Discussion: Messier Catalog
in: PG; PG > 2010-05-20
May 20, 2010 10:05 PM
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It just occurred to me that all the men on AP have a Messier Catalog number associated with their name, which changes from year to year (until you hit 111, at which point you're done I guess).
Every amateur astronomer knows these objects, as they are some of the biggest and brightest galaxies, nebulae and star clusters in the sky. Some people attempt "Messier Marathons" where the goal is to observe all 110 objects in a single night (it can be done - I've never managed). I can't wait until next year when I'll be listed as M42 the Orion Nebula. Right now I'm actually M40, which Burnham calls M40 "one of the few real mistakes in the Messier catalog," faulting Messier for including it when all he saw was a double star, not a nebula of any sort. Apropos, no?
So lets see, you're M66 - nice spiral galaxy in Leo, which is visible in the evening now. I like the caption on the Spitzer image at the link here. It says the image was tuned to "enhance the visibility of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions." Why you'd want to enhance that, I have no idea.
It would be cool to have the age class numbers on AP linked to these pages. Then everyone can be a galaxy or (polycyclic aromatic) gas cloud for a year. I see that Ross is M27 - always a crowd favorite at star parties (seriously!). It also has the distinction of being the first planetary nebula ever discovered.
Every amateur astronomer knows these objects, as they are some of the biggest and brightest galaxies, nebulae and star clusters in the sky. Some people attempt "Messier Marathons" where the goal is to observe all 110 objects in a single night (it can be done - I've never managed). I can't wait until next year when I'll be listed as M42 the Orion Nebula. Right now I'm actually M40, which Burnham calls M40 "one of the few real mistakes in the Messier catalog," faulting Messier for including it when all he saw was a double star, not a nebula of any sort. Apropos, no?
So lets see, you're M66 - nice spiral galaxy in Leo, which is visible in the evening now. I like the caption on the Spitzer image at the link here. It says the image was tuned to "enhance the visibility of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions." Why you'd want to enhance that, I have no idea.
It would be cool to have the age class numbers on AP linked to these pages. Then everyone can be a galaxy or (polycyclic aromatic) gas cloud for a year. I see that Ross is M27 - always a crowd favorite at star parties (seriously!). It also has the distinction of being the first planetary nebula ever discovered.
May 20, 2010 10:23 PM
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PG:
So this is me, huh....
Yeah, maybe, looks like to top/back of my head a few years back when I had a little more hair.
Yeah, maybe, looks like to top/back of my head a few years back when I had a little more hair.
May 20, 2010 10:29 PM
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M66 is also notable in that it appears in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The one at the very top (The Antennae) is the one our very own Brad Whitmore is famous for working on. Brad studies star formation history in interacting or merging galaxies (like M66).
May 21, 2010 3:07 AM
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AliC:
The women have astronomical-related numbers too! Although maybe not as famous as the Messier catalog, there's a catalog made by a guy named Westerhout using the Dwingeloo 25m radio telescope- lots of Galactic star-formation regions and supernova remnants were cataloged, some discovered as radio sources for the first time....
So many local star forming regions are known by their W-numbers, at the top of my head W40 and W49 are particularly famous ones.
Here's some more info!
(And I have many ideas on why you might want to enhance the polyaromatic hydrocarbon emission... I'm currently studying PAHs day in, day out...)
So many local star forming regions are known by their W-numbers, at the top of my head W40 and W49 are particularly famous ones.
(And I have many ideas on why you might want to enhance the polyaromatic hydrocarbon emission... I'm currently studying PAHs day in, day out...)
May 21, 2010 4:24 AM
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W! D? HD. I couldn't think of a catalog starting with F. WR? Hot Stars - yow!
This discussion thread is closed.