The cover of this new collaboration, using Jack Newton's deep-sky photographs with Philip Teece's explanatory text, depicts a framed color slide of the Orion nebula. It carries the photographer's handwritten identification and the printed words "VIEW FROM THIS SIDE" at the bottom of the frame. Here, I thought, was a "how-to" book on deep-sky astrophotography. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth.

The Cambridge Deep-Sky Album serves two basic purposes. It is a collection of well-known and not-so-well-known deep-sky objects, all in full color, for the person who likes astrophotos for their sheer esthetic beauty. The book is also a guide for the observer who wants the help of wide-field photographs when star-hopping to selected deep-sky objects.

In the first few pages we are introduced to Newton and the equipment he used. We learn about his telescope, camera, and exposure times, which are virtually the same for every shot. After that, it's pretty much all deep-sky photographs!

The book truly lives up to its name, being one of the best collections of deep-sky objects for the amateur telescope user I have ever seen. It runs through the Messier series from M1 to M110 (NGC 205). It does not include all of them but does contain several other NGC, IC, Mel, and Barnard objects. These are listed or show in conjunction with the Messier object to which they are closest.

Newton's abilities as an astrophotographer are undisputed, and in my opinion he is one of the best. Every photograph here is representative of his excellent work. I found myself picking the book up over and over again just to thumb through and look at the pictures.

The second limitation is the impossibility of distinguishing certain nebulae from the background sky. For example, the deep ruddy color of the Helix nebula is practically indiscernible against the blackness of the background sky. Other examples are parts of the Veil nebula, the elliptical galaxy NGC 185 in Andromeda, and the spiral galaxy M83. Viewing the photos under very bright light helps bring out the fainter nebulosity, however. I believe the low-contrast images are due more to the reproduction process than to the quality of the original photographs.

The text is well written and very direct. Each photograph has its own brief description. Teece does an excellent job explaining the different types of celestial objects and singling out phenomena of special interest. Even the newcomer to stargazing will find the album easy to read and understand.

There is no doubt in my mind that The Cambridge Deep-Sky Album will join the ranks of other greats on astrophotography, such as Hans Vehrenberg's Atlas of Deep-Sky Splendors and The Messier Album by John H. Mallas and Evered Kreimer. Furthermore, it is the only one with all the photographs in color. In the end, I have but one question for the authors: When can we expect to see a second volume?