Astronomer Sidney van den Bergh published his vdB catalog of reflection nebulae in 1966. It was later expanded by one for a total of 159.
Although many catalogues exist for bright emission and planetary nebulae, this is the only significant catalog for reflection nebulae. The collection encompassed all reflection nebulosity visible on the Palomar Sky Survey north of -33 degrees latitude.
These nebulae are difficult visual targets but most make for excellent imaging targets. The dust of reflection nebulae scatter shorter wavelength blue light more efficiently than longer wavelength red light, so most of these reflection nebula appear blue.
These two posters of vbD nebulae include the highlights of the 159 vbD catalogue objects. Just over half (83) of the vdB objects are included here. The remaining vdB catalogue objects that are not included here are faint and not as visually interesting.
The location data for the nebulae of the 2 posters are shown in Revisions C and D.
If you would like to read more about any of these objects, each of the images in the poster has previously been uploaded and described individually on Astrobin. They all reside in my
vdB Nebulae Collection.
This effort is part of the work currently being compiled in my upcoming eBook, which I will make freely available upon completion.
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