Steve Gottlieb
January 15th, 2013, 06:06 AM
I've updated my observing notes to the end of 2012 on Adventures in Deep Space (http://www.astronomy-mall.com/Adventures.In.Deep.Space). The link to the files is on the front page of the site, but here is the introduction...
Here are my observing notes for nearly 7200 NGC entries and an additional 785 IC entries. I began taking notes on the Messier objects with a 6" reflector in 1978 from northern California and by the end of 1981 was exploring fainter NGCs with a 13.1". The vast majority of my notes, though, were made using a 17.5" f/4.5 homemade dob (1987-2002) and an 18" f/4.3 Starmaster (2003-2011). Recent notes have been included with my current 24" f/3.7 Starstructure as well as a couple of hundred observations made with Jimi Lowrey's 48" f/4 from west Texas. Many of the NGCs have multiple observations made through two or more of these scopes.
As far as NGCs north of –40° declination, my notes are complete except for roughly three dozen objects – most of which are Milky Way star clouds or star asterisms. Observations of deep sky objects south of –45 degrees were generally made in Australia with 18" and 24" scopes during several week-long observing trips or in Costa Rica with a 13.1" scope.
Outside of the NGC itself, this is likely the most complete visual resource of NGC observations available anywhere. All of the entries have been checked for historical accuracy as part of the NGC/IC Project and many entries include historical background information.
Here are my observing notes for nearly 7200 NGC entries and an additional 785 IC entries. I began taking notes on the Messier objects with a 6" reflector in 1978 from northern California and by the end of 1981 was exploring fainter NGCs with a 13.1". The vast majority of my notes, though, were made using a 17.5" f/4.5 homemade dob (1987-2002) and an 18" f/4.3 Starmaster (2003-2011). Recent notes have been included with my current 24" f/3.7 Starstructure as well as a couple of hundred observations made with Jimi Lowrey's 48" f/4 from west Texas. Many of the NGCs have multiple observations made through two or more of these scopes.
As far as NGCs north of –40° declination, my notes are complete except for roughly three dozen objects – most of which are Milky Way star clouds or star asterisms. Observations of deep sky objects south of –45 degrees were generally made in Australia with 18" and 24" scopes during several week-long observing trips or in Costa Rica with a 13.1" scope.
Outside of the NGC itself, this is likely the most complete visual resource of NGC observations available anywhere. All of the entries have been checked for historical accuracy as part of the NGC/IC Project and many entries include historical background information.