SEDS Messier Catalog References

Modern References

• Richard Hickley Allen. Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning. Dover Publication, New York, 1963. Corrected republication of Star-Names and Their Meaning, published by G.E. Stechert in 1899.
• Brent A. Archinal and Steven W. Hynes. Star Clusters. Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, 2003.
• Antonin Becvar. Atlas of the Heavens - II, Catalogue 1950.0. [Atlas Coeli II. - Catalogue 1950.0.] Publishing House of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Praha and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1964. Fourth enlarged edition.
• Roy L. Bishop (ed.). The Observer's Handbook -- 1997. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 1996 (also: 1996, published 1995).
• Robert Burnham Jr. Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System. In Three Volumes (1: And-Cet; 2: Cha-Ori; 3: Pav-Vul). Revised and enlarged edition 1978 (first edition 1966), Dover Publications. Organised in constellations, this great handbook, often praised as the "Bible of the Amateur Astronomer", offers a lot of background information on bright stars, double and multiple as well as variable and remarkable stars (e.g., nearby stars, or stars of peculiar type), and deep sky objects. The information consists of two parts for each constellation: First, there are tables (each one for mupltiple stars, variables, and deep-sky objects) with short but important info on how to find the object and what can be seen (for the deep sky objects, NGC and other (Messier or Herschel) number, type, description (mostly from NGC) and position (RA/Dec) are given). Second, the more important objects are described in short articles, including all "classical" Messier objects (i.e., without some of the missing and additional Messier objects). The second part includes many figures, tables, diagrams, and black-and-white photos. These descriptions are mostly of high value for the amateur observer, but naturally on the information level of before 1978, when the books were printed; nevertheless, they are often a source of info given in these pages.
• Mark R. Chartrand. National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. & Chanticleer Press, Inc., 1991 and 1995. With astronomical charts by Wil Tirion. 720p. with numerous figures (photos & graphics, often color), including color photos of M1, 3, 4, 5, 6-7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31/32/110, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42/43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 59/60, 63, 64, 65/66, 66, 67, 74, 76, 77, 78, 81, 82, 83, 84/86, 85, 87, 88, 93, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 109, 110, as well as many non-Messier deepsky objects, objects of the solar system, sky as well as moon and planet charts, and more. Perfect for taking it out or on vacations.
• Roger N. Clark. Visual Astronomy of the Deep Sky. Sky Publishing Corp. and Cambridge University Press, 1990. Contains basic descriptions of the foundations of visual deep sky observing, a case study of M51, a visual atlas of deep sky objects with photos and drawings (90 objects in 62 fields), and a catalog of 611 deep sky objects.
• Murray Cragin, James Lucyk, and Barry Rappaport. The Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000.0. Willmann-Bell, Inc., P.O.Box 35025, Richmond, Virginia 23235 (USA). 1993. Data for the Deep Sky Objects in Uranometria 2000.0, sorted by page (chart) in the Uranometria Atlas. Augmented by description of object types and data as well as sources/references.
• David J. Eicher, editor. Galaxies and the Universe -- An observing guide from DEEP SKY magazine. Kalmbach Books, 1992. Collection of useful articles on galaxy observing.
• Timothy Ferris. Galaxies. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, CA, 1980. A German translation appeared as Galaxien at Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel (Switzerland), 1981. One of the few books that are worth to be obtained in their large format edition ! A magnificient color photo book; many color and b/w photos of galaxies and other Deep Sky objects (including many from Messier's catalog).
• Robert Garfinkle. Star-Hopping - Your Visa to Viewing the Universe. Cambridge University Press, 1994 (paperback 1997).
• Owen Gingerich, 1953. Messier and His Catalog. Part I: Sky & Telescope, Vol. 12, August 1953, pp. 255-258 & 265 [ADS: 1953S&T....12..255G]. Part II: Sky & Telescope, Vol. 12, September 1953, pp. 288-291 [ADS: 1953S&T....12..288G]. Reprinted in Mallas' and Kreimer's Messier Album. Biography and discussion of the additional Messier objects up to M109.
• Owen Gingerich, 1954. Observing the Messier Catalogue. Sky & Telescope, Vol. 13, March 1954, p. 157 [ADS: 1954S&T....13..157G]. Reprinted in Mallas' and Kreimer's Messier Album.
