Charles Messier's 44 Comets
Charles Messier probably got first fascinated from a comet in 1744, still in
Badonviller, his Lorrainian hometown, as a 13-aged, when he observed the great
6-tailed comet which was subject to extensive studies by De Cheseaux.
As a young astronomer in Paris in 1758, he early became involved in the search
for Halley's comet which was predicted for 1758-59. He specialized on hunting
for comets, and successfully discovered about 20
of them, 13 original discoveries and 7 independent co-discoveries (but it is
sometimes discussed where to put the limit; Jean-Paul Philbert tends to count
comet 1801 Pons and that of 1762 Klinkenberg as another original discovery, as
it occurred almost simultaneously with that of the original discoverers).
Of the 50 comets of 1758-1806, when Messier actively
searched for them, he observed and described a total of 44.
A translation of his personal notes is available.
Below follows a table of the 44 comets Messier observed professionally. The
entries in this table are linked to additional notes below, and those in turn
to Messier's descriptions in his notes:
No Comet Desig. new old Messier Messier observed d t Disco. Date Discoverers
(0) Anonymus C/1743 X1 1744 - 1744 ? 1744 Klinkenberg, De Cheseaux
1 De la Nux C/1758 K1 1758 1758 14-Aug-1758 02-Nov-1958 31 c 26-May-1758 De la Nux
2 P/Halley 1P/1758 Y1 1759I 1759 21-Jan-1759 01-May-1759 47 c 25-Dec-1758 Palitzsch
3 Great comet C/1760 A1 1759III 1760 1 08-Jan-1760 30-Jan-1760 6 c 07-Jan-1760 -many- (Chevalier)
4 Messier C/1760 B1 1759II 1760 2 26-Jan-1760 18-Mar-1760 22 ! 26-Jan-1760 Messier
5 Klinkenberg C/1762 K1 1762 1762 28-May-1762 05-Jul-1762 20 17-May-1762 Klinkenberg
6 Messier C/1763 S1 1763 1763 28-Sep-1763 24-Nov-1763 29 ! 28-Sep-1763 Messier
7 Messier C/1764 A1 1764 1764 03-Jan-1764 11-Feb-1764 16 ! 03-Jan-1764 Messier
8 Messier C/1766 E1 1766I 1766 1 08-Mar-1766 15-Mar-1766 8 ! 08-Mar-1766 Messier
9 P/Helfenzrieder D/1766 G1 1766II 1766 2 08-Apr-1766 12-Apr-1766 5 c 08-Apr-1766 Helfenzrieder
10 Messier C/1769 P1 1769 1769 08-Aug-1769 01-Dec-1769 42 ! 08-Aug-1769 Messier
11 P/Lexell D/1770 L1 1770I 1770 14-Jun-1770 03-Oct-1770 47 ! 14-Jun-1770 Messier
12 Great comet C/1771 A1 1770II 1771 1 10-Jan-1771 20-Jan-1771 4 c 10-Jan-1771 -many- (incl. Messier)
13 Messier C/1771 G1 1771 1771 2 01-Apr-1771 15-Jun-1771 48 ! 01-Apr-1771 Messier
14 P/Biela 3D/1772 E1 1772 1772 26-Mar-1772 03-Apr-1772 4 08-Mar-1772 Montaigne
15 Messier C/1773 T1 1773 1773 12-Oct-1773 14-Apr-1774 71 ! 12-Oct-1773 Messier
16 Montaigne C/1774 P1 1774 1774 18-Aug-1774 25-Oct-1774 41 11-Aug-1774 Montaigne
17 Bode C/1779 A1 1779 1779 19-Jan-1779 19-May-1779 63 c 06-Jan-1779 Bode
18 Messier C/1780 U2 1780I 1780 2 27-Oct-1780 28-Nov-1780 13 ! 27-Oct-1780 Messier
19 Méchain C/1781 M1 1781I 1781 1 30-Jun-1781 16-Jul-1781 14 28-Jun-1781 Méchain
20 Méchain C/1781 T1 1781II 1781 2 10-Oct-1781 05-Nov-1781 12 09-Oct-1781 Méchain
21 P/Pigott D/1783 W1 1783 1783 27-Nov-1783 21-Dec-1783 13 19-Nov-1783 Pigott
