orbit one another and travel through the sky in three dimensions. Every object with intriguing structure is accompanied by one or more intuitive illustrations that show detail, often at several scales, in many cases from large terrestrial and orbiting observatories. “In some cases, we ‘deconstruct’ galaxies and nebulae,” says Webb, “with images at different wavelengths, revealing the elements of structure, so important to making sense of these distant mysteries. Illustrations or images images often accompany these deconstructions, relating what the amateur can observe to the latest discoveries, encouraging all amateurs to try to push past conventional limits on observing.”
The series was inspired by the authors’ affection for Burnham’s Celestial Handbook, a three-volume guide published in the 1970s that is still a popular reference. But today, amateur astronomers have become sophisticated in ways that could only have been imagined in Burnham’s day. They have access to larger, more affordable, telescopes, computer-driven mounts, better optical designs, digital and CCD cameras, spectrographs, and photometers. This new frontier has motivated many amateurs to move from merely chalking up the celestial objects they observe to understanding the nature of what they are seeing. In fact, there exists a large cadre of “semi-professional” amateurs who regularly contribute their observational and imaging talents to the science.
Whether a beginner striving to advance their observing skills and knowledge of the universe, or a “semi-pro” with years of observing experience Annals of the Deep Sky will greatly enrich their celestial endeavors.
In Volume 11, we delve into the celestial smorgasbord found in the constellations Gemini, Grus, Hercules, Horologium, and Hydra. Featured objects include the open cluster M35 in Gemini, as well as the strange case of NGC 2371-72, one of the most unusual examples of a planetary nebula. The southern constellation Grus contains IC 5148, a large planetary nebula with an unusual inner-tube-like morphology, as well as the grand design, multi-armed spiral galaxy NGC 7424, which contains a number of enigmatic radio and X-ray sources. Hercules hosts the great globular clusters M13 and M92, of course, and imagers will want to target Abell 2151, the rich Hercules Cluster that links up with the Great Wall of galaxies. Horologium contains the remarkable star Gliese 1061, a solar neighbor harboring a planetary system. And don’t forget to check out the globular cluster NGC 1261 and the stunning Seyfert galaxy NGC 1433. Finally, Hydra’s showcase object is the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, M83; other attractions include the face-on multiarm spiral galaxy NGC 2835 and the spectacular pair NGC 3314A and B — two entwined galaxies with different orientations.
