Original: Charles Messier ( 26 June 1730 -- 12 April 1817 ) was a French astronomer most notable for publishing an astronomical catalogue consisting of deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters that came to be known as the 110 '' Messier objects '' .
Simplified: Charles Messier ( June 26 , 1730 -- April 12 , 1817 ) was a French astronomer who is remembered for publishing an astronomical catalogue with famous objects that came to be called the 103 '' Messier objects '' .