22 Great comet C/1783 X1 1784 1784 03-Feb-1784 25-May-1784 13 24-Jan-1784 -many- (Cassini)
23 Messier-Méchain C/1785 A1 1785I 1785 1 07-Jan-1785 16-Jan-1785 6 ! 07-Jan-1785 Messier
24 Méchain C/1785 E1 1785II 1785 2 13-Mar-1785 16-Apr-1785 14 11-Mar-1785 Méchain
25 P/Encke 2P/1786 B1 1786I 1786 1 19-Jan-1786 1 17-Jan-1786 Méchain
26 Herschel C/1786 P1 1786II 1786 2 01-Aug-1786 26 Oct 1786 43 C.Herschel
27 Méchain C/1787 G1 1787 1787 11-Apr-1787 20-May-1787 6 10-Apr-1787 Méchain
28 Messier C/1788 W1 1788I 1788 1 25-Nov-1788 29-Dec-1788 20 ! 25-Nov-1788 Messier
29 P/Herschel-Rigollet 35P/1788 Y1 1788II 1788 2 03-Jan-1789 06-Jan-1789 2 21-Dec-1788 C.Herschel
30 Herschel C/1790 A1 1790I 1790 1 19-Jan-1790 1 07-Jan-1790 C.Herschel
31 P/Tuttle 8P/1790 A2 1790II 1790 2 10-Jan-1790 7 09-Jan-1790 Méchain
32 Herschel C/1790 H1 1790III 1790 3 01-May-1790 09-Jun-1790 45 17-Apr-1790 C.Herschel
33 Herschel C/1791 X1 1792I 1791 26-Dec-1791 28-Jan-1792 12 15-Dec-1791 C.Herschel
34 Gregory C/1793 A1 1792II 1793 1 01-Feb-1793 14-Feb-1793 6 10-Jan-1793 Gregory, Méchain
35 Perny C/1793 S1 1793II 1793 3 27-Sep-1793 08-Dec-1793 25 24-Sep-1793 Perny
36 Messier C/1793 S2 1793I 1793 4 27-Sep-1793 07-Jan-1794 ! 27-Sep-1793 Messier
37 Bouvard-Herschel-Lee C/1797 P1 1797 1797 16-Aug-1797 30-Aug-1797 13 14-Aug-1797 Bouvard
38 Messier C/1798 G1 1798I 1798 1 12-Apr-1798 24-May-1798 27 ! 12-Apr-1798 Messier
39 Bouvard C/1798 X1 1798II 1798 2 07-Dec-1798 12-Dec-1798 4 06-Dec-1798 Bouvard
40 Méchain C/1799 P1 1799I 1799 1 10-Aug-1799 25-Oct-1799 44 07-Aug-1799 Méchain
41 Méchain C/1799 Y1 1799II 1799 2 28-Dec-1799 06-Jan-1800 5 26-Dec-1799 Méchain
42 Pons + C/1801 N1 1801 1801 12-Jul-1801 21-Jul-1801 5 c 12-Jul-1801 Pons, Messier, Méchain, Bouvard
43 Pons C/1802 Q1 1802 1802 30-Aug-1802 05-Sep-1802 7 26-Aug-1802 Pons
44 Pons C/1804 E1 1804 1804 11-Mar-1804 17-Mar-1804 6 07-Mar-1804 Pons
Key:
- No
- Messier's numbering for "his" comets (i.e., those he observed)
- Comet
- Comet Name/Discoverer[s]
- Desig.
- Comet Designation:
New IAU desgination;
Old style "Final" designation: year and Roman number for perihelion passage;
and Messier's designation
- Messier observed
- Dates between Messier observed the comet
- d
- Number of days (nights) Messier saw the comet
- t
- Type of discovery (if any):
"!": Original discovery,
"c": Independent co-discovery,
"?": Perhaps an independent co-discovery
- Disco. Date
- Discovery Date
- Discoverers
- Name(s) of (original) discoverer(s)
Additional Resources and Notes on these comets:
This list is linked to Messier's descriptions in
his notes. Where appropriate, there are also links
to Henk Bril's pages on Messier's comet
maps, to
G.M. Caglieris'
[Italian language] pages discussing some of Messier's comet discoveries, and
to
Felice Stoppa's account on Messier's publications [also in Italian].
- 1.
C/1758 K1 De la Nux (1758I De la Nux).
-
The comet of 1758.
According to Alexandre Guy Pingré (1783), this was the 49th comet
with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's observations were published by Delisle in:
Mem. Acad., 1759, pp. 154-188.
