Messier Objects
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In the 18th century, a French astronomer who was a regular comet hunter kept finding things in the sky that weren't comets, but they also weren't stars or planets. So he created a list of these objects, not because he was trying to catalog the night sky, but rather to help other comet hunters avoid these common objects. Well, it turned out his list consisted of some of the most incredible objects inside and outside of our galaxy.

Learn more about Messier objects, how they were documented, and what they are on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Quince. You've heard me talk several times now about Quince and how I've gotten some great items for my home, like my Turkish bath towels and my fisherman's blanket. Quince has must-haves like Mongolian cashmere sweaters from $50, iconic 100% leather jackets, and comfortable pants for every occasion.

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I've done a fair number of astronomy-related episodes, and many of these episodes have dealt with subjects that are in the realm of professional astronomers who focus on cutting-edge cosmology. Unless it's something major within our solar system, like planets, the moon, or the sun, it's hard to personally observe many things in astronomy. The subject of this episode is something you can observe in the night sky. Some of the objects you might already be familiar with from famous photos taken by larger professional telescopes.

but all of them can be seen with smaller amateur telescopes or possibly even a good pair of binoculars. But more on that in a bit. This story starts in 18th century France. In the late 18th century, astronomy was undergoing significant advancements driven by improved telescopes and observational techniques. Newtonian physics had already provided a solid framework for understanding planetary motion, and astronomers like William Herschel were discovering new celestial bodies, such as Uranus.

The field was transitioning from cataloging stars and deep sky objects to studying their nature and structure. However, there was still a lot of cataloging going on. Enter into the picture the astronomer Charles Messier. Messier, born in 1730, was a rising astronomer in France. He was deeply fascinated by celestial discoveries. Born in Baden-Ville, France, he developed an early interest in astronomy and began working at the Paris Observatory in 1751 under Joseph Nicolas de Lille.

His meticulous observation skills and talent for comet hunting quickly earned him recognition. By the mid-1750s, he had already begun recording comet positions in celestial objects, refining his expertise with telescopes. His first major discovery came in 1758, when he independently observed Halley's Comet and confirmed its predicted return. This event solidified his reputation and set the stage for his work cataloging deep-sky objects to assist comet hunters.

He conducted most of his observations with a 100mm or 4-inch telescope in the center of Paris. A telescope this powerful is something that is easily within the grasp of most amateur astronomers today. Comet hunting at the time consisted of looking for fuzzy objects that were moving across the sky. Moving fuzzy objects weren't planets and they also weren't stars.

The problem was, he was coming across things in the sky that were fuzzy, like a comet, but didn't move. They weren't comets, stars, or planets. Oddly enough, his concern wasn't trying to figure out what these things were. He was more concerned about just making sure he avoided them in the future so he wasn't chasing false comets. Messier and his assistant, Pierre Michon, compiled a list of these objects between 1771 and 1781.

It consisted of 45 objects, 18 of which he had discovered, and the rest of which had been previously discovered by other people. The criteria for inclusion on his list were objects that appeared as faint fuzzy patches resembling comets, objects visible from the northern hemisphere, and objects bright enough to be seen through telescopes at that time. The catalog was not intended to be a comprehensive list of deep sky objects, but rather just a practical reference for comet hunters.

Over the years, the list grew as he found more objects. By 1781, the list had 103 entries. And over time, other astronomers added to the list until it reached 110 entries. Eventually, the objects on Messier's list were named after him and were dubbed Messier objects. The classification system where each object was given a Messier number based on its position on the list. M1 through M110.

While Messier himself didn't particularly investigate what those fuzzy objects in the sky were, later astronomers certainly did. So, what were these mysterious fuzzy objects? Well, they weren't any one particular thing. They were a bunch of different things. They just all happened to appear fuzzy with low-resolution telescopes of the 18th century.

The 110 Messier objects can roughly be divided into four categories. Galaxies, nebulae, star clusters, and supernova remnants. Some of the greatest images you'll see in astronomy come from Messier objects. The reason is because regardless of the type of object, they all tend to be the closest of their kind to the Earth. I obviously don't have the time, and you probably don't have the patience, for me to go through all 110 Messier objects.

but there are a few highlights that are definitely worth going over. You're probably familiar with these objects, at least by name, if you have any basic knowledge of astronomy. The first is the first object on the list and has the classification of M1, the Crab Nebula. The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant located in the constellation Taurus, approximately 6,500 light-years from Earth.

It's the remains of a massive star that exploded in a supernova event that was recorded by Chinese and Middle Eastern astronomers in the year 1054. At its peak, the supernova was bright enough to be visible in daylight for several weeks before fading.

The nebula is now expanding at a rate of about 1,500 kilometers per second, stretching across 11 light-years in diameter. It's one of the most studied celestial objects because it provides insight into the life cycle of massive stars and the physics of supernova. At the heart of the Crab Nebula is the Crab Pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation, including radio waves, visible light, X-rays, and gamma rays.

The pulsar spins about 30 times per second and powers the nebula's eerie glow through its intense magnetic field and high-energy particle admissions. The nebula is a strong source of synchrotron radiation produced by electrons spinning around magnetic fields at relativistic speeds. This makes it an important object for studying high-energy astrophysics, particle acceleration, and the interactions between pulsars and their surrounding environments.

