The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to the Deep-Sky Catalogs 2012th Edition

From the reviews:

“The book provides complete listings of the important deep sky catalogs considered useful for amateur astronomy. … The catalog listings will make an excellent resource for amateur astronomers giving co-ordinate locations and other information on thousands of galaxies, stars, and nebula. The all to brief bio’s provide a delicious taster into the lives of some fascinating characters and will act as a prompt for more in depth research. A thoroughly recommended book for all amateur astronomers.” (Paul Rumsby, Best Astronomy Books, October, 2012)

All of us familiar with astronomy know of Charles Messier and his early work on creating a catalog of celestial objects. Did you know that Messier was compiling a list of objects to avoid when searching the skies? He was a comet hunter, and he wanted to not mistake other things for comets.

Other lists and catalogs followed this, and many, including Messier’s, have become popular with amateur astronomers who see it as a challenge to find everything on the list or as a guide on what to see when they look through their telescopes or binoculars.

In this “catalog of catalogs,” the author introduces the figures behind the most famous of the star catalogs and includes the catalog listings as well. Thus here, all in one book, is your complete guide to the heavenly bodies – including constellations, galaxies, nebulae, supernova remnants, and much more – that most people seek to see when they observe the night sky. Here are enough challenges for a lifetime of exciting viewing!