Sky Publishing: Deep-Sky Wonders

5.0 Deep-Sky Wonders

Insight into the man and his love for deep sky wonders; A very inspirational read.

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For nearly half a century - from 1946 to 1994 - Walter "Scotty" Houston wrote a column for Sky & Telescope entitled Deep-Sky Wonders. In these monthly columns, Houston challenged observers to push the limit of what was capable of being seen with the human "eye". Galaxies, nebulae, clusters, and stars of all sorts were fair game for Houston. Rarely did he boast about the telescopes he used for these challenges, but would often mention the successes or failures of his readers in seeking out these elusive targets, and some of the equipment they used. Again, he stressed trying to see some of these objects with the naked eye; pushing and training the "eye" to see what others deemed impossible.

The book is divided into chapters according to the months of the year. The editor, Stephen James O'Meara, introduces each section with his own views and observations, followed by Houston's columns as they were written for Sky & Telescope. A table follows each chapter and discusses the objects mentioned for that month, along with RA, Dec, and other pertinent info. A bibliography and index are at the end of the book.

Until reading this book, I didn't know who Walter Scott Houston was, but after reading his columns, my appreciation of what can be seen with the human eye and finding hidden deep sky wonder has made me richer in knowledge for it.

Highly recommended.