Included is the discovery announce of M1.
Felice Stoppa's account
of this memoir and included map.
G.M. Caglieris' account of comet 1758 De la Nux and M1.
Reference: Cometography, Vol. 1, pp. 420-422.
- 2.
1P/Halley (1758 Y1, 1759I Palitzsch)
-
Halley discovered in 1705 that this was a periodic comet, the first to be
recognized as such, and predicted its 1758-9 return.
According to Pingré, it is the 7th comet with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's observations were published by Delisle in:
Mem. Acad., 1760, pp. 380-465 + Pl. II-IV.
Messier's first of two maps of the path of comet Halley 1759 includes the
"nebulae" M2 and
M30.
Messier also published a memoir in
Phil. Trans. LV, 294 (1765).
G.M. Caglieris' account of the return of comet Halley 1759.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 422-430.
Also see:
Charles Messier and Comet Halley;
Comet Halley in 1758 and 1759;
Messier's maps of comet Halley 1759;
Gary Kronk's Comet 1P/Halley page;
More info and links on Comet 1P/Halley.
- 3.
C/1760 A1 Great comet (1st 1760, 1759III). The 1st comet of 1760.
-
The 51st comet with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's memoir is in Mem. Acad., 1772, pp. 333-342 + Pl. III.
The map of the path of this comet also contains the Messier Objects
M41, M42, and
M50.
G.M. Caglieris' account of the two comets of 1760.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 430-432.
- 4.
C/1760 B1 Messier (2nd 1760, 1759II Messier). The 2nd comet of 1760.
-
The 50th comet with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's memoir is in Mem. Acad., 1772, pp. 421-435 + Pl. IV.
G.M. Caglieris' account of the two comets of 1760, who notes that Messier
has missed the discovery of considerably bright galaxy
NGC 2903 when observing this comet, which
closely passed the object in the night of February 11-12, 1760.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 432-434.
- 5.
C/1762 K1 Klinkenberg (1762 Klinkenberg)
-
The 52nd comet with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's observations are published in:
Sav. etr., Vol. 5, 1768.
Messier's map of Comet 1762 Klinkenberg.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 435-436.
- 6.
C/1763 S1 Messier (1763 Messier)
-
The 53rd comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir is in: Mem. Acad., 1774, pp. 23-41 + Pl. II.
The map includes M5.
It is also in a Report to a session of the Academy on January 7, 1764.
Messier's map of Comet 1763.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 436-437.
- 7.
C/1764 Messier (C/1764 A1, 1764 Messier)
-
The 54th comet with a calculated orbit.
Charles Messier's observations are published in
Phil. Trans. LIV, 151 (1764), and in
Mem. Acad., 1771, pp. 506-517 + Pl. IX.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 437-439.
- 8.
C/1766 Messier (C/1766 E1, 1766I Messier). 1st comet of 1766.
-
The 55th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations are published in:
Phil. Trans. LVI, 57 (1766)
and in Mem. Acad., 1773, pp. 157-167 + Pl. V.
The map of the path of this comet, together with that of comets
1766 Helfenzrieder-Messier and 1783 Pigott, was once more published in
Mem. Acad., 1783, Pl. III (near p. 132, see
comet no. 21, 1783 Pigott).
Messier's map of comet 1766 Messier
(and 1766 Helfenzrieder, and 1783 Pigott).
G.M. Caglieris' account of the two comets of 1766, where he notes that
Messier closely missed the discovery of M74
at that time which the comet passed within a degree in the night of
March 10-11, 1766.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 439-440.
- 9.
D/1766 Helfenzrieder (D/1766 G1, 1766 Helfenzrieder-Messier).
2nd comet of 1766.
-
The 56th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations are published in:
Phil. Trans. LVI, 57 (1766), in
Sav. etr., Vol. 6 (1774) pp. 92-93, and in
Mem. Acad., 1773, pp. 157-167 + Pl. V.
The map of the path of this comet, together with that of comets
1766 Helfenzrieder-Messier and 1783 Pigott, was published once more in
Mem. Acad., 1783, Pl. III (near p. 132, see
comet no. 21, 1783 Pigott).
Gary Kronk's Comet D/1766 G1 Helfenzrieder page;
Messier's map of comet 1766 Helfenzrieder
(and 1766 Messier, and 1783 Pigott).
G.M. Caglieris' account of the two comets of 1766.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 440-442.