• Owen Gingerich, 1960. The Missing Messier Objects. Sky & Telescope, Vol. 20, October 1960, p. 196 [ADS: 1960S&T....20..196G]. Reprinted in Mallas' and Kreimer's Messier Album. Discussion of possible identifications of the four once missing Messier objects (M47, 48, 91, 102).
• Kenneth Glyn Jones. Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters. Faber & Faber, 1968. The 2nd revised edition is Volume 2 of the Practical Astronomy Handbooks series, published by Cambridge University Press, 1991. 427p. A great handbook and resource ! Contains introduction to historical and astronomical background together with data, historic and newer descriptions with a finder chart, drawing, and photo (in appendix) for each object, plus biographical and historical material on Messier and the other discoverers and early researchers of the Messier objects.
• Kenneth Glyn Jones. The Search for the Nebulae. Chalfont St. Giles, 1975. Previously published as a series of papers in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association: The Search for the Nebulae -- I, JBAA, Vol. 78, No. 4 (1968), p. 256-267. The Search for the Nebulae -- II, JBAA, Vol. 78, No. 5 (1968), p. 360-368. The Search for the Nebulae -- III, JBAA, Vol. 78, No. 6 (1968), p. 446-454. The Search for the Nebulae -- IV, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 1 (1968), p. 19-25. The Search for the Nebulae -- V, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 2 (1969), p. 105-112. The Search for the Nebulae -- VI, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 3 (1969), p. 213-222. The Search for the Nebulae -- VII, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 4 (1969), p. 268-275. The Search for the Nebulae -- VIII, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 5 (1969), p. 357-370. The Search for the Nebulae -- IX, JBAA, Vol. 79, No. 6 (1969), p. 450-459.
• Kenneth Glyn Jones (editor). Webb Society Deep-Sky Observer's Handbook. Enslow Publishers, Hillside, NJ. 8-massive-volume series of independent volumes on the different fields of amateur astronomical observing of objects beyond the solar system. All volumes are illustrated with many charts and drawings, and some photos, and give an in-depth introduction to observing the objects covered. The individual volumes are as follows:
  1. Double Stars, 1st ed. 1975 (UK) and 1979 (intedrnational), 2nd ed. 1986. Covers 522 double and multiple stars. viii+120 p.
  2. Planetary and Gaseous Nebulae, 1978 (UK) and 1979 (int.). Catalogs 80 planetary and 81 gaseous nebulae, with additional lists and descriptions for 56 planetary and 42 diffuse nebulae. x+149p.
  3. Open and Globular Clusters, 1980. Catalogs 204 open and 63 globular clusters, with additional treatment of (exactly) 100 open and 7 globular clusters. xiv+206p.
  4. Galaxies, 1981. Catalogs 271 galaxies and covers an additional (about) 78 objects; charts of emission nebulae in M33 and NGC 6822 are in the appendix. Attn: Virgo Cluster galaxies are treated, together with the Virgo Cluster, in Vol. 5. xvi+238p.
  5. Clusters of Galaxies, 1982. After a general part on galaxy clusters, a first catalog part treats the central part of the Virgo cluster, lists 105 galaxies and gives descriptions of some 70. The second catalog part treats 15 Abell clusters in-depth, and lists the 103 Abell clusters with distande group < 3. A third observational part describes 13 groups of galaxies and lists 3 more. xiv+241p.
  6. Anonymous Galaxies, 1987.
  7. The Southern Sky, 1987.
  8. Variable Stars, 1990. xiv+210 p. Covers variable stars, including data and drawings for 110. The appendix contains lists of variables in clusters and nebulae.
  The cataloged objects from Volumes 2, 3, and 4 make up the "Webb Society Catalog" of 700 numbered entries. Also look at the Webb Society Handbooks page.
• Woldemar Götz. Die offenen Sternhaufen unserer Galaxies (The open star clusters of our Galaxy). Verlag Harri Deutsch, Thun and Frankfurt/Main (Germany), 1990. With 143 figures and 82 tables, and a catalog of the open star clusters (with a new naming scheme after celestial position, and Trumpler classification for each cluster). Quite comprehensive review of the knowledge on open clusters in our Milky Way galaxy.
