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Phantom Galaxy
Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628 and Phantom Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in the celestial equator, equatorial constellation Pisces (constellation), Pisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy. The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier Catalogue, Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe. Its relatively large angular (that is, apparent) size and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and Density wave theory, spiral density waves. It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars. Observation history M74 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780. He then communicated his discovery to Charles Messier, who listed the galaxy in his Messier Catalogue, catalog. In July 2022, it was observed by the James W ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messier Object
The Messier objects are a set of 110 astronomical objects catalogued by the French astronomer Charles Messier in his ' (''Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters''). Because Messier was interested only in finding comets, he created a list of those non-comet objects that frustrated his hunt for them. This list, which Messier created in collaboration with his assistant Pierre Méchain, is now known as the ''Messier catalogue''. The Messier catalogue is one of the most famous lists of astronomical objects, and many objects on the list are still referenced by their Messier numbers. The catalogue includes most of the astronomical deep-sky objects that can be easily observed from Earth's Northern Hemisphere; many Messier objects are popular targets for amateur astronomers. A preliminary version of the catalogue first appeared in 1774 in the ''Memoirs'' of the French Academy of Sciences for the year 1771. The first version of Messier's catalogue contained 45 objects, which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
