NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy, was imaged with a ZWO ASI294MC Professional on a Takahashi FSQ-106N with 18 hours and 50 minutes of publicity. Credit score: Molly Wakeling
In 1781, French astronomer Charles Messier revealed a catalog of 103 objects within the heavens. He was primarily concerned about comets, however stored discovering fuzzy smudges that didn’t transfer towards the background stars — so he revealed a listing of objects to keep away from whereas comet looking. The record consists of diffuse nebulae, planetary nebulae, open clusters, globular clusters, and galaxies seen from Europe. With some additions by different astronomers, gleaned from Messier’s pocket book margins, the record now has 109 objects (or 110, relying on who’s counting). It’s a well-recognized companion for observers, particularly presently of yr, when amateurs throughout the Northern Hemisphere gear up for a Messier marathon: an try to look at each Messier object over the course of 1 night time. (This yr’s greatest date would be the weekend of March 9 and 10, close to New Moon.)
However as I peruse the sky each within the eyepiece and with my digital camera, I’ve discovered many objects that I’m shocked didn’t find yourself within the Messier catalog. Listed below are a number of which might be value a go to!
Credit score: Molly Wakeling
The Leo Triplet is a well-liked wintertime goal — three vivid galaxies forming a pleasant eyepiece-sized triangle (or a brief hop from one to the following at larger magnifications). Two of the trio earned Mssr. Messier’s discover: M65 and M66. However the third, which matches by NGC 3628, someway didn’t. It’s solely barely dimmer than M65 and its obvious dimension is slightly bigger than the opposite two. Maybe as a result of it’s extra edge-on to us it was tougher to see in an 18th-century 4-inch refractor. However, it’s value a quick stopover throughout your Messier marathon.
The Needle Galaxy is particularly puzzling to me. Cataloged as NGC 4565, it’s straightforward to identify, being comparatively vivid and of a average dimension. At 16.8′ lengthy and magnitude 9.6, it’s not so giant as to be diffuse and faint, however not so small that it requires a long-focal-length instrument. At declination 26°, it could actually have reached an affordable altitude in downtown Paris, the place Messier did most of his observing (small quantities of precession however). Maybe it was merely misplaced within the sea of galaxies that grace the constellation Coma Berenices, or within the fog of coal smoke suffusing town air. I’m unsure what number of of these galaxies Messier might have seen, however absolutely this one would have stood out. Luckily, Sir William Herschel seen it only a few years after Messier’s catalog was revealed. In fact, Herschel had the distinct benefit of superior and much bigger reflector telescopes, with which he found hundreds of binary and multiple-star methods, galaxies, nebulae, and the planet Uranus.
The Double Cluster (NGC 869 and NGC 884) might sound an odd one to think about Messier might need thought of itemizing — who would mistake such a big and vivid assortment of stars for a comet? However Messier included a number of different objects which might be straightforward to tell apart — M7 (Ptolemy’s Cluster), M44 (the Beehive Cluster), and that double star M40, to call a number of. One may argue that as a result of the Double Cluster was identified from historical instances, any astronomer would understand it was not a comet. However the Pleiades was identified even earlier and makes No. 45 on his record. The Double Cluster is comparatively giant on the sky, spanning about 60′ or two Full Moons. Its tons of of vivid stars make it a pleasure to look at with the whole lot from binoculars to Dobsonians to Schmidt-Cassegrains. Underneath darker skies, you’ll seemingly bump into it with the bare eye.
There are tons of of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters within the sky which might be brighter, bigger, or typically simpler to see than some objects within the Messier catalog. So why did Messier solely embrace 103? Maybe he thought it was extra apparent that these different dim, fuzzy smudges weren’t comets. Or maybe he simply picked his favorites!
In case you are new to observing, don’t be afraid to step off the Messier record — there’s a lot extra that’s simply as straightforward to see. And for these making an attempt the Messier marathon this yr, contemplate swinging by a number of of those stunning non-Messier objects alongside the way in which.