• Alan Hirshfeld and Roger W. Sinnott (Ed.). Sky Catalogue 2000.0. Volume 2. Double Stars, Variable Stars and Nonstellar Objects. Cambridge University Press and Sky Publishing Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1985. Comprehensive collection of standard data for these objects. The introduction contains a Messier list, an OB stellar association, a Local Group and a Cluster of Galaxies table, as well as photos of M45, M13, M24, M104 and several non-Messier objects. There's also a comprehensive list of references and a Glossary of Selected Astronomical Names.
• Steven J. Hynes. Planetary Nebulae. A Practical Guide and Handbook for Amateur Astronomers. Includes 253 finder charts, catalog of 1340 planetary nebulae. Willmann-Bell, Inc., P.O.Box 35025, Richmond, Virginia 23235, USA. 1991. vi+264 p., various b/w figures, including drawings and photos. A very reliable and useful resource for planetary nebulae.
• Erich Karkoschka. Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter. Kosmos, Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1988 (in German). English translation: The Observer's Sky Atlas. Contains star charts (limiting mag 9) with positions and tables with descriptions of 250 Deep Sky (including all Messier) Objects as well as bright star, double star, and variable star data. Look at a list of his Deep Sky objects.
• William J. Kaufmann, III. Universe. W.H. Freeman, 1st edition 1968, 2nd edition 1988.
• David H. Levy. The Sky: a user's guide. Cambridge University Press, 1991. xx+295 p., many b/w figures (charts, drawings, photos). A good beginner's book ! Photos include Messier objects M31-42/43-45-51-79-87-103, and many other pictures related to amateur astronomy.
• Don Machholz. Messier Marathon Observer's Guide -- Handbook and Atlas. Make Wood Products, P.O.Box 1716, Colfax, CA 95713 (USA). 1994. Interesting stuff on Charles Messier, his comets, his catalog including discussion of "nebulous" (missing, stellar, and the star cloud) and "add-on" objects, a catalog, finder charts, plus proposed Marathon. 97 p. As a bonus, it contains Machholz's own estimates of apparent brightness and dimension of all 110 Messier objects (look at his list).
• Don Machholz. The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon. A Handbook and Atlas. Cambridge University Press, 2002. Second enhanced and updated edition of the Messier Marathon Observer's Guide, including interesting stuff on Charles Messier, his comets, his catalog and the discussions mentioned above, the Messier Marathon history, &c.
• David Malin and Paul Murdin. Colours of Stars. Cambridge University Press, 1984. A German version appeared as Farbige Welt der Sterne, VCH, Weinheim, 1986. David Malin describes details of his photographic techniques, and presents many of his photos (i.e., those available at publication in 1984). It is interesting to compare this book with his new one, described below.
• David Malin. A View of the Universe. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge/UK, 1993. A German edition appeared as Blick ins Weltall at Franck-Kosmos, Stuttgart, 1994. David Malin describes much of his work as the world's leading astrophotographer (at least with color photo emulsions), and presents and explains many of his premium photos, including many images of Messier objects. Thanks to his kind policy, we could use many of these images in our pages; look at our David Malin Photos of Messier objects index.
• John Mallas and Evered Kreimer. The Messier Album. Sky Publishing 1978 Messier biography (by Owen Gingerich), reprint of Messier's original catalog (in French), descriptions for each object (but M102) with finder chart, drawing (from 4") and b/w photo (12 1/2"). Messier object chart of the Heavens, check list, color photos of some (1,4,5,[6-7-8-22-28-54-69-70 field],7,8,8/20/21,10,13, [8-16-17-18-20-21-22-23-24-25-28 field],16,17,20,27,31/32/110,33,35,37, 38,42/43,45,46,51,57,62,65/66/N3628,80,81/82,97,101,104). viii+248 p. Sky Publishing # 46042
• G. Meynet, J.-C. Mermilliod, and A. Maeder, 1993. New dating of galactic open clusters. Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement, Vol. 98, pp. 477-504 [ADS: 1993A&AS...98..477M]. Gives newly calculated ages for several open clusters referenced here, namely M 103 (25 million), the Pleiades M 45 (100 million years), M 34 (180 million), M 7 (225 million), M 41 (240 million), M 11 (250 million), M 23 (300 million), and M 67 (4 billion years). Fortran programs, results, and LaTeX articles related to this work may be found on the SEDS ftp server. Thanks to Leos Ondra for communicating this results, which he has also built into his very useful and illustrative StarClock program. According to their location at Geneva Observatory, this team is sometimes referred to as the "Geneva Team".
• Simon Mitton. The Crab Nebula. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1978. 194 pages + many illustrations (b/w).
• Ronald J. Morales. The Amateur Astronomer's Catalog of 500 Deep-Sky Objects. AZTEX Corporation, P.O.Box 50046, Tucson, AZ 85703-1046, 1986.
• Paul Murdin, David Allen, and David Malin. Catalogue of the Universe. Crown Publishers, New York, 1979. © 1979 by Reference International Publishers Ltd.
• Jay M. Pasachoff, Donald H. Menzel, and Roger Tory Peterson . A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets (Peterson Field Guides). Reissue edition 1998, Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0-395910994 (pbk), 0-395911001 (hard). In addition to many useful astronomical stuff and tables, this handy field guide contains the same sky charts as the Sky Atlas 2000.0 by Wil Tirion, simply at a smaller scale.
• Cecilia Payne-Gaposhkin. Stars and Clusters. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1979.
• Jean-Paul Philbert. Charles Messier. Le furet des cometes. (Charles Messier. The ferret of comets). Editions Pierron, 2 rue Gutenberg, 57206 Sarreguemines, France, 2000. ISBN 2-7085-0247-6. In French.
• Alan Sandage. The Hubble Atlas of Galaxies. Publication 618. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C., 1961. viii+32 pages + 50 plates with captions (so viii+132 pages), Illustrations in the introductory text, 188 b/w photos of galaxies (from Mt. Wilson and Mt. Palomar Observatories). The text explains the Hubble classification of galaxies (E0-7, S0, Sa-c, SBa-c), and introduces a modified version of that scheme. Contains images of Messier galaxies M31 (including M32 and M110), M33, M51, M58, M61, M63, M64, M65, M66, M74, M77, M81, M82, M83, M86, M87, M90, M91, M94, M95, M96, M99, M100, M101, M102 candidate NGC 5866,, M104, M106, M108, and M110.
• R.W. Sinnott, 1988. NGC 2000.0, The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press.
• Jack W. Sulentic and William G. Tifft. The Revised New General Catalogue of Nonstellar Astronomical Objects. The University of Arizona Press, 1973.
• R. Brent Tully. Nearby Galaxies Catalog. Cambridge University Press, 1988.
• Hans Vehrenberg. Atlas of Deep Sky Splendors. Vehrenberg+Sky Publishing. 1st ed 1965, 3rd ed. 1978, 4th edition 198X. Original title: `Mein Messier-Buch' (My Messier Book). Schmidt photo charts of all Messier and many other Deep Sky objects in same scale, partially color, descriptions, some with photos from observatories. 242 p.
• Gudrun Wolfschmidt. Milchstraße, Nebel, Galaxien: Strukturen im Kosmos von Herschel bis Hubble (Milky Way, Nebulae, Galaxies: Structures in Cosmos from Herschel to Hubble). Deutsches Museum, München 1995 (Series: Abhandlungen und Berichte, Neue Folge; number 11)
• James D. Wray. The Color Atlas of Galaxies. Cambridge University Press, 1988. xi+189 pages, 150 plates. With an introduction and an index. Color images, data and descriptions for more than 600 galaxies (including all Messier galaxies, or at least parts of them [in case of M31 and M33] but M89); colors are composed according to the UBV photometry scheme. Not one of the low-cost books, but highly informative and a visual feast !

Historic References

• J.L.E. Dreyer, 1888. New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars. Mem. Roy. Astron. Soc. 49, Part I (reprinted 1953, London: Royal Astronomical Society).
• J.L.E. Dreyer, 1895. Index Catalogue of Nebulae Found in the Years 1888 to 1894, with Notes and Corrections to the New General Catalogue. Mem. Roy. Astron. Soc. 51, 185 (reprinted 1953, London: Royal Astronomical Society).
• J.L.E. Dreyer, 1908. Second Index Catalogue of Nebulae Found in the Years 1895 to 1907; with Notes and Corrections to the New General Catalogue and to the Index Catalogue for 1888 to 1894. Mem. Roy. Astron. Soc. 59, Part 2, 105 (reprinted 1953, London: Royal Astronomical Society).
