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Herschel 400 Maps

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16 years 1 month ago #74570 by lunartic_old
Herschel 400 Maps was created by lunartic_old
Hi there

I'm considering taking a crack at the Herschel 400 with my binos and what I'm looking for are maps that I can download and print with object locations, does anyone know of such a site?

Thanks for any help.

Paul

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning.

Rich Cook

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16 years 1 month ago #74611 by jeyjey
Replied by jeyjey on topic Re:Herschel 400 Maps
Paul --

I don't know of anything online, but O'Meara's H400 book has finder charts.

-- Jeff.

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16 years 1 month ago #74612 by johnflannery
Replied by johnflannery on topic Re:Herschel 400 Maps
Hi Paul,

I'll second Jeff's recommendation on the O'Meara book. The Herschel 400 book by James Mullaney and published by Springer only discusses some examples of each category of object as classified by Herschel originally. It is useful though to have the background from the latter book.

One way of getting the maps is to create a file to import into a popular planetarium program. For example, I can convert the Herschel list on the Saguaro Astronomy Club's site ( see www.saguaroastro.org/content/Herschel-400-objects.htm ) and import it into Sky Map Pro. It will then let me generate charts. Wikipedia has a chart which plots the distribution of the objects on the sky at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_400_Catalogue

I would be doubtful though that even giant binoculars are up to the task of bagging all 400. Jay Reynolds Freeman previously succeeded in seeing all 400 in a 60mm refractor but it required considerable skill. A number of the objects are 12th magnitude and have a small angular size. The low magnification of even giant binoculars will make seeking the Herschel 400 a difficult task regardless of their light grasp. I've Jay's article somewhere in an old Sky and Telescope about how he pursued the task with the scope ... let me know if you want me dig it out.

atb,

John

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16 years 1 month ago #74631 by lunartic_old
Replied by lunartic_old on topic Re:Herschel 400 Maps
I know that catching all 400 in binoculars is not really possible, but I want to test myself and the equipment and see exactly how many I can bag. My urban back garden is not the ideal site for hunting, but frequent trips to darker sites will help imemasureably.

If you could dig out the article and email it to me I would appreciate it.

Thanks

Paul

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning.

Rich Cook

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16 years 1 month ago #74632 by johnflannery
Replied by johnflannery on topic Re:Herschel 400 Maps
Hi Paul,

Just did a quick search on the Sky & Telescope on-line index and the issue is May 1999, p.114 which has JRF's article. I haven't got a scanner unfortunately but could bring the magazine along to the next SDAS meeting in December (may be late to the meeting as I've project proposal stuff due in to college next month!!!)

All the best,


John

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16 years 1 month ago #74638 by lunartic_old
Replied by lunartic_old on topic Re:Herschel 400 Maps
Thanks John, I look forward to it.

Paul

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better programs, and the universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning.

Rich Cook

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