Charles Messier (1730–1817) was a French astronomer best known for his “Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters.” An avid comet-hunter, Messier compiled a catalog of deep-sky objects in order to help prevent other comet enthusiasts from wasting their time studying objects that were not comets. (Text from: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/hubble/science/explore-the-night-sky/hubble-messier-catalog/)
Messier Designation | Common Name | Example Picture | NGC Designation |
---|---|---|---|
Messier 1 | Crab Nebula | ![]() | NGC1952 |
Messier 13 | Great Globular Cluster in Hercules | ![]() | NGC6205 |
Messier 27 | Dumbell Nebula | ![]() | NGC6852 |
Messier 31 | Andromeda Galaxy | ![]() | NGC0224 |
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