- 10.
C/1769 Messier (C/1769 P1, 1769 Messier)
-
The 57th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir appeared in:
Mem. Acad., 1775, pp. 392-444 + Pl. VIII-X.
Messier's maps of the path of this comet also contain the "nebulae"
M10, M12,
M14, M42, and
M50.
This comet is also subject to his dubious publication of 1808,
Grande comète qui a paru à la naissance de Napoléon le
Grand.
Bessel obtained an orbital period of 2090 years for this comet.
Messier's map of comet
1769 Messier.
G.M. Caglieris' account of comet 1769, where he notes that while the newly
discovered cluster M50 was reported on the map, Messier did not report his
cluster M48, thus not giving us a further
clue on his position error for that object in his catalog.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 442-447.
- 11.
D/1770 Lexell (D/1770 L1, 1770I Messier)
-
The comet of 1770, the 58th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir was published in:
Mem. Acad., 1776, pp. 597-651 + Pl. XX-XXI,
with an addition on Lexell's work in Mem. Acad., 1777, pp. 345-359
(here p. 352ff).
This comet had become short-period of only 5.6 years by being captured
by Jupiter in 1767. Its next return occurred in 1776 but in daylight so
that it was not observed. In 1779, it was again perturbed by Jupiter and
has not returned since, as it probably was ejected from the inner solar
system.
Gary Kronk's Comet D/1770 L1 Lexell page.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 447-451.
- 12.
C/1771 "Great Comet" (C/1771 A1, 1770II "Great Comet"). 1st comet of 1771.
-
The 59th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations are published in:
Phil. Trans. LXI, 104 (1771), and in
Mem. Acad, 1771, pp. 423-429 + Pl. VII.
Messier's first map includes M1,
M35, M37 and
the Pleiades, M45 as well as the Hyades.
His second map includes a dubious "cone of light" observed June 32, 1771.
Messier's maps of comet 1771.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 451-453.
- 13.
C/1771 Messier (1771 G1, 1771). 2nd comet of 1771.
-
The 60th comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations and memoir were published in:
Mem. Acad., 1777, 154-184 + pl. I and II.
Orbit by Kreutz, AN 103 (1882), p. 336.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 453-455.
- 14.
3D/Biela (3D/1772 E1, 1772 Montaigne); (3D/1805 V1, 1806I Pons)
-
The 61st comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations and memoir were published in:
Mem. Acad., 1777, 345-359 + pl. VI
(together with a discovery announce of M50).
On the map, M50 as well as M42 are indicated.
Messier's maps of comet 1772.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 455-456.
This comet was found again on its return in 1806 (as comet 3D/1805 V1,
1806I Pons). It was found to have a 6.62-year period (the 3rd periodic comet)
by Biela in 1826, split in two pieces in January 1846, one of them recovered
last in 1852 (last observation Sep 29). Later meteor showers have been
associeted with it. In 2001 it was noted (by S. Nakano) that Comet P/2001 J1
(NEAT) had a similar orbit, giving room for speculations that it might be
associated with 3D/Biela in some way.
(
IAUC 7635)
More on comet 3D/Biela;
Gary Kronk's Comet 3D/Biela page.
- 15.
C/1773 Messier (C/1773 T1, 1773)
- The 62nd comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations and memoir published in:
Mem. Acad., 1774, pp. 271-329 + Pl. III.
This memoir also contains the discovery announce of
M51.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 456-460.
- 16.
C/1774 Montaigne (C/1774 P1, 1774).
- The 63rd comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations published in
Mem. Acad., 1775, pp. 445-476 + Pl. XI.
The map includes "the back of the Reindeer" (a now obsolete constellation)
and the position of Tycho's supernova of 1752.
Messier's map of comet 1774 Montaigne.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 461-463.
- 17.
C/1779 Bode (C/1779 A1, 1779).
- The 64th comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observaitons and memoir published in:
Mem. Acad., 1779, pp. 318-372 + Pl. XIV (chart).
(Chart of its track or apparent path online).
This memoir contains the discovery announces of
M56, M57,
M58, M59,
M60, and M61
which all occurred during the observation of this comet, by Messier and other
astronomers (Darquier, Koehler, Oriani). In addition to these objects, the
chart also contains the "older" Messier "nebulae"
M3, M13,
M27, M29,
M49, and M53,
as well as the later discoveries
M63, M64,
M71, M84,
M85, M86,
M87, M88,
M89, M90,
M91, M92,
M94, M98,
M99, and M100,
so a total of as many as 28 Messier Objects.
