Webb Objects Tour
Sketches & Video Capture images of the Webb Society Objects!
One of the best known British astronomers from the 19th century is Reverend Thomas William Webb (1807 – 1885).
While T. W. Webb's career was primarily as a clergyman of the Anglican Church, he pursued astronomical observations in his spare time.
On church grounds, he built a small canvas and wood observatory that was home to a 3.7" refractor and a 9.5" reflector.
In 1859, he published an astronomical observing book for the amateur astronomer titled: "Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes".
Later, in 1917, during revisions for the sixth edition by Reverend T.E. Espin, the book was split into two volumes as detailed below.
With volume-two of his book, Webb lists a number of bright 'deep-sky' objects visible with small amateur telescopes.
The Webb Society was founded and named in honour of Rev T.W. Webb.
It's goal is to encourage amateur observations of double stars and 'deep-sky' objects such as star-clusters, nebulae, and galaxies.
They've taken Webb's original guide and have broken/expanded it into eight individual observing guides covering various topics.
Volume-1 covers Double Stars.
Volume-2 covers Planetary and Gaseous Nebula.
Volume-3 covers Open and Globular Star Clusters.
Volume-4 covers Galaxies.
Volume-5 covers Clusters of Galaxies.
Volume-6 covers Anonymous Galaxies.
Volume-7 covers the Southern Sky.
Volume-8 covers Variable Stars.
"Observing the Webb Society Objects"
"Webb Society Planetary Nebula"
"Webb Society Gaseous Nebula"
"Webb Society Open Clusters"
"Webb Society Globular Clusters"
"Webb Society Galaxies"
The Father of Amateur Astronomy! PDF
The Rev T.W. Webb is credited with a number of co-discoveries of deep-sky objects,
several of which, in his logbook notes, were the first recorded observations of un-named star-cluster discoveries
that have only recently been identified as having been first seen by Webb.
These include the following: