Essential Messier Encyclopedia

Although not a perfect list, Messier's captures most of the best-of-the-best. Other lists, such as the Caldwell Catalog, have tried to augment it, but Messier captured the most dazzling of the Northern Hemisphere.

Because most of the Messier objects dominate the biggest and brightest, books based on small apertures have been popular. Probably the first to reach general circulation was The Messier Album by John Mallas and Evered Kreimer (1977). This was a rather amateurish production that abounded with enthusiasm and poor quality images. It may even be responsible for starting the "4-inch cult." Of course, Stephen James O'Meara added a great deal of polish and insight in his 1999 The Messier Objects, relegating its predecessor to status of collector's item (perhaps I should sell mine...)

So masterful is O'Meara's opus that I doubted the need for yet another Messier book, and so bypassed Ronald Stoyan's 2008 Atlas of the Messier Objects. However, when the weather conspires against viewing–as it seems to have this year–I turn to books. Getting a copy of Stoyan's book turns out to be a highlight of the season. I would go so far as to say, it is one of the best single books I have because it has it all: really fabulous color images, detailed historical information, up-to-date astronomical information, and observational information for a wide range of apertures, from naked eye, through binoculars to  14-inch and 20-inch Dobsonians.

Many of the images are from German amateurs (the book itself was originally published in German), and they are a testament to the high quality amateurs are capable of: sharp, detailed, and with excellent color balance. This would be worth it as nothing more than a coffee table book, but it serves as a useful reference. Everywhere I turn, there are delights and excellent advice.

This book is also available electronically through ebooks.com. This requires that you install the Adobe Digital Edition reader, and since this is built on Flash technology, it won't work on your new iPad. Indeed, unless you have a big screen, the full impact of this beautiful book will be lost. However, this book is both a reference and an art book, so the serious stargazer may find both versions useful.

Earlier I complained that the word "atlas" was being misused in astronomy literature. While the primary definition for "atlas" (New Oxford American Dictionary) is 'a book of map or charts,' I should have looked further, and I would have seen 'a book of illustrations or diagrams on any subject.' However, in this case, the better word would have been encyclopedia, because that is what this excellent book really is. An essential encyclopedia.