Charles Messier

Just a couple of days ago, we saw a breathtaking snapshot of the Trifid Nebula, the 20th object discovered by the French astronomer Charles Messier. Similar celestial objects were studied and catalogued by Messier in Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles and the catalogue is today known as the Messier Objects which contains 110 objects. Over the past few months, we've seen several amazing images of celestial objects as part of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, which is published on a daily basis featuring…

Over the past few months, we've seen several amazing snapshots of celestial objects as part of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day, which is published on a daily basis featuring astrophotographers from around the world. Some of these celestial bodies belong to the catalogue of Messier Objects, a set of 110 objects catalogued by French astronomer Charles Messier. Messier studied and catalogued these objects in Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles and the catalogue is today known as the Messier Objects. Although…

French astronomer Charles Messier has been one of the most influential figures in the history of astronomy with major contributions in finding and studying comets, nebulae, and more. Although Messier was an avid comet hunter, some of his most amazing discoveries include several nebulae such as the Crab Nebula, Dumbbell Nebula, the Pleiades star cluster, and more. Messier studied and catalogued these objects in Catalogue des Nebuleuses et des Amas d'Etoiles and the catalogue is today known as the Messier Objects.Today's…

Over the past few months, we have witnessed several breathtaking but peculiarly-shaped nebulae, as part of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day which is published on a daily basis. Although most nebulae belong to just three types - spherical, elliptical, and bipolar, some of them might be irregularly shaped, so much so that they resemble objects on Earth. Some of the most peculiar shapes include the Headphone Nebula, the Heart and Soul Nebula, and the Flying Ghost Nebula. For the unaware, a nebula is a star-forming region…