A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the Use of Naval, Military, and Private Astronomers

As a naval admiral, William Henry Smyth (1788-1865) made use of astronomy for navigation, but his acquaintance with the renowned Italian astronomer Piazzi kindled a lifelong interest in the science and inspired the admiral to establish his own observatory where he spent the 1830s studying deep sky objects including double stars and nebulae. His work resulted in this two-volume book, published in 1844, which earned Smyth the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society and its presidency. Volume 2, the 'Bedford Catalogue', describes hundreds of deep sky objects using the highest telescopic accuracy then available. Stars are catalogued in constellations and chronological order of right ascension. The appearance, type, position and movement of each one are detailed in this fully comprehensive study. Telescopic equipment has improved enormously since 1844 but the accuracy of the measurements from the telescope's micrometer ensures that this is still a valuable reference work.