By Jeff Kanipe
Product information: Softbound, 6 by 9 inches, 432 pages, first published 2024, colour.
Annals of the Deep Sky is a comprehensive reference that guides amateur and semipro astronomers into every mind-boggling corner of the observational universe. Each volume presents extensive descriptions of prominent stars and deep-sky objects. No other popular work in astronomy provides the comprehensive historical background and astrophysical appraisals of prominent stars and celestial objects.
In volume 12 of Annals of the Deep Sky, explore the realms of Hydrus, Indus, Lacerta, Leo, Leo Minor, Lepus, Libra, and Lupus. Featured objects in Hydrus include NGC 602, a young version of the Orion Nebula, and NGC 1466, a bright, rich globular cluster. In Indus, the galaxy pair NGC 6935/6937 presents very different spiral-type morphologies. Lacerta harbors BL Lacertae, the prototype of a class of active galactic nuclei.
Leo includes the famous Leo Triplet and the striking pair M95 and M96, and Leo Minor includes the two interacting systems of Arp 107 and NGC 3395/3396. Lepus has R Leporis, the symbiotic star SS Leporis, and an incipient planetary nebula. Libra includes the Algol-type variable Delta Librae, HD 140283, and NGC 5728, a triple-ringed Seyfert 2 galaxy.
Finally, Lupus hosts the Lupus Clouds, among the nearest low-mass star-forming regions; IC 4406, an edge-on planetary nebula; and NGC 5643, a grand design spiral galaxy with complex inner structure.