Messier Object 31 is the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest major galaxy to the Milky Way and the largest in our local group of galaxies, which also includes the Triangulum Galaxy, which is categorized as M33, and several dwarf galaxies.

Located approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda, it's a spiral galaxy spanning about 220,000 light-years, more than twice the diameter of the Milky Way. Andromeda contains an estimated 1 trillion stars, significantly more than the Milky Way's 2 to 400 billion stars. It's visible to the naked eye under dark skies and appears as a faint, elongated smudge.

Early astronomers mistook it for a nebula until Edwin Hubble confirmed in the 1920s that it was a separate galaxy beyond the Milky Way, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of the universe. Andromeda is on a collision course with the Milky Way, moving towards us at about 110 km/s. In approximately 4.5 billion years, the two galaxies will merge in a vast cosmic event, likely forming a giant elliptical galaxy.

Despite the collision, individual stars are unlikely to collide due to the vast distances between them. Andromeda's structure consists of a bright central bulge, a dense core with a supermassive black hole, well-defined spiral arms, and several satellite galaxies, including M32 and M110. Its active star-forming regions, along with evidence of past murders with smaller galaxies, makes it an important study for understanding galactic evolution.

Messier number 42 is the Orion Nebula, one of the brightest and most well-known nebula in the night sky, located about 1,344 light-years away in the constellation Orion. Spanning roughly 24 light-years across, it's an emission nebula, meaning it glows due to the ionization of its gas by high-energy radiation from young, hot stars. Visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch in Orion's sword, it's one of the most accessible and studied star-forming regions in the universe.

The nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, a vast region rich in gas and dust, serving as a stellar nursery where thousands of new stars are actively forming. At the heart of the Orion Nebula lies the Trapezium Cluster, a group of four massive young stars that emit intense ultraviolet radiation, causing the surrounding gas to glow. These stars play a crucial role in shaping the nebula's structure and dispersing its gas over time.

The nebula's dynamic environment contains protoplanetary disks, regions where new planets might be forming around young stars, offering a glimpse into how solar systems develop. The Orion Nebula is a vital object for astronomers studying stellar evolution, star formation, and the interactions between newborn stars and their surroundings. Messier Object 45 is the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters. It's one of the most famous and easily recognizable open star clusters in the night sky.

Located in the constellation Taurus, it lies approximately 444 light-years from Earth and contains over a thousand stars, though only a handful are visible to the naked eye under dark skies. The cluster spans 17.5 light-years across and is estimated to be around 100 million years old, making it a relatively young star cluster in cosmic terms. The Pleiades stars formed from the same molecular cloud and are loosely bound by gravity, although they'll eventually disperse over time.

Messier Object 104 is the Sombrero Galaxy. It is a striking spiral galaxy located about 29 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It's named for its resemblance to a Mexican sombrero hat, due to its bright central bulge and an exceptionally large, dark dust lane encircling its disk, with a diameter of approximately 50,000 light-years.

M104 is smaller than the Milky Way, but it's notable for its enormous supermassive black hole at its core, one of the most massive ever discovered relative to its galaxy size. The dark dust lane is rich in gas and dust, suggesting active star formation, while the bright halo surrounding the galaxy contains numerous globular clusters. The Sombrero Galaxy is a popular object for amateur astronomers and an important subject for studying galactic structure and black hole interactions.

There are a bunch of other really interesting Messier objects, including M13, the Hercules Globular Cluster, M57, the Ring Nebula, M87, Virgo A, which is a massive elliptical galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, and M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy. At the start of this episode, I mentioned that these objects are something that you can observe yourself, and that's true.

All of these objects can be viewed with amateur telescopes, and in fact they often are. They're some of the most common and popular objects that amateur astronomers observe. If you want to see these celestial objects yourself, and I highly recommend you do it if you've never done it, check to see if there are local astronomy groups in your area. They'll often have star parties where the public is welcome to come and look through their telescopes, and they're usually more than happy to have people come and observe with them.

Every so often, astronomy groups will have a Messier Marathon, where they attempt to view every Messier object in a single evening. It requires a very clear night and a willingness to stay up late. Local universities with astronomy departments will often have nights where the public can observe through their telescope as well. While Charles Messier created his catalog as essentially a list of objects to avoid, it erotically became one of astronomy's most valuable resources.

Many fundamental discoveries about stellar evolution, galaxy formation, and cosmology have come from studying Messier objects. What makes the Messier catalog truly remarkable is that it was compiled with 18th century technology, yet remains relevant in the age of space-based observatories and computerized telescopes. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Okun and Cameron Kiefer.

Today's review comes from listener Rio Gaines over on Apple Podcasts in the United States. They write, Great show. One of the best shows out there. Me and my dad listen to this often and talk about what we learn. However, I do wonder if Gary could travel back in time, where, when would he go and why?

Well, thanks, Rio Gaines. There are two episodes in history that I would love to have witnessed firsthand. The first would be going back to the early Roman Empire when Segenus was condemned to death on the Senate floor when he thought he was about to get a promotion. And the second would be going to 1815 to watch Napoleon convert an entire French army to his side by just walking up to him and giving a speech. Both of these incidents I've covered in previous episodes. Remember, if you leave a review or send me a boostagram, you too can have it read on the show.