Friday 20 April 2018

Space Stuff - Messier Objects Part 3

Charles Messier (1730 - 1817) was a French astronomer who spent much of his life identifying various star clusters, galaxies, nebulae, and other notable occupants of our glorious heavens. Ironically, it wasn't even his aim to create a comprehensive list or catalogue of interesting sights - he actually did it purely as part of his efforts to hunt down comets which was his primary goal - but make a list he did, and such was the importance of it and the many discoveries on it, the list of 'Messier Objects' has remained in regular use to this day by amateurs and professionals alike.

This could be down to the fact that the list contains many of the biggest, brightest, and best-known (and therefore most popular) objects to be found. Indeed, many of us will have grown up seeing or hearing about a lot of them, myself included, without ever knowing what they are or even what they're called. There are 110 objects in Messier's catalogue too, which means simpletons like me often forget about some or get others mixed up, so I figured it might be worth listing them here. The third such post is therefore thus. The pics should all be 1200x900, hope you like them :)

Part One can be found here; Part Two can be found here

M81 / Spiral Galaxy
"Bode's Galaxy"
M82 / Starburst Galaxy
"Cigar Galaxy"
M83 / Barred Spiral Galaxy
"Southern Pinwheel Galaxy"
M84 / Lenticular Galaxy

M85 / Lenticular Galaxy
M86 / Lenticular Galaxy

M87 / Elliptical Galaxy
"Virgo A"
M88 / Spiral Galaxy

M89 / Elliptical Galaxy
M90 / Spiral Galaxy

M91 / Barred Spiral Galaxy
M92 / Globular Cluster

M93 / Open Cluster
M94 / Spiral Galaxy

M95 / Barred Spiral Galaxy
M96 / Spiral Galaxy

M97 / Planetary Nebula
"Owl Nebula"
M98 / Spiral Galaxy

M99 / Spiral Galaxy
M100 / Spiral Galaxy

M101 / Spiral Galaxy
"Pinwheel Galaxy"
M102 / Lenticular Galaxy
"Spindle Galaxy"
M103 / Open Cluster
M104 / Spiral Galaxy
"Sombrero Galaxy"
M105 / Elliptical Galaxy
M106 / Spiral Galaxy

M107 / Globular Cluster
M108 / Barred Spiral Galaxy

M109 / Barred Spiral Galaxy
M110 / Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy
 

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