Voyages of a Merchant Mariner and Amateur Astronomer
by Thomas Epps
Astronomical Book Review: 'Objects in the Heavens' by Peter Birren (linked to site)
(photos not included for brevity but shown on Thomas' blog)
When it comes to observing equipment and resources, my watchword has always been portability. Most of my star-gazing, after all, is done either aboard ship using a rich-field telescope or ashore with a grab-and-go Mak. I try to extend this ethos as well to the paraphernalia of observing; when I tote the Astroscan on deck or the 90mm into my backyard I don't care to be burdened-down by large, un-wieldy Star Atlases or heavy reference books.
What I've needed, and sought, for nearly fifty years was an inclusive, powerful guide-book to the northern-hemisphere sky; a single, portable volume that combines the features of a lightweight atlas and descriptive guide to the planets, stars, constellations and deep-sky objects to be observed from my home and from most of the ports I am likely to visit in the course of my long deployments.
It's been a long, hard slog through the years, as I've purchased, tried, and then abandoned many examples of astronomical writing and even software. Either the resource in question was too bulky, too tech-ie, or insufficiently versatile to meet my standard. After all, the book or program in question had to be able to support my observing activities for up to a year, far, far away from my home astronomical library. Essentially, it had to become that library during frequent long sea voyages.
'Objects in the Heavens', referred to hereafter as OITH, is in my opinion that portable, user-friendly resource.OITH is the product of Peter Birren, a graphic designer based in Illinois. A dedicated amateur astronomer, he started building the database that would become OITH 'way back in the mid-1990s.
He put a lot of thought into the content and layout of this little volume, and it shows.
The book is 8.5" by 5.5", spiral-bound and 132 pages--just the right size for a knapsack pocket or eyepiece case--and printed on tough, water-resistant paper (my copy has survived the worst of Virginia's dewiest nights, requiring only a drying-out and pressing between a pair of heavier volumes to restore it to "almost new" condition).
As for what lies between the covers... (Note from author: see inside images here)
The constellation and object maps are the centerpiece of the effort, and display their subjects clearly and concisely. As in many such books I have tried over the years, they feature facing pages with the map to the right and details on the objects displayed to the left. Larger or "busier" constellations tend to occupy two pages while smaller or "less interesting" members of the sky bestiary are given the "thumbnail" treatment.
The amount of information is pretty impressive, and fine-tuned to the binocular or small-to-medium-sized telescope. As noted previously the maps cover constellations and celestial gems down to -45 degrees Declination, and objects to magnitude ten.
But there is much more to be found in this little book. Sections include introductions to star- and constellation-hopping, celestial coordinate systems, Moon information and "thumbnail" daily lunar highlights for a full lunation seasonal constellation maps, information on major meteor showers, a fairly exhaustive listing of website resources, and a handy summary of solar system information.
As noted above, I find this book to be pretty-darn perfect for use in my own "minimalist" approach to observing; I've owned a copy of Edition 5 for two years and now have Ed. 6 – and every time I go out under the stars I appreciate Mr. Birren's labors that much more. The back-cover "blurb" that OITH is "Informative for the beginner" and "Detailed for the advanced" observer says it all, I think.
OITH is a field book for use at the eyepiece, and I strongly recommend it for anyone who wants to go out under the stars and explore those "Objects in the Heavens".
Keep looking up!