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Messier objects are fuzzy patches in the night sky
- The complete list of 110 Messier objects is called the Messier Catalog and they are classified in three broad categories, as either nebulae, star clusters or galaxies.
- A small telescope can easily observe Messier objects and a few are visible using only binoculars or even just the eye alone.
- In addition, every year in March, all 110 Messier objects are visible during a single night and this is called Messier marathon.
- Out of the 110 Messier objects, 41 are Messier’s observations and he only could observe the entire northern celestial hemisphere and about half of the southern sky.
- Messier objects all appear as fuzzy, nebulous patches in the sky and are perfect for beginning stargazers.
- Ironically, Charles Messier never intended to compile a list of deep-sky objects and is remembered more for his Messier catalog than for his comet discoveries.
- Messier objects have common names in addition to their numbers, such as the Pleiades, aka the 7 Sisters.
- Finding Messier objects is an ideal project for the beginning stargazer.
- Messier 45, the Pleiades, is one of the objects that can be observed using only binoculars or even just the eye alone.
- Useful references for Messier objects include the book Deep-Sky Companions: The Messier objects and NASA's photographic gallery of some Messier objects from the Hubble Space Telescope.
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