Planetary Nebula NGC 6781 Copyright (c) 2012 by Robert D. Vickers, Jr.
Well, I got so inspired by getting the Messier and Caldwell sketches uploaded that I decided to add the Herschel 400 sketches, too. This was a little more of an undertaking as there were over 400 links to set up, but it is finally done. Look on the Herschel 400 Sketches page for an explanation of the observing project. Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the links to the sketches in NGC number order.
Observing and sketching the Herschel 400 turned out to be a two year deep sky adventure from 10 March 2004 until 30 June 2006. The inspiration was mainly from an article by Tom Polakis in the June 1995 issue of Astronomy magazine entitled Deep-Sky on Four a Day. Tom had not only observed but had also sketched the Herschel 400 averaging four per night over 100 nights. These are the best and brightest of the nearly 2500 objects that Sir William Herschel and his sister Caroline observed in the mid –to-late 1700’s and early 1800’s.
It has been fun looking back through my Herschel 400 “journal.” It certainly brings back some very good memories of time well spent — memories of cold, frosty nights with snow on the observatory roof as well as warm summer nights alive with cicadas and tree frogs.
I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed making them.
