35:
916:
940:
892:
143:
928:
904:
191:, which occurs at a specific time each year and involves observers trying to spot all 110 Messier objects in one night. Since the Messier catalog objects were discovered with relatively small 18th-century telescopes, it is a popular list with observers, being well within the grasp of most modern amateur telescopes. The
133:
magazine's "Deep-Sky
Wonders" column, which premiered in the magazine's first edition in 1941. Houston's columns, and later book compilations of those columns, helped popularize the term, each month giving the reader a guided tour of a small part of the sky highlighting well-known and lesser-known
120:, which included 103 "nebulae" and other faint fuzzy objects he considered a nuisance since they could be mistaken for comets, the objects he was actually searching for. As telescopes improved these faint nebulae would be broken into more descriptive scientific classifications such as
175:
style telescopes, with wide fields of view well suited to such observing. Observing faint objects needs dark skies, so these relatively portable types of telescopes also lend themselves to the majority of amateurs who need to travel outside
154:
There are many amateur astronomical techniques and activities associated with deep-sky objects. Some of these objects are bright enough to find and see in binoculars and small telescopes. But the faintest objects need the
127:"Deep-sky object", as an astronomical classification for these objects, has its origins in the modern field of amateur astronomy. The origin of the term is unknown but it was popularized by
104:. This distinction is practical and technical, implying a variety of instruments and techniques appropriate to observation, and does not distinguish the nature of the object itself.
112:
Classifying non-stellar astronomical objects began soon after the invention of the telescope. One of the earliest comprehensive lists was
865:
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829:
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163:, and since they are invisible to the naked eye, can be hard to find. This has led to increased popularity of
156:
181:
882:
665:
648:
631:
614:
597:
808:
Concise
Catalog of Deep-sky Objects: Astrophysical Information for 500 Galaxies, Clusters and Nebulae
722:
Concise
Catalog of Deep-sky Objects: Astrophysical Information for 500 Galaxies, Clusters and Nebulae
569:
Concise
Catalog of Deep-sky Objects: Astrophysical Information for 500 Galaxies, Clusters and Nebulae
195:
is also a popular list with observers and is considered more challenging; it was designed for larger
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306:
447:
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223:
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147:
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8:
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61:
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The Deep-Sky
Observer's Year: A Guide to Observing Deep-Sky Objects Throughout the Year
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Blind
Watchers of the Sky: The People and Ideas that Shaped Our View of the Universe
180:
urban locations. To cut down light pollution and enhance contrast, observers employ
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20:
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184:, which are designed to admit certain wavelengths of light and block others.
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There are many astronomical object types that come under the description of
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93:
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34:
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marking the location of bright and more challenging deep-sky objects
846:: Online deep sky object description database and observing planner
24:
449:
40 Nights to
Knowing the Sky: A Night-by-Night Sky-Watching Primer
348:
40 Nights to
Knowing the Sky: A Night-by-Night Sky-Watching Primer
28:
187:
There are organized activities associated with DSOs such as the
854:
277:
228:
101:
97:
77:
142:
81:
73:
903:
472:
84:, etc.). The classification is used for the most part by
69:
842:
732:. Includes the Messier objects, Herschel 400 & more.
401:
818:. Includes the Messier objects, Herschel 400 & more
542:
The
Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-Sky Catalogs
428:
862:
Deep Sky collections and catalogs similar to
Messier's
16:
Any astronomical object that is not an individual star
880:
572:. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 10.
479:. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 11.
19:"Deep sky" redirects here. For the racehorse, see
952:
506:. Royal Astronomical Soc of Canada. p. 73.
202:
88:to denote visually observed faint naked eye and
782:by Neil Bone, Wil Tirion. Firefly Books, 2005.
215:objects or individual stars, examples include:
211:. Since the definition is objects that are not
137:
794:The practical astronomer's deep-sky companion
692:The practical astronomer's deep-sky companion
529:, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, p. 63
134:objects for binoculars and small telescopes.
107:
378:. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 273.
375:The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe
167:that can find DSOs automatically, and large
565:
499:
445:
371:
344:
824:by Roger Nelson Clark. CUP Archive, 1990.
810:by W. H. Finlay. London: Springer, 2003.
408:. Oxford University Press. p. 174.
141:
33:
351:. Henry Holt and Company. p. 113.
953:
452:. Henry Holt and Company. p. 13.
397:
395:
538:
199:and experienced amateur astronomers.
796:by Jess K. Gilmour. Springer, 2003.
709:. Cambridge University Press, 1995.
473:Grant Privett; Paul Parsons (2001).
