JB's DSO's

Hey DWARF-wranglers, clear your desktops and prepare for an upgrade! Our indefatigable celestial tracker and spreadsheet guru, JB Cox, has been mainlining coffee and star charts because he's just dropped yet another epic resource: "A Catalogue of Transitional Objects & others!" This time, JB has lassoed the paths of comets, charted the courses of asteroids, pinpointed upcoming meteor showers, and even mapped where meteorites have made their grand entrance on Earth – all wrestled into an astonishingly clever Excel spreadsheet! Who needs a crystal ball when you've got JB's Excel-fu?

As these sneak peeks show, this isn't just a list of when to look up; it's your dynamic guide to the ever-changing inner solar system! Imagine tracking comet apparitions over the next few years, or knowing just when and where to point your DWARF to catch a passing asteroid or the peak of a meteor shower. These charts are so packed with info, they practically buzz with cosmic energy!

Now, for the critical bit – to harness the full predictive power and all the interactive bells and whistles of this "Transitional Objects" catalogue, JB insists (and when JB insists about spreadsheets, we listen!) that you download this digital oracle to your PC or Mac and enable macros in Excel. Don't let the 'm' word scare you; macros are the secret sauce that brings these charts and timelines to life! This ensures all the tracking tools, date-sensitive visuals, and possibly even a few of JB's legendary cosmic jokes function as designed.

So, go on, download this masterpiece and become a true chaser of comets and cosmic debris! Unleash the tracking power!

Download the.XLSM from the DwarfLab Facebook Post!

Problem with Macros? Download the read-me-how-too

Alright, Astro-nuts, brace yourselves! Our celestial cartographer and spreadsheet sorcerer, JB Cox, has emerged from his observatory (we think?) with another meticulously crafted DSO catalogue! This time, JB has wrestled the chaotic beauty of the cosmos into an all-new, surprisingly powerful Excel spreadsheet. A versatile weapon for the DWARF community and intrepid deep-sky explorers. Who knew spreadsheets could be this exciting?

As you can see from these tantalizing sneak peeks, this isn't your typical grocery list. Oh no. This is a visual companion for your all-night observing sessions, packed with helpful charts so cunningly designed, they practically point your scope for you (not really, but they're good!). It's your secret map to navigating the constellations and bagging those faint fuzzies.

Now, for the crucial bit, listen closely: To get the absolute best, mind-blowing experience and unlock all its whizz-bang interactive features, JB insists (and he knows his stuff) that you download this digital marvel and run it on your PC or Mac with macros enabled in Excel. Don't fear the 'macros' – that's where the magic happens! This will ensure all the innovative tools, dazzling visuals, and possibly a hidden JB Easter egg or two, work seamlessly for you. Go on, unleash the power!

Download the original.XLSM from the DwarfLab Facebook post!

Let's delve into the fascinating story behind the legendary Messier Catalogue! Back in 18th-century France, astronomer Charles Messier was obsessed with discovering comets. However, his meticulous searches were often frustrated by faint, fuzzy patches in the sky that resembled comets but remained stationary night after night. To avoid repeatedly mistaking these objects for his prized quarry, he began carefully recording their positions and descriptions. This personal list of 'objects to avoid,' growing eventually to 110 entries (M1 to M110), ironically became the most celebrated catalogue in amateur and professional astronomy. It's a stunning collection containing many of the brightest deep-sky wonders visible from mid-northern latitudes, encompassing a diverse range of celestial sights: from glittering young open star clusters and ancient, densely packed globulars, to glowing emission nebulae like the Orion nebula (M42) where stars are born to planetary nebulae marking stellar death, and majestic spiral galaxies like Andromeda's Great Spiral (M31)

Dwarf - Messier Marathon

Leveraging your DWARF's quick GOTO, it's a fun challenge to see how many Messier objects you can check off your list in a single night! For dedicated observers attempting a 'Messier Marathon' to view most or all 110 objects in a single night, the prime window is near the New Moon in late March until mid-April. That's when the Sun's position lets you potentially sweep through the entire list from dusk till dawn.

Imagine a celestial "greatest hits" album compiled not centuries ago, but by the beloved "modern" astronomer Sir Patrick Moore (using his middle name, Caldwell). That's the Caldwell Catalogue! It's a list of 109 dazzling deep-sky objects – star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies – chosen to complement the famous Messier list. For astronomers using smart scopes like the DWARF II or DWARF 3, this catalogue transforms into an exceptionally accessible and rewarding hunting ground. While featuring bright gems Messier overlooked and spanning both northern and southern skies, the DWARF's GoTo function will point you right at these targets via the app and, while live stacking, will gradually unveil the beauty of many of these clusters, nebulae, and galaxies right on your phone. It's a fantastic, curated list to systematically explore diverse cosmic wonders beyond the usual suspects, pushing what your smart scope can reveal!

Using the AU calculator is easy. To find the distance in kilometers and miles, just type the number of Astronomical Units (AU) you have into BOX 1. If you want to convert back to AU, enter the distance in millions of kilometres into BOX 2, or enter the distance in millions of miles into BOX 3. The results for each calculation appear automatically nearby.

When your telescope targets comets, planets, or asteroids within our solar system, their distances are often cited in AU. This calculator lets you instantly convert those AU figures into familiar kilometers or miles, helping you better appreciate the vast distances you're observing and capturing.

To explore the object catalogues, click the blue hyperlinks for the specific NGC, Sharpless, or Caldwell catalogue you're interested in—they'll take you to the relevant Wikipedia page.