The Barnard Objects: Then and Now
Tim B. Hunter, Gerald O. Dobek, James E. McGaha
383 pages
$45 (paperback), $35 (ebook)
Published 2023

In 2021, Dr. Tim Hunter got me interested in Barnard Dark Nebulae. I imaged four of them (B33, B86, B92, and B143) in 2021 before getting involved with another project. I always wanted to get back to imaging Barnard Dark Nebulae, but somehow I just never got around to it. When Tim told me about the new book in the Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series that he co-authored with Gerald Dobek and James McGaha, I knew I needed to get the book and pursue my next imaging project. Tim kindly provided me with a review copy of The Barnard Objects: Then and Now.

Beginning with the extensive, but fascinating, Forward written by William Sheehan, E.E. Barnard biographer, you will learn about the life and astronomical passion of Barnard and how his interest in Dark Nebulae came to be. But The Barnard Objects: Then and Now is considerably more than a biography of an incredibly dedicated astronomer and astrophotographer of the late 19th and early 20th Century. As described on the book's back cover, it is "equal parts history and science".

Table of Contents:

1 Introduction
2 Nebulae: An Overview
3 Astronomical Catalogs: An Overview
4 Barnard and His Photography
5 Visual Observation of the Barnard Objects
6 Modern Imaging of the Barnard Objects
7 Selected Barnard Objects
8 The Missing Barnard Objects
9 The Barnard Objects Now
Table of Barnard Objects
Glossary
References
Index

The Introduction expands on Barnard's astronomical work and the instruments he used. It also has thorough histories of photography and astrophotography that provide context for what Barnard was able to accomplish with his astrophotography. Chapter 2 discusses the types of nebulae: emission, reflection, dark (subject of the book), planetary, and supernova remnants. Along the way, the reader will (painlessly) learn some astrophysics. Chapter 3 begins with a short history of astronomical catalogs. It continues with an overview of catalogs in common use, particularly those pertaining to Barnard's work. Chapter 4 describes the photographic tools and techiques used by Barnard.

The second two-thirds of the book covers the Barnard Objects. Chapter 5 begins with an excellent discussion of required sky conditions, including the affects of Light Pollution, to visually observe Barnard Objects. It continues with observations by Barnard and others, and ends with observing tips, including what equipment (naked eye, binoculars, telescopes) to be used. Chapter 6 expands on the history of astrophotography using plates, film, and digital sensors, and ends with some details on today's imaging equipment (digital cameras, telescopes, telephoto lenses, exposure settings). Chapter 7 clarifies the number of Barnard Objects and expands on Barnard's original list. The chapter shows what the authors feel are the best of Barnard's dark nebulae and other objects using his original images and modern images for comparison. In this chapter I learned that I had viewed and imaged B85 in M20 (Trifid Nebula), imaged B88 and B89 in M8 (Lagoon Nebula), and imaged B353, B355, and B358 in NGC7000 (North American Nebula). In Chapter 8, the authors add 25 dark nebula to the list of Barnard Objects that Barnard imaged and marked on his plates, but did not number. The justifications they make for each object seem reasonable and appropriate. These "unofficial" Barnard Objects are B175 to B200, bringing the total number of Barbard Objects to 380. Chapter 9 is a (mostly) non-technical discussion of the importance of the Barnard Objects in astrophysics research of stars and galaxies. Included are brief mentions of several other catalogs of dark nebulae used in research. From one of the including images in this chapter I learned that I had also imaged B296 in M8 (Lagoon Nebula).

Lastly, there is a Table of Barnard Objects (also available online), a Glossary, and an Index. The Index shows page numbers for most of the Barnard Objects listed by number.

Summary

The Barnard Objects: Then and Now is a complete guide to Barnard and his Dark Nebulae discoveries. The book includes extensive lists of references for those desiring more information. This first edition has numerous grammatical and typographical errors (e.g., "gengenschein", "wild field astrophotographs", "omit" instead of "emit", and more), but other than the use of "omit", they do not detract from the content or enjoyment of the book.

Anyone wanting to know more about E.E. Barnard or dark nebulae should read The Barnard Objects: Then and Now. Amateur astronomers should use the book as a resource for a challenging visual and imaging project.

On to my Barnard Dark Nebulae Project! I will keep this book in my observatory as a handy reference for the Project. I have already posted my images of B33 (Horsehead Nebula), B85, B86 (Ink Spot Nebula), B88, B89, B92 (Black Hole Nebula), B143 (top portion of the E Nebula), B296, B353, B355, and B358 on my new Barnard Dark Nebulae Astrophotography Album. I do not know if I will successfully image all 380 Barnard Objects, but as I image these dark nebulae I will add them to the album.

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