402:Edward W. Kolb; Rocky Kolb (1999).
392:
13:
875:Sketch gallery of deep sky objects
751:
545:. Springer New York. p. 149.
64:that is not an individual star or
14:
992:
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938:
926:
914:
902:
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822:Visual astronomy of the deep sky
737:Visual astronomy of the deep sky
429:Charles Anthony Federer (1942).
23:. For the 2023 documentary, see
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637:
620:
603:
586:
559:
124:, star clusters, and galaxies.
707:The Guide to Amateur Astronomy
532:
520:
500:Rajiv Gupta (September 2004).
493:
466:
439:
422:
365:
338:
1:
435:. Sky Publishing Corporation.
332:
203:List of deep-sky object types
844:Deep Sky Observers Companion
758:Burnham's Celestial Handbook
7:
705:Jack Newton, Philip Teece.
300:
138:Observations and activities
10:
997:
724:. London: Springer, 2003.
108:Origins and classification
18:
961:Astronomical nomenclature
780:Deep Sky Observer's Guide
677:Deep Sky Observer's Guide
159:of telescopes with large
146:Map of the constellation
539:Cavin, Jerry D. (2011).
503:Observer's Handbook 2005
307:Amateur telescope making
966:Observational astronomy
679:. Firefly Books, 2005.
675:Neil Bone, Wil Tirion,
666:Encyclopædia Britannica
649:Encyclopædia Britannica
632:Encyclopædia Britannica
615:Encyclopædia Britannica
598:Encyclopædia Britannica
527:The Observer's Handbook
38:Several nebulae in the
610:Active glactic nucleus
224:active galactic nuclei
193:Herschel 400 Catalogue
151:
49:
739:. CUP Archive, 1990.
312:Celestial cartography
169:reflecting telescopes
157:light-gathering power
145:
37:
735:Roger Nelson Clark,
566:W.H. Finlay (2003).
446:Fred Schaaf (1998).
372:Ian Ridpath (2001).
345:Fred Schaaf (1998).
27:. For the band, see
762:Robert Burnham, Jr.
254:Diffuse ionized gas
130:Sky & Telescope
122:interstellar clouds
86:amateur astronomers
62:astronomical object
868:2021-05-09 at the
694:. Springer, 2003.
264:Supernova remnants
244:Reflection nebulae
152:
50:
690:Jess K. Gilmour,
579:978-1-85233-691-2
513:978-0-9689141-8-2
486:978-1-85233-273-0
459:978-0-8050-4668-7
432:Sky and Telescope
415:978-0-19-286203-7
385:978-0-8230-2512-1
358:978-0-8050-4668-7
293:Globular clusters
259:Planetary nebulae
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776:at Google Books)
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239:Emission nebulae
209:deep-sky objects
189:Messier marathon
92:objects such as
68:object (such as
47:deep-sky objects
45:commonly called
21:Deep Sky (horse)
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870:Wayback Machine
851:Deep-sky object
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752:Further reading
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182:nebular filters
165:GoTo telescopes
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118:Messier catalog
114:Charles Messier
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288:Open clusters
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283:Star clusters
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40:constellation
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945:Solar System
877:by Wes Stone
861:
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774:Volume Three
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327:Star hopping
271:Dark nebulae
249:H II regions
213:Solar System
208:
206:
186:
153:
128:
126:
111:
66:Solar System
57:
53:
51:
46:
933:Outer space
921:Spaceflight
317:Shallow sky
220:Black holes
955:Categories
860:clell.de,
770:Volume Two
766:Volume One
593:Black hole
333:References
197:telescopes
171:, such as
161:objectives
90:telescopic
897:Astronomy
173:Dobsonian
60:) is any
976:Galaxies
866:Archived
301:See also
278:Galaxies
116:'s 1774
102:galaxies
25:Deep Sky
981:Nebulae
883:Portals
663:at the
646:at the
629:at the
612:at the
595:at the
229:Nebulae
98:nebulae
29:Deepsky
855:Curlie
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644:Galaxy
627:Nebula
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148:Cygnus
78:planet
909:Stars
82:comet
43:Orion
826:ISBN
812:ISBN
798:ISBN
784:ISBN
741:ISBN
726:ISBN
711:ISBN
696:ISBN
681:ISBN
574:ISBN
547:ISBN
508:ISBN
481:ISBN
454:ISBN
410:ISBN
380:ISBN
353:ISBN
222:and
100:and
74:Moon
853:at
760:by
70:Sun
58:DSO
957::
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96:,
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52:A
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