Observer's Handbook 2012 Edition

The following corrections have been noted:

• On p. 25, the units of GM should read as km^³/s^²

• On p. 115, in the left column, the days of the week are incorrect following Sunday, Dec. 16. The 17th is a Monday, the 18th a Tuesday, and so on, until the 26, which is a Wednesday. Thereafter, the days are correct.

• In the online Links page, a link to the Meteorical Bulletin database found on p. 261 was missing https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/

• On p. 284, In The Brightest Stars, the distance to Alpha Her AB (Rasalgethi) is 360 ly

• On p. 299, Note the following updates to "Coloured Double Stars":

SPRING
The star 35 Sex has Dec +04º 45′ and the separation is 7″.
 
SUMMER
The star K Her should be denoted Kappa (Greek letter) Her.
 
AUTUMN
The star 2 Peg should be denoted h 1647 and the Dec should be 22º 11′  (error in source material).

• On pp. 323–326, Update to DEEP-SKY GEMS

  For the purposes of creating an observing certificate for the Deep-Sky Gems, please note that the following Levy objects have been removed from the DSG list, as they are duplicated in other observing programs:  L1 (NGC 1931), L245 (NGC 6781), L325 (IC 1795), and L381 (U 5470).

  To maintain the list number at 154, the following objects have been added (see also Supplements page):

  • L324 (Tombaugh 5)   RA  3h 47.8′ Dec +59º 03′, mag: 8.4,  size: 14′—open cluster in Camelopardalis
  • L140 (NGC 4485)   RA 12h 30.5′ Dec +41º 42′, mag:11.9, size 2′x1.3′—elongated galaxy, just N of NGC 4490 (Cocoon Galaxy) in Canes Venatici
  • L120 (NGC 6451)  RA 17h 50.7′  Dec –30º 13′, mag: 8.2, size: 7′—"Tom Thumb Cluster," small open cluster near the galactic centre in Scorpius
  • L279 (NGC 6522/6528)   RA 18h 03.6′  Dec –30º 02′, mag: 8.3, size: 16.4′—“Baade’s Window,” two faint globular clusters close to the galactic centre in Sagittarius

  The updated list will appear in future editions of the Handbook.

• On p. 331, the column headings "Min. Opacity" and "Aper." should read "Opacity" and "Min. Aper."
   
• On the inside back cover, the dates given for November and December 2013 are incorrect and should be shifted right by one day. Thus 2013 November 1 is a Friday.