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The Life and Career of Charles Messier, and Highlights of the Messier catalog as seen on Slooh robotic telescope
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Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Labeled All-sky ViewLabeled All-sky View
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Crab Nebula (M1) – T1 hmCrab Nebula (M1) – T1 hm
Supernova remnant in constellation Taurus
Distance: 6500 LY
Size of nebula: about 15 LY
Size of pulsar (neutron star) at center: about 10-15 km
Supernova witnessed by Chinese and possibly by native Americans in 1054
Nebula discovered in 1731 by John Bevis of London, then independently by Charles Messier in 1758
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Hotel de ClunyHotel de Cluny
In 1751, Messier got a job as a clerk and draftsman for the Royal Naval Astronomer, Joseph Nicolas Delisle.
The observatory was located in the Hotel de Cluny, a monastery guest house built in the 15th century. In Messier’s time, it was rented to the French Royal Navy.
The observatory was in the pyramid-shaped top of the central tower seen here.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Mercury Transit, November 2006Mercury Transit, November 2006
Mercury’s shadow at lower left, sun spot also near upper left limb.
09 November 2006 19:58:58 UTC
David Levy’s Jarnac Observatory, Arizona
Picture and caption are courtesy of Slooh member Derek Hirons
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Route of Halley’s Comet as calculated by DelisleRoute of Halley’s Comet as calculated by Delisle
Expected route of Halley’s comet in 1758, as calculated by Nicolas Delisle, shown on a star chart drawn by Charles Messier.
Unfortunately, Delisle had made an error in calculation, and was therefore requesting that Messier search for the comet in the wrong part of the sky.
Messier later wrote: “I was a loyal servant of M. Delisle, I lived with him in his house, and I conformed with his command.”
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Crab Nebula diagrammed by MessierCrab Nebula diagrammed by Messier
While searching in the wrong place for Halley’s comet, Messier discovered a faint fuzzy spot near the star Zeta Tauri – but it didn’t move, so it wasn’t a comet.
Messier later wrote: “I discovered above the southern horn, and little distant from the star Zeta of that constellation, a whitish light, elongated in the form of the light of a candle, which didn't contain any star.”
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Crab Nebula (M1) – T1 wfCrab Nebula (M1) – T1 wf
Supernova remnant in constellation Taurus
Distance: 6500 LY
Size of nebula: about 15 LY
Size of pulsar (neutron star) at center: about 10-15 km
Nebula discovered in 1731 by John Bevis of London, then independently by Charles Messier in 1758
Nebula in center of this wide-field view; bright star Zeta Tauri is below/left of nebula
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Route of Halley’s Comet as observed by MessierRoute of Halley’s Comet as observed by Messier
Messier finally found Halley’s comet in January 1759, while searching the sky in the area of Pisces.
This sky chart, drawn by Messier, shows his observations.
An amateur German astronomer had already sighted the return of Halley’s comet in December 1758, but Messier didn’t know that at the time.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Venus Transit, June 2004Venus Transit, June 2004
Venus Transit seen on Slooh
08 June 2004 11:22:36 UTC
Canary Islands Dome 2 High Mag
Picture and caption are courtesy of Slooh member Derek Hirons
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Rich Globular Cluster (M3) – T2 hmRich Globular Cluster (M3) – T2 hm
Globular cluster in constellation Canes venatici
Distance: 30,000 LY
Size: 160 LY
Age: 12-14 billion years
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Rich Globular Cluster (M3) – T1 hmRich Globular Cluster (M3) – T1 hm
Globular cluster in constellation Canes venatici
Distance: 30,000 LY
Size: 160 LY
Age: 12-14 billion years
Mass: about 800,000 solar masses
One of the largest globular clusters known
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Messier Drawing of Orion NebulaMessier Drawing of Orion Nebula
Drawing of the Orion Nebula, M42 and M43, by Charles Messier in 1774.
Messier’s description of M42:
“The beautiful nebula in the sword of Orion, around the star Theta which it contains [together] with three other smaller stars which one cannot see but with good instruments. . . . Messier has entered into the great details in this great nebula; he has created a drawing, made with the greatest care, which one can see in the Memoirs of the Academy for 1771, plate VIII. It was Huygens who discovered it in 1656: it has been observed since by many astronomers.”
Messier’s description of M43:
“The little star surrounded by nebulosity and which is below the nebula of the sword of Orion. M. Messier has included it in the drawing of the Great [Nebula].”