• J.L.E. Dreyer, 1912. The Scientific Papers of Sir William Herschel, Knt. Guelp., Ll.D., F.R.S.. Including early papers hitherto unpublished, collected and edited under the direction of a joint committee of the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, with a biographical introduction compiled mainly from unpublished material by J.L.E. Dreyer. Vol. I & II. London, published by The Royal Society and The Royal Astronomical Society and sold by Dulau & Co., Ltd., 37 Soho Square, London, W.. 1912.
• James Dunlop. A catalogue of nebulae and clusters of stars in the southern hemisphere, observed at Paramatta in New South Wales, by James Dunlop, Esq. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 118, p. 113--151, 1828. Catalog of 629 positions of nebulous objects. Many of them were only badly determined, though.
• Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Herschel. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1786. First catalog of 1000 nebulous objects by William Herschel.
• Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Herschel. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1789. Second catalog of 1000 nebulous objects by William Herschel.
• Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Herschel. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1802. Third catalog of 500 nebulous objects by William Herschel.
• John Frederick William (John) Herschel. Observations of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars, made at Slough, with a Twenty-feet Reflector, between the years 1825 and 1833. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Vol. 123, p. 359--505, 1833.
• John Frederick William (John) Herschel. Results of Astronomical Observations made during the years 1834, 5, 6, 7, 8 at the Cape of Good Hope, being a completion of a telescopic survey of the whole surface of the visible heavens commenced in 1825. Smith, Elder & Co., London. The 1713 entries in this catalog were numbered in continuation of John Herschel's 1833 catalog, and are normally referred as h 2308 -- h 4021.
• John Frederick William (John) Herschel. Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (London), Vol. 154 (1864), 1-137. Often refernced as General Catalogue (GC).
• Abbe Nicholas-Louis de Lacaille, 1755. Sur les etoiles nebuleuses du ciel Austral (On the Nebulous Stars of the Southern Sky). Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris, 1755. Reprinted in the "Connoissance des Temps" for 1783 (published 1780 in appendix to Messier's second version of his catalog) and 1784 (published 1781; same volume as Messier's final catalog). We have Lacaille's catalog online.
• Pierre Méchain, 1783. Letter to Bernoulli of the Berlin Academy of Sciences, date May 6, 1783. Published in Fench original in: Nouveaux Mémoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences et Belles-Lettres, année MDCCLXXXII (1782), p. 46-51. Available online. Also published as write-up in German translation by Bode in Astronomisches Jahrbuch for 1786, p. 231-237, 1783. Available online.
• Charles Messier, 1771. Tables des Nebuleuses, ainsi que des amas d'Etoiles, que l'on decouvre parmi les Etoiles fixes sur l'horizon de Paris; observes a l'Observatoire de la Marine (Table of nebulae and star clusters, which have been discovered between the fixed stars over the horizon of Paris; observed at the Observatory of the Marine). Memoires de l'Academie des Sciences for 1771, Paris (published 1774). First version of the catalog, covers the objects M1 -- M45.
• Charles Messier, 1780. Catalogue des Nebuleuses & des amas d'Etoiles (Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters). Connoissance des Temps for 1783 (published 1780). Reprint of the first catalog, plus the first supplement (to M68). Following the catalog, a list was printed of objects reported by previous observers but not verified by Messier when he had looked for them, as was Lacaille's catalog of southern objects. The objects M69 and M70 were added in a separate contribution to the same volume.
• Charles Messier, 1781. Catalogue des Nébuleuses & des amas d'Étoiles (Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters). Connoissance des Temps" for 1784 (published 1781). This final published version of the catalog contains the objects up to M103. Again, the list of failed object observations was printed after the catalog, as was Lacaille's catalog of southern objects. This version of the catalog, plus its appendices, was reprinted unchanged in the Connoissance des Temps" for 1787 (published 1784).
• Admiral William H. Smyth. The Bedford Catalogue: From A Cycle of Celestial Objects. John W. Parker, London, 1844. Reprinted by Willmann-Bell, Inc.; POB 35025, Richmond, VA 23235, USA; 1986. This catalog describes 850 objects, mostly double and multiple stars, but also 170 "Nebulae and Clusters", ordered by Right Ascension (the celestial "cycle").
• Rev. Thomas William Webb. Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes. 1859. Revised by Rev. T.E. Espin. Longmans, Green & Co., 1917. Reprinted by Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1962.

Last Modification: January 29, 2005