Night Sky Observer's Guide Vol.4: Exploring Milky Way Wonders to -54° - Perfect for Astronomy Enthusiasts & Stargazing Adventures

FEATURING THE COMPLETEE. E. BARNARD CATALOG OF DARK NEBULAEFrom the Author’s ForewordFor most of my observing life the faint outlines of the Milky Way were obscured by light pollution at my home observatory in Pennsylvania. From time to time I would venture forth to truly dark observing sites like the Texas Star Party for a few days to get a glimpse of this splendor. About 15 years ago I retired and moved to the high desert of Arizona where the Milky Way stands out prominently during the Summer and early Fall. Now, night after night for months on end it is there to greet me. For one who has been observing “faint fuzzes” and other elusive objects since childhood it was, and is, a dramatic and glorious naked-eye sight. With these new-found treasures to tempt me, and plenty of time on my hands I set about re-observing and photographing this fascinating area of the sky. As I progressed I realized that even though I had co-authored three observing books covering the entire heavens there was yet more I could say about the inhabitants of the Milky Way. And indeed there was, I ended up with notes on 1,008 new objects and re-observed 801 others that had been covered in Volumes 1 and 2 of the Night Sky Observer’s Guide and added many new eyepiece impressions and photos.While it may be a challenge to detect most of the dark and bright nebulae from your backyard, practically all of the 977 clusters can be seen, and when you venture to a truly dark site you are will be prepared with this book.