http://www.skyandtelescope.com.au 59closest that I can get to following his sweeping system.
I used Uranometria 2000.0, the Millennium Star Atlas and
the Sky Atlas 2000.0 in addition to printing images from
the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) website to help
find some of the more difficult targets. Norton’s Star Atlas
used Herschel numbers instead of NGC numbers in its early
editions, but it charted only the brightest objects.
Obviously, it’s more difficult keeping track of 2,500+
objects than the AL’s list of 400 or the Messier 110. In
order to avoid confusion, I kept four separate records of my
observations. The first were my logbooks, fifteen of them,
dating back to 1974. Second, I checked off each object listed
in the NGC 2000.0 catalogue. Next was a printout of objects
in the catalogue in order of NGC numbers. And last was my
own printout of the Herschel objects grouped into each of
the eight categories of deep sky objects. I trusted this would
eliminate mistakes or omissions.Stepping up to the challenge
IdecidedtotallyallmyobservationsofHerschelobjectsafter
I completed the second 400 list and found they amounted to
more than 1,400. My next step was to top the 2,000 mark
and, possibly, even expand to more than 2,400 Herschel
objects. Which I did.
Andthat’swhereIplannedtoendmysearch.Ifiguredthe
increased light pollution near Wagman Observatory and at
the nearby dark sky sites I frequented would limit my ability
to get the more difficult objects: the very faint, very small
galaxies near the north pole at +70° to +80° and galaxies and
other objects from –20° to –29°.SXA FINE YEAR When
the author completed the
Herschel 400 in 1981 (the
first ‘official’ batch) he
received this certificate
(right) along with a letter
from the Ancient City
Astronomy Club’s president
at the time (above). The
author went on to observe
LETTER AND CERTIFICATE: TOM REILAND all Herschel objects.