astroblog

Catalogs

Indexes to celestial objects. Use Microsoft Internet Explorer for best results.

NGC Catalog quiery

The New General Catalog was created as an update of the General Catalog by Sir John Herschel. The NGC was compiled in the end of the 19th Century and indexed objects that were found on photographic plates of the time. This catalog now contains over 13,000 objects. The link provide here is an interactive NGC database.

Messier Catalog

The Messier catalog was compiled by the French astronomer Charles Messier (1758-1782) to distinguish celestial objects from comets. Comet discovery was a means of fame at that time. The original list contained about 100 objects that one could reference to ensure whether or not it was a comet. Today, it is used extensively by astronomers everywhere (especially amateurs). Often, Messier marathons are undertaken in which the goal is to find as many Messier objects as one can in one nightