Editing Messier object (section)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{short description|Astronomical objects catalogued by Charles Messier}}
{{Infobox astronomical survey
| name = Messier Catalog
| image = All messier objects (numbered).jpg
| caption = All Messier objects
| alt = Pictures of all messier objects
| type = [[Astronomical catalogue]]
| namedafter = [[Charles Messier]]
| published = 1774 (preliminary version)
| commons = Messier Catalog
| onlysourced = yes
| editonwikidata = no
|image_scale=1.5}}

The '''Messier objects''' are a set of 110 [[astronomical objects]] catalogued by the French astronomer [[Charles Messier]] in his ''{{ill|Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles|fr}}'' (''Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters''). Because Messier was interested only in finding [[comet]]s, he created a list of those non-comet objects that frustrated his hunt for them. This list, which Messier created in collaboration with his assistant [[Pierre Méchain]], is now known as the ''Messier catalogue''. The Messier catalogue is one of the most famous lists of astronomical objects, and many objects on the list are still referenced by their Messier numbers.<ref>
{{cite web
 | title = Original Messier Catalog of 1781
 | website = [[Students for the Exploration and Development of Space]]
 | date  = 10 November 2007
 | url   = http://messier.seds.org/xtra/Mcat/mcat1781.html#messier1781
}}
</ref> The catalogue includes most of the astronomical [[deep-sky object]]s that can be easily observed from Earth's [[Northern Hemisphere]]; many Messier objects are popular targets for amateur astronomers.<ref name="Hubble">
{{cite web
 | last  = Garner   | first = Rob
 | date  = 18 December 2018
 | title = Hubble's Messier catalog
 | publisher  = [[NASA]]  | department = [[Goddard Space Flight Center |Goddard SFC]]
 | url   = https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-s-messier-catalog
 |access-date = 17 January 2019
}}
</ref>

A preliminary version of the catalogue first appeared in 1774 in the ''Memoirs'' of the [[French Academy of Sciences]] for the year 1771.<ref>
{{cite journal |last=Messier |first=Charles |date=16 February 1771 |title=Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des amas d'Étoiles, que l'on découvre parmi les Étoiles fixes, sur l'horizon de Paris. Observées à l'Observatoire de la Marine, avec differens instrumens |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k35697/f611 |journal=Histoire de l'Académie Royale des Sciences |series=Avec les Mémoires de Mathématique & de Physique, pour la même Année, Tirés des Registres de cette Académie |language=fr |publisher=L'Imprimerie Royale |volume=année 1774 |page=435 |access-date=2021-01-07 |via=Gallica (Archives de l'Académie des sciences) |place=Paris, France}}
</ref><ref name=SEDS-Messier-1771>
{{cite web
 | title = Charles Messier's original catalog of 1771
 | date  = 15 June 2007
 | website = [[Students for the Exploration and Development of Space]] (SEDS)
 | url = http://messier.seds.org/xtra/history/m-cat71.html
 | access-date = 5 November 2015  
}}
</ref><ref name=Britannica>
{{cite encyclopedia 
 | title = Messier catalog
 | encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica
 | url = https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/377197/Messier-catalog
 | access-date = 27 May 2015
}}
</ref> The first version of Messier's catalogue contained 45&nbsp;objects, which were not numbered. Eighteen of the objects were discovered by Messier; the rest had been previously observed by other astronomers.<ref>
{{cite magazine
 |last=Gingerich |first=Owen
 |date=September 1953
 |title=Messier and his catalogue&nbsp;II
 |magazine=Sky & Telescope
 |issue=142
 |url=https://archive.org/details/Sky_and_Telescope_1953-09-cbr
 |via=archive.org
}}
</ref> By 1780 the catalogue had increased to 70&nbsp;objects.<ref>
{{cite journal |last=Messier |first=Charles |year=1780 |title=Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des amas d'Étoiles, Observées à Paris, par M.&nbsp;Messier, à l'Observatoire de la Marine, hôtel de Clugni, rue des Mathurins |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65067013/f233 |journal=[[Connaissance des Temps|Connoissance des Temps]] |language=fr |publisher=L'Imprimerie Royale |volume=pour l'année commune 1783 |pages=[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65067013/f233 225]–249, & [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65067013/f420 408] |via=Gallica (Archives de l'Académie des sciences) |place=Paris, France}}
</ref> The final version of the catalogue containing 103&nbsp;objects was published in 1781 in the ''[[Connaissance des Temps]]'' for the year 1784.<ref name="Messier-1781-Connaissance-1784">
{{cite journal |last=Messier |first=Charles |year=1781 |title=Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des amas d'Étoiles, Observées à Paris, par M.&nbsp;Messier, à l'Observatoire de la Marine, hôtel de Clugni, rue des Mathurins |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6514280n/f235 |journal=Connoissance des Temps, ou Connoissance des mouvemens célestes |language=fr |publisher=L'Imprimerie Royale |volume=pour l'année bissextile 1784 |pages=227–267 |bibcode=1781cote.rept..227M |via=Gallica |place=Paris, France}}</ref><ref name=SEDS-Messier-1771/> However, due to what was thought for a long time to be the incorrect addition of [[Messier 102]], the total number remained 102. Other astronomers, using side notes in Messier's texts, eventually expanded the list to 110 objects.<ref>
{{cite web
 | title     = The Messier Catalogue
 | website   = SEDS Messier Database
 | date      = 27 May 2015
 | publisher = [[Students for the Exploration and Development of Space|SEDS]]
 | url       = http://messier.seds.org/
}}
</ref>

The catalogue consists of a diverse range of astronomical objects, from [[star clusters]] and [[nebulae]] to [[galaxies]]. For example, Messier&nbsp;1 is a [[supernova remnant]], known as the [[Crab Nebula]], and the great [[spiral galaxy|spiral]] [[Andromeda Galaxy]] is M31. Further inclusions followed.<ref>
{{cite book
 | first= Patrick  | last= Moore
 | date= 1979
 | title= The Guinness Book of Astronomy
 | publisher= [[Guinness Superlatives]]
 | isbn= 978-0-900424-76-2
 | url= https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofas00moor
 | url-access= registration
 | via=archive.org
}}
</ref>