Messier's map of comet 1779 Bode.
G.M. Caglieris' account of the comet of 1779 and of the many object
in Messier's map.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 463-466.
- 18.
C/1780 Messier (C/1780 U2, 1780I), the second comet of 1780.
- The 65th comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's observations and memoir published in:
Mem. Acad., 1780, pp. 515-541. Chart on pl. X.
On the map included with this memoir, also nebulae
M65 and M66
can be found.
Report from the Connoissance des Temps for 1784:
Comet observed in 1780;
Messier's map of comet 1780 Messier.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 468-470.
- 19.
C/1781 Méchain 1 (C/1781 M1, 1781I), first comet of 1781.
- The 66th with a calculated orbit. Messier's Memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1781, pp. 349-368 (together with No. 20).
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 470-471.
- 20.
C/1781 Méchain 2 (C/1781 T1, 1781II), second comet of 1781.
- The 67th with a calculated orbit. Messier's memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1781, pp. 349-368 (together with No. 19).
Messier observed this comet well until the evening before his accident on
November 6, 1781.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 471-474.
- 21.
P/1783 Pigott (D/1783 W1, 1783)
- The 68th comet with a calculated orbit. Messier's memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1783, pp. 123-132 + Pl. III.
The map of this comet also contains the path of comet the two comets of 1766
(Messier and Helfenzrieder), and the "nebula"
M33. It misses to report also
M74 which is in the same field.
Messier's map of comet 1783 Pigott (and the two comets of 1766).
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 474-475.
- 22.
C/1784 Great comet (C/1783 X1, 1784)
- The 69th with a calculated orbit. Messier's Memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1784, pp. 313-327 + Pl. VII.
Messier's map of the Great Comet of 1783.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 475-478.
- 23.
C/1785 Messier-Méchain (C/1785 A1, 1785I), 1st comet of 1785
- The 71st comet with a calculated orbit. Messier's memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1785, pp. 639-645.
Also reported in Journal de Savants, 1785.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 479-480.
- 24.
C/1785 Méchain (C/1785 E1, 1785II), 2nd comet of 1785
- The 72nd comet with a calculated orbit. Messier's memoir:
Mem. Acad., 1785, pp. 646-655.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 480-481.
- 25.
2P/Encke (2P/1786 B1, 1786I Méchain), 1st comet of 1786
- No orbit could be calculated for this comet from this apparition due to
lack of observations.
Messier's memoir is in Mem. Acad., 1786, pp. 95-97.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 481-482.
This comet was discovered again on November 7, 1795 (2P/1795 V1, 1795
Herschel). However, the 1795 aparation (Caroline Herschel's discovery) was
not observed by Charles Messier, because of years of trouble in France. It
was discovered a third time by Pons on October 5, 1805,
and again on November 27, 1818 by Pons. During that aparation, J.F. Encke
noted the identity of the comets of these four years, and predicted its
return in 1822 (which then was observed as predicted).
More on comet 2P/Encke;
Gary Kronk's Comet 2P/Encke page;
Images of 2P/Encke (JPL)
- 26.
C/1786 Herschel (C/1786 P1, 1786II), 2nd comet of 1786
- The 73rd comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir: Mem. Acad., 1786, pp. 98-120.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 482-484.
- 27.
C/1787 Méchain (C/1787 G1, 1787)
- The 74th comet woth a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir: Mem. Acad., 1787, pp. 70-75 + Pl. I.
The map on Pl. I also shows the
Pleiades (M45), parts of the
Hyades, as well as planet Jupiter.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 485-486.
- 28.
C/1788 Messier (C/1788 W1, 1788I), 1st comet of 1788
- The 75th comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir: Mem. Acad., 1789, pp. 663-685.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 486-487.
- 29.
35P/Herschel-Rigollet (35P/1788 Y1, 1788II Herschel), 2nd comet of 1788
- The 76th comet with a calcualted orbit.
Messier's memoir: Mem. Acad., 1789, pp. 681-684.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 487-489.
- 30.
C/1790 Herschel 1 (C/1790 A1, 1790I), 1st comet of 1790
- The 77th comet with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir for this comet is found in Mem. Acad., 1790,
pp. 309-312 + Pl. III; this plate also shows the "Nebula"
M15.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 489-490.
