Observing Nebulae

This book enables anyone with suitable instruments to undertake an examination ofnebulae and see or photograph them in detail. Nebulae, ethereal clouds of gas and dust, areamong the most beautiful objectstoview in the night sky. These star-forming regions are a common target for observers and photographers.Griffiths describes many of the brightest and best nebulae andincludes some challenges for the more experienced observer. Readers learn the many interestingastrophysical properties ofthese clouds,which are animportant subject of studyin astronomy and astrobiology. Non-mathematical in approach,the textiseasily accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject. A special feature is the inclusion of an observational guide to 70 objects personally observed or imaged by the author. The guide also includes photographs of each object for ease of identification along with their celestial coordinates, magnitudes and other pertinent information. Observing Nebulae provides a ready resource toallow anyone with a little experience in astronomy, whether professional or amateur, to locate, identify and record the nebulae in our home galaxy. The author enables the observer to use a telescope and filters to the best advantage to see these celestial wonders, or to couple filters to a CCD camera or digital SLR camera in order to take quality images of celestial objects. By using these techniques it is even possible tomake a valid contribution to professional investigations. And the views are unbeatable.