As I image the Messier objects, I will add them to this
collection. Some of the objects will not be the featured object
in the image and will simply be found there along with something
else - like the Bubble Nebula image. During the years from 1758
to 1782 Charles Messier , a French astronomer (1730 - 1817 ),
compiled a list of approximately 100 diffuse objects that were
difficult to distinguish from comets through the telescopes of
the day. Discovering comets was the way to make a name for
yourself in astronomy in the 18th century -- Messier's first aim
was to catalog the objects that were often mistaken for comets.
Fortunately for us, the Messier Catalog became well known for a
much higher purpose, as a collection of the most beautiful
objects in the sky including nebulae , star clusters , and
galaxies . It was one of the first major milestones in the
history of the discovery of Deep Sky objects , as it was the
first more comprehensive and more reliable list: Only four or
five objects were initially missing