- 31.
8P/Tuttle (8P/1790 A2, 1790II Méchain), 2nd comet of 1790
- The 78th comet with a calcualted orbit.
Messier's memoir for this comet is found in Mem. Acad., 1790,
pp. 313-319 + Pl. IV. This map contains the unlabeled position of
nebula M77.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 490-491.
Gary Kronk's Comet 8P/Tuttle page
- 32.
C/1790 Herschel 2 (C/1790 H1, 1790III) 3rd comet of 1790
- The 79th with a calculated orbit.
Messier's memoir for this comet, together with the two other comets of the
same year 1790, is found in Mem. Acad., 1790, pp. 320-343 + Pl. V.
This chart shows the unlabeled positions of a bunch of Messier's nebulae:
M31, M32, M33, M74, M76, M34, M52, M81, M82, M97, M51, NGC 5195 (!), M63,
M94, M64, M65, M66, as well as Virgo Cluster galaxies M98, M99, M100, M85,
M84, M86, M87, M88, M89, M90, M91, M58, M59, M60 and M49, the Coma Berenice
star cluster, as well as the position of Tycho's supernova (SN 1572).
It does not contain the position of M95 and M96, nor M103 (which Messier had
presumably determined in 1781 after publication of the catalog), M108 and
M109 which Messier had seen in 1781, nor that of Méchain's discoveries
M105 and M106.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 491-493.
- 33.
C/1791 Herschel (C/1791 X1, 1792I), comet of 1791
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 493-494.
- 34.
C/1793 Gregory (C/1793 A1, 1792II), 1st comet of 1793
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 494-496.
- 35.
C/1793 Perny (C/1793 S1, 1793II), 3rd comet of 1793
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 496-497.
- 36.
C/1793 Messier (C/1793 S2, 1793I), 4th comet of 1793
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 497-498.
- 37.
C/1797 Bouvard-Herschel-Lee (C/1797 P1, 1797)
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 501-502.
- 38.
C/1798 Messier (C/1798 G1, 1798I), 1st comet of 1798
-
Messier's memoir was published in Rec. Inst., Vol. 2, 1799 (an VII),
pp. 429-430.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, p. 503.
- 39.
C/1798 Bouvard (C/1798 X1, 1798II) 2nd comet of 1798
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 503-504.
- 40.
C/1799 Méchain 1 (C/1799 P1, 1799I) 1st comet of 1799
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 504-506.
- 41.
C/1799 Méchain 2 (C/1799 Y1, 1799II) 2nd comet of 1799
-
Ref: Cometography Vol. 1, pp. 506-507.
- 42.
C/1801 Pons or Pons-Messier-Méchain-Bouvard (C/1801 N1, 1801)
-
Messier's observations and memoir can be found in:
Connaissance des Tems pour l'an XIII (1804-1805, published 1803),
pp. 484-485, as well as in Rec. Inst., Vol. 6, 1806, p. 62.
G.M. Caglieris' account of comet 1801.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 2, pp. 1-2.
- 43.
C/1802 Pons (C/1802 Q1, 1802)
-
Messier's observations and memoir can be found in:
Connaissance des Tems pour l'an XIV (1805-1806, published 1804),
pp. 236-237.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 2, pp. 2-3.
- 44.
C/1804 Pons (C/1804 E1, 1804)
-
Messier's observations were published in the Connaissance des Tems
for the years 15, page 374.
Ref: Cometography Vol. 2, pp. 3-4.
Links:
References:
- Jean-Paul Philbert,
Charles Messier. Le furet des cometes.
Editions Pierron, 2 rue Gutenberg, 57206 Sarreguemines, France, 2000.
In French.
- Notes On My Comets, by Charles Messier,
1808. Original now at Paris Observatory.
- Alexandre Guy Pingré, 1783.
Comètographie ou Traité Historique et Théoretique des
Comètes. Tome Premier.
[Cometography or Historical and Theoretical Treatise of the Comets.
Volume One.]
Royal Printing Office, Paris, 1783. In French.
In particular, this reference gives information on orbits and their
calculation.
- Gary W. Kronk, 1999.
Cometography. A Catalog of Comets. Volume 1: Ancient - 1799.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
- Gary W. Kronk, 2003.
Cometography. A Catalog of Comets. Volume 2: 1800 - 1899.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
More Comet Links
Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: February 5, 2007