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FROM THE EDITOR
Editor David J. Eicher
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When in 1774 the French comet hunter
Charles Messier began listing fuzzy
patches of light in the sky, wanting to
separate them from the comets that interested
him, he started quite a trend. His list of Messier
objects — originally 45 targets, eventually
expanded to 109 — constitutes the most famous
of the checklists that provide backyard astrono-
mers with a rounded survey of celestial delights.
But Messier’s list is hardly the only such com-
pilation. For instance, dedicated deep-sky
observers know the New General Catalogue,
assembled by J.L.E. Dreyer in 1888 and expand-
ing on work done by the Herschels. It contains a whopping 7,
galaxies, clusters, and nebulae, and two additions, the Index
Catalogues, add another 5,386 objects. These lists, coupled with a
dark sky and a moderate-sized telescope, offer literally a lifetime of
cosmic targets to enjoy.
For this special issue of Astronomy, I devised my own list of 101
“must-see” objects. Yes, our favorites are here: the Orion Nebula,
the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades, the Hercules Cluster. And
some of the standout NGC objects missed by Messier should not be
missed by anyone else. They include the Rosette Nebula, the Owl
Cluster, Stephan’s Quintet, and the Veil Nebula.
Far-southern objects outside of the purview of Charles Messier’s
Parisian latitude are also included. Be sure not to miss the
Magellanic Clouds, Omega Centauri, the Southern Pleiades, and
the Coalsack Nebula. Star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies do not
entirely make up the list; stars are here too. See Alpha and Proxima
Centauri, Albireo, and Mizar and Alcor, to name a few.
I also included some really exotic, ambitious targets: There is the
first black hole ever confirmed, Cygnus X-1, and distant galaxy
clusters like the Hercules and Coma galaxy clusters. A rare galaxy/
quasar pair, NGC 4319 and Markarian 205, offers a challenge even
in large backyard scopes.
And the list goes on. I hope you’ll enjoy this special issue and
keep it handy if the attraction from magical things to see in space,
hanging far out away from us, ever begins to subside.
A hobby of lists
Yo u r s t r u l y,
David J. Eicher
Editor
Follow the
Dave’s Universe blog:
http://www.Astronomy.
com/davesuniverse
Follow Dave Eicher
on Twitter:
@deicherstar
The Dumbbell Nebula,
the first recognized
planetary nebula,
highlights an all-star
list of cosmic delights.
GEORGE CHATZIFRANTZIS
Banca do Antfer
Telegram: https://t.me/bancadoantfer
Issuhub: https://issuhub.com/user/book/