The inspiration behind the name of this website stems from my decades-long passion for observing faint deep sky objects under pristine, dark skies. These faint deep sky objects, which I fondly refer to as "Faint Fuzzies," come alive through the eyepiece of telescopes, ranging from my own 22" and 30" reflectors to even my friend's 48" reflector. I've taken particular interest in studying threshold objects that exhibit compelling features, astrophysical anomalies, or simply defy the norm. An exciting example of this is the discovery of Andromeda's Parachute, a gravitationally lensed quasar.

   The purpose of this website is to serve as a valuable resource for seasoned observers who are looking to explore challenging deep sky objects. The initial three guides were tailored to assist owners of 16" or larger telescopes in observing the Hickson Compact Galaxy Groups, Abell Planetary Nebulae, and Arp Peculiar Galaxies. As I continued to develop more advanced observing guides, it became clear to me that providing resources for those who have just completed the Messier list and are seeking new horizons would be immensely beneficial. A natural progression would be to delve into the Herschel 400 and then the Herschel 400 - Part II. With content tailored for telescope sizes ranging from 6" to 48", there's something for everyone.

   For those with larger telescopes who yearn for fresh challenges and are tired of encountering the same "bright" objects, or are simply running out of objects to observe, I invite you to explore the guides I've thoughtfully curated. Simply click on Observing Guides or Downloadable Observing Guides under "For Large Telescopes" section. If you're an amateur or intermediate observer equipped with a 6" to 10" telescope, look under "For Smaller Telescopes" for resources tailored to your needs.

   Don't forget to peruse the "Observing Reports" link to gain a glimpse of the remarkable objects you can see through a large telescope. My hope is that these reports will inspire you to venture outside and engage in the awe-inspiring DEEP sky observing.

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New Observing Guide: Observing Extragalactic Objects Within Host Galaxies released. (Aug 23,2024)

  I am pleased to release this field guide after 6+ months of work going through journal and amateur articles, lists, observing reports, and sketches. This guide is formatted in a similar fashion as my other guides, but the details of each host galaxy is what sets this guide apart.  Go to the Downloadable Observing Guides link to access the guide. 

  We have refreshed most of the Downloadable Observing Guides. The following contains more than a refresh.  The revision history lists the detailed update history.

• Herschel 400 Part II Observing Guide to reflect the AL changes to the list.
• The Local Group: Added a new LG member, corrected a few mislabeled objects within LG members and reclassified as LG and near LG.
• Shakhbazian Galaxy Groups: Added 59 new groups and enhanced throughout.
• Small Galaxy Groups: Added 31 new galaxy groups, including a few in the southern hemisphere.

  Scroll down a little bit to see a few photos I took of the total solar eclipse from my backyard.  It was a surreal event.  It may be surprising to some of you, but this is the first one I've seen.  I never traveled nor chased a total solar eclipse. However, I planned to go to the Oregon Star Party for the 2017 total eclipse, but I got sick and couldn't make it.

30" Starmaster f/4 reflector at Golden State Star Party 2008
The reflector in the background is my 22" f/4 reflector



My 22" f/4 reflector at one of our observing sites in the high Sierras at elevation of 7,800 feet.

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2024 Total Solar Eclipse over Texas Hill Country

Taken with a 4" f/11 refractor


Corona @ 1/30 sec



Corona with solar prominence @ 1/125 sec

Another @ 1/125 sec



Some prominence detail @ 1/200 sec