[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(IAAC) Deep sky designations
I have followed the debate over what catalogue names should be used with
much interest especially being a PN enthusiast and I think I have to
disagree with Jeff on a lot of points. First the PN G designation may be
used by professionals but as someone else said ( Sue ?) we are not
competing with them and most if not all material on the list is for
ourselves and of not interest to them therefore we should use whatever is
the most popular designations amongst amateurs. The Strasbourg-ESO
catalogue is not in wide circulation ( And yes I do have a copy of the
paper edition ) and despite Emil using it in Megastar I suspect most people
still have references which refer to the PK numbers. Emil was rather unluck
yas a large paper refining the postions of most of the PN's in that
catalogue above -40 came out just after he printed the CD. there have been
numerous corrections to the data in that catalogue, a lot printed in the
Webb Soc journals ( Plug )and I know Brian at one point did not think too
highly of the data in the ESO catalogue. It would also be a shame to lose
all these interesting names just to get the objects into galactic
co-ordinates. As for the PGC v Arp debate yes the PGC in some of its
incarnations is more accurate but if you mention the Arp number at least we
know what you are talking about rather than having to get a charting
program out to fire up and find out what other designations the object must
have. I think we are trying to get too scientific here without good cause.