Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Atlas of the Messier Objects: Highlights of the Deep Sky. Ronald Stoyan, Stefan Binnewies, Susanne Friedrich and Klaus–Peter Schroeder. 370p. New York, Cambridge University Press, 2008. 978–0–521–89554–5. $70.

In August 1758, a young French astronomer with an obsession for comets discovered an unknown nebula that looked exactly like a comet. Wishing to avoid confusing possible comets with other objects in space, the young man recorded the position and characteristics of the celestial object. Over time, Charles Messier added to his list and in 1771, he published a catalog of 45 celestial phenomena beyond our solar system. By the time the third edition of his list was published in 1784, Messier had identified 104 deep space objects. While Messier divided the objects into star clusters and nebulae, scientists now distinguish 40 galaxies, 28 open clusters, 29 globular clusters, 6 galactic nebulae, 4 planetary nebulae and 3 other objects. Together they make up some of the most popular deep sky targets for both amateur and professional astronomers. As a result, Messier’s catalog has been updated repeatedly for new audiences over the past 200 years. This latest effort appeared originally in German as the Atlas der Messier–Objekte: die Glanzlichter des Deep–Sky (Erlangen Oculum–Verlag, 2006) and combines the strengths of three astronomers and an astrophotographer. Stoyan’s historical introduction reviews the life of Charles Messier, the work of his contemporaries and later followers, the text of the original catalog and the efforts of scientists to categorize celestial objects. Also presented are instructions for observing and photographing Messier objects. From the Crab Nebula to Pleiades, the individual entries for each object relate their primary characteristics, history of observation, astrophysical significance and specific observation requirements. Each entry also includes detailed drawings and stunning color photographs. Technical details of the photographs are given in an index of figures and the index of sources allows the reader to pursue additional research on each celestial object. This guide to the latest research and observations of 110 celestial objects serves as a valuable introduction to deep space and will serve the amateur and professional astronomer alike.