New illustrated atlas on modern galaxy classification for astronomy researchers, students, and amateurs.

This reference atlas showcases around 250 beautiful galaxies within an amateur astronomer's reach and uses them to explain current astrophysical research.

A thought provoking study of the powerful impact of images in guiding astronomers' understanding of galaxies through time.

Like no other telescope ever invented, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has given us magnificent high resolution views of the gigantic cosmic collisions between galaxies. Hubble's images are snapshots in time and catch the colliding galaxies in different stages of collision. Thanks to a new and amazing set of 60 Hubble images, for the first time these different stages can be put together to form a still-frame movielike montage showing the incredible processes taking place as galaxies collide and merge. The significance of these cosmic encounters reaches far beyond aesthetics. Galaxy mergers may, in fact, be some of the most important processes that shape our universe. Colliding galaxies very likely, hold some of the most important clues to our cosmic past and to our destiny. It now seems clear that the Milky Way is continuously undergoing merging events, some small scale, others on a gigantic scale. And the importance of this process in the lives of galaxies is much greater than what was previously thought.

This Atlas provides a complete set of images of Local Group Galaxies (excluding the three for which identification atlases are already in print) and shows the most important objects, including many thousands of individual stars and interstellar objects. It is unique in its coverage and format and provides a source of these fundamental data that will be used for many years. Researchers, students and even amateur astronomers will be able to use the Atlas to identify and study the various components of the nearly 30 important galaxies covered by the Atlas. The objects identified on the more than 200 charts include variable stars, globular star clusters, open star clusters, stellar associations, emission regions, supernova remnants, planetary nebulae and dust clouds. Each galaxy is accompanied by an extensive bibliography.

Locates, describes, and illustrates all 100 known compact groups of galaxies. The search included the entire set of Palomar Sky Survey redprints in the University of British Columbia collection. The CCD images were obtained at the Canada-France- Hawaii Telescope. A valuable reference for anyone studying compact groups or other interacting galaxies. No index or bibliography. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR