All Other: The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier`s Objects

5.0 Taking The Next Step

Well written; Messier objects shown through 4" scope; Great history of Messier and his times.

None

This has to be one of the best books on observing the Messier objects that I've come across in a long time. The book opens with a historical and biographical sketch of Charles Messier himself, encompassing not only the history of the man, but also his friends and times. It's a great setup to explain just how Messier came to create his wonderful catalog and others who were instrumental in helping to shape his success as an astronomer and avid observer.

When it comes to locating and identifying the Messier objects, this book just can't be beat. Each object is indexed in numerical order of its "M" designation and is shown in actual B&W photos as they would appear through a 4" scope at 48X. The following info is also included with each object: NGC Summary, Location, Observation Periods, Facts, Locating Index(difficulty), and Identifying/Observing Index. Each photo is 1.3 degrees x 2.3 degrees in scale and there are numerous detailed star charts. There is so much more in this book than I could ever detail in this short review.

Ken Gruan has really done a magnificent job in writing and assembling the reference material for this guide. There is so much good stuff packed into this little jewel of a book and I can't recommended it highly enough!