Charles Messier

Charles Messier (June 26, 1730 – April 12, 1817) was a French astronomer who is remembered for publishing a list of famous objects in space that came to be called the 103 "Messier objects".

Messier's life
Messier was born in Badonviller in the Lorraine region of France. Six of his brothers and sisters died as children and in 1741, his father died. Charles became interested in astronomy after he saw the great six-tailed comet in 1744 and by a solar eclipse on July 25, 1748.

In 1751 he started working for Joseph Nicolas Delisle, the astronomer of the French Navy, who told him to write down everything he saw.

Messier discovered thirteen comets :

 C/1760 B1 (Messier)
 C/1763 S1 (Messier)
 C/1764 A1 (Messier)
 C/1766 E1 (Messier)
 C/1769 P1 (Messier)
 D/1770 L1 (Lexell)
 C/1771 G1 (Messier)
 C/1773 T1 (Messier)
 C/1780 U2 (Messier)
 C/1788 W1 (Messier)
 C/1793 S2 (Messier)
 C/1798 G1 (Messier)
 C/1785 A1 (Messier-Mechain)

Related pages
 Messier object
 List of Messier objects
 Messier marathon

References

Other websites
 Amateur Photos of Charles Messier Objects 
 Messier Marathon  Tries to find as many Messier objects as possible in one night.
 New General Catalog and Index Catalog revisions
 Clickable table of Messier objects 

Category:1730 births
Category:1817 deaths
Category:French astronomers