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Velvet Cluster (M46) – T1 hmVelvet Cluster (M46) – T1 hm
Open cluster in constellation Puppis
Distance: 5000 LY
Size: 40 LY
Age: 300 million years
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1771
High-mag view shows center of cluster
Planetary nebula NGC 2438 is not part of cluster; it is apparently a foreground object, estimated distance 3000 LY
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Velvet Cluster (M46) and Open Cluster M47 – T1 wfVelvet Cluster (M46) and Open Cluster M47 – T1 wf
Open cluster in constellation Puppis
Distance: 5000 LY
Size: 40 LY
Age: 300 million years
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1771
Wide-field view shows M46 at center, M47 at right, NGC 2423 above M47
Distance of M47: 2000 LY
Size of M47: 18 LY
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Dumbbell Nebula (M27 ) – T1 hmDumbbell Nebula (M27 ) – T1 hm
Planetary nebula in constellation Vulpecula
Distance: 1000 LY
Size: 1.5 LY
Age: a few thousand years
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1764
Messier’s description: “Nebula without star, discovered in Vulpecula . . . it appears of oval shape.”
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Portrait of Charles Messier, 1771Portrait of Charles Messier, 1771
This portrait of Charles Messier was painted in 1771, when he was 40 years old.
Messier wrote: "This portrait is a good likeness, except that I appear younger than I am, and I have been given a better expression than I have."
Around that time he also published the first version of his catalog (up to M45); became a member of the French Académie Royale des Sciences [Royal Academy of Sciences]; and was promoted to the position of Royal Naval Astronomer.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 ) – T2 hmWhirlpool Galaxy (M51 ) – T2 hm
Spiral galaxy in constellation Canes venatici
Distance: 30 million LY
Size: 100,000 LY
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1773
Companion galaxy NGC 5195 (seen at top) discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781
Messier described M51 as “a very faint nebula, without stars”; following Mechain’s discovery, Messier revised his description as a “double nebula”
Bright spots (not seen by Messier) in spiral arms are star-forming regions
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 ) – T2 wfWhirlpool Galaxy (M51 ) – T2 wf
Spiral galaxy in constellation Canes venatici
Distance: 30 million LY
Size: 100,000 LY
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1773
Companion galaxy NGC 5195 discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781
Spiral structure first detected by Lord Rosse in 1845, using a 72-inch aperture telescope, the “Leviathan”
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Spiral Galaxy M65 – T1 hmSpiral Galaxy M65 – T1 hm
Spiral galaxy in constellation Leo
Distance: 35 million LY
Size: 90,000 LY
Discovered by Charles Messier in 1780
Member of the “Leo Trio”, a group of three interacting galaxies
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
“The Leo Trio” – T2 wf“The Leo Trio” – T2 wf
Group of spiral galaxies in constellation Leo
Distance: 35 million LY
In this wide-field view, M65 is seen at center, M66 at left, NGC 3628 at top
Size of galaxies: M65: 90,000 LY M66: 90,000 LY NGC 3628: 130,000 LY
M65 and M66 discovered by Charles Messier in 1780
NGC 3628 discovered by William Herschel in 1784
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Owl Nebula (M97) – T1 hmOwl Nebula (M97) – T1 hm
Planetary nebula in constellation Ursa major
Distance: 2000 LY
Complex structure: 3 elliptical shells of gas around central white dwarf star, which ionizes and illuminates them
Discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Owl Nebula (M97) and Spiral Galaxy M108 – T2 wfOwl Nebula (M97) and Spiral Galaxy M108 – T2 wf
M97: Planetary nebula in constellation Ursa major
Distance: 2000 LY
In this wide-field view, nebula M97 is seen at bottom left, and spiral galaxy M108 at top right
Both were discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781, but Messier did not include the galaxy in the final edition of his catalog
Based on Messier’s notes, M108 was added to catalog in 1953
Distance of M108: 40 million LY
Size of M108: 100,000 LY
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Messier Drawing of Andromeda “Nebula”Messier Drawing of Andromeda “Nebula”
Drawing of the Andromeda Galaxy and its two companions by Charles Messier. The drawing was published in 1807, but at the time Messier stated that he had seen both “small nebulae” when observing “the beautiful nebula of the girdle of Andromeda” in 1773.
In Messier’s time, all fuzzy deep-sky objects – whether they were diffuse nebulae, unresolved star clusters, or distant galaxies – were referred to as “nebulae”.
The nature of galaxies as “island universes” outside our Milky Way was discovered only in the 20th century.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Portrait of Charles Messier, 1801Portrait of Charles Messier, 1801
This portrait of Charles Messier was painted in 1801, when he was 70 years old.
In 1806, Messier received the Cross of the Legion of Honor from Napoleon. In later years he continued to observe, but less and less due to deteriorating eyesight.
He died in Paris in 1817, at the age of 86.
Sky Safari: Andromeda by Kochava Yerushalmit
Sky Safari – A Slooh Production by Kochava Yerushalmit
Sky Safari – A Slooh Production by Kochava Yerushalmit
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