3,000 Deep-Sky Objects

Introduction.- Part 1: Observing Project.- Binocular Vision.- Part 2: Catalogue - 3,000 Deep-sky Objects in Position of Order.- Appendix A: Making a Sky Atlas.- Appendix B: Notes on Object Descriptions.- Appendix C: Building a Binocular Telescope.- Indexes.

Ted Aranda earned his Master degree in history of the University of Chicago. From 1997 to 2008, he worked on obtaining a PhD at the University of Illinois-Chicago - but put his academic career on hold while he completed an extensive astronomical observing project that resulted in the proposed title. Ted is a member of the Chicago Astronomical Society and has been an avid amateur astronomer and telescope maker for 25 years. He started observing the sky in 1986 from northern California using small binoculars and an 80mm telescope. In 1990, having moved to Chicago, he purchased and extensively customized a 10-inch Cassegrain binocular telescope, and used this along with two ancillary binoculars, to survey the sky more thoroughly.

From the reviews:

"In 3,000 Deep-Sky Objects, Aranda ... provides his personal, written descriptions of stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies based just on what he was able to see by eye through his unique binocular telescope. ... Aranda includes instructions on how to create one's own finding charts using modern planetarium software and also provides color images of his homemade telescope for those who may wish to try to reproduce it. Summing Up: Recommended. Amateur astronomers." (C. Palma, Choice, Vol. 49 (10), June, 2012)

"You might think that yet another catalogue of deep-sky objects would be a bit superfluous with the number of books that cover this subject already, but this book has many merits...I think those starting to be more interested in the visual deep-sky will get a lot from it, being able to compare observations against this reference." (C. Potter, Astronomy Now, Sept. 2012)

"Ted Aranda has compiled his own selection of over 3000 objects and then observed them all with his homemade binocular telescope. ... There is a comprehensive index and background appendices. ... the book could well be a useful addition to the dedicated visual observer's library, particularly given the huge number of objects described. ... its descriptions are relevant and believable." (David Ratledge, The Observatory, Vol. 132 (1229), August, 2012)