Star Clusters and How to Observe Them
Star clusters are among the most spectacular objects for amateur astronomers to observe and image. They represent the beginning, the present and the future of the universe, from sparse open clusters containing only a dozen stars, to giant globular cluster
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Mark Allison
Star Clusters and How to Observe Them With 110 Figures
Mark Allison FRAS [email protected]
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Control Number: 2005931470 ISBN - 10: 1-84628-190-3 ISBN - 13: 978-1846-28190-7
Printed on acid-free paper
© Springer-Verlag London Limited 2006. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers. The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. Printed in the United States of America 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Springer Science+Business Media springeronline.com
Dedication In Memory of Trevor for his Words of Wisdom
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Preface
Preface Star Clusters contain some of the oldest and youngest stars in our Galaxy. They represent the beginning, the present and the future of the Universe. From the tiniest, sparse open clusters with only a dozen stars, to the giant globular clusters replete with a million stars, observationally, clusters are the most appealing deep sky objects. Through suitable equipment you can witness brilliant blue star forming regions, or densely packed spherical swarms within star clusters, that actually look like the images in those glossy “coffee table” astronomy books. The observer’s expectations are therefore matched with the objects appearance in amateur scopes. Aimed specifically at observational amateur astronomers, this book will provide a comprehensive volume of data, techniques and visual descriptions, with information for all readers regardless of optics used or the individual’s experience. In Part I the science of star clusters is uncovered, opening with a general overview of stars, and our galaxy, to set the scene. Star cl
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