Deep Sky Observing - Observing Projects

Observing Projects

The Herschel 400 List

I began my project to observe the 400 deep sky objects on the Astronomical
League's Herschel 400 Club list in February 2002. Observing notes
and additional information (including an index) are available on this site. I
completed the list on March 30, 2003, but will be updating the observations
and adding my own photographs to the material on this site.

The Herschel 400 includes many of the brighter members of the list of deep
sky objects compiled by Sir William Herschel in the late 18th century. It is
dominated by galaxies, open clusters and globular clusters although nebulae
(diffuse and planetary) are also well represented.

Astronomical League Herschel 400 Club Certificate #274

Herschel II Observing List

This list of 400 deep sky objects selected by the Rose City Astronomers in
Portland, Oregon consists mostly of galaxies, but also includes some of the
dimmer open clusters, diffuse nebulae, and globular clusters.

Observing many of these objects proved too difficult with my 9.25 SCT and was
the final motivation (along with the Arp list) to upsize my equipment to an 11-inch
Celestron SCT. I completed documentation of this program in mid-August 2006.

Astronomical League Herschel II Club Certificate #49

Arp Peculiar Galaxies

I've observed and recorded detailed notes on 104 of the brighter galaxies/groups
in this list, down to about magnitude 13.5. I am also beginning to image some of
the over 300 objects on the list.

Astronomical League Arp Peculiar Galaxies Club Certificate #39V (Visual)

The Double Star List

When moonlight obscures most other deep sky objects I turn my attention to
double stars and asteroids. The Astronomical League Double Star certificate list
includes 100 of the most interesting double and multiple stars visible from the
Northern hemisphere.

Astronomical League Double Star Club Certificate #208

Asteroids (aka "Small Solar System Bodies")

One would imagine that waiting for a tiny speck of light to change its position slightly
with respect to surrounding stars would be the astronomical equivalent of watching
ice melt. But it turns out that hunting for and identifying asteroids is a lot of fun.
Most can be seen to move within an hour, and it's usually possible to confirm a
visual asteroid sighting within two hours by plotting its position and noting
patterns in field stars. Like the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, the sunlight reflected
from larger asteroids is subtly more steady than that of stars.

A list of 103 asteroids I've observed so far can be accessed here.

Astronomical League Regular Asteroid Certificate (25 asteroids) #16
Astronomical League Gold Asteroid Certificate (100 asteroids) #30

The Messier List

It's probably incorrect to say that one has "completed" the Messier list. The
110 deep sky objects on the list are endlessly interesting and, like most
amateurs, I stop by to observe at least one of them every night I'm at my
telescope (in fact, sometimes I have to tear myself away from the Messiers
to do other things.) I have observed and logged the entire Messier list twice:
once in 1982 and again in 2002.

Astronomical League Honorary Messier Certificate (all 110 objects) #1981
Astronomical League Binocular Messier Certificate (77 objects with 10x50 binoculars) #590

The Caldwell List

Sir Patrick Caldwell Moore created this list of 109 of his favorite celestial objects
not included in the Messier catalog.

AL Caldwell Silver Certificate (72 Northern Hemisphere Objects) #53

The Lunar List

The moon is one of the most interesting objects in the heavens for Earth-bound
observers. Not only does it feature a lot of detail, but this detail is clearly
visible in virtually any telescope. The 100 objects and views on the Astronomical
League's Lunar Certificate list provide a chance to crawl over the entire surface
of the moon. Most objects are craters, but there are also seas, mountains, walls,
and other interesting features.

Astronomical League Lunar Certificate #314

Solar Observing

As detailed as lunar images are, our star -- Sol -- is the most dynamic object available to amateur observers. Solar observing requires a safe solar filter that reduces the intensity of the sun's searing and blinding light before it enters the telescope.

My solar observing is done with a full aperture white, glass filter on my 120ST Orion refractor. Such a filter is relatively low in cost (<$100) and fine for observing the movement and transformations of sunspots as the sun rotates from East to West and for making detailed observations of sunspot groups. The huge group depicted in my 10-minute field sketch on the right was made with a 9.25-inch SCT.

More expensive ($500-$3000) hydrogen-alpha filters are required to view prominences and details on the sun's surface. I'm currently using a Coronado 40mm Personal Solar Telescope.

A highly interesting activity is to monitor the changing position and shape of sunspots every clear day for an extended period (one to two months.) This is one of the activities involved in obtaining the AL certificate.

Astronomical League Sunspotters Certificate #72

The Urban Observers Club

Astronomical League Urban Club Certificate #58

Master Observers Club

Astronomical League Master Observers Club Certificate #62

Wide Field Astrophotography

My efforts in this area are pretty primitive so far. I piggyback mount an old Yashica
FX-3 on my Celestron 9.25-in telescope and use 50mm, 135mm and 200mm lenses
to capture widefield views of interesting regions. I've also tried the afocal method
for photographing planets, mounting my camera on a tripod and aiming it at the
eyepiece view. These photos are offered mostly to show that even someone who
has no idea what he's doing can get SOMETHING with a little patience.

See Imaging for close-up photography.