Messier number

English

Etymology

From Charles Messier (1730-1817), the French astronomer who first published his Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters in 1774.

Noun

Messier number (plural Messier numbers)

1. (astronomy) A catalogue number used to identify any one of more than one hundred galaxies, nebulae, and other deep-sky objects visible in the night sky; the designation formed by the surname Messier or letter M being prepended to the number, as in Messier 31 or M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy).

See also

• NGC
• Wikipedia article on the Messier objects