Another thought on useful atlases (and I'm surprised Kent hasn't brought this
up yet).
There is a CCD "Deep Space" atlas by John C. Vickers (The southern version is
a collaboration between Vickers and Alexander Wassilieff) that I think is a
marvelous tool. It comes as close as anything I've seen in mimicking what is
seen in the eyepiece.
Seeing a picture of that 12th magnitude spiral will help you pick out details
that you would not have imagined possible.
Its worth owning. The version I have is the early home-published affair, I
think it has become much more sophisticated in follow-on versions. I can't
say I know if or where its available, (Perhaps Kent can chime in?) But don't
miss an opportunity to pick up this atlas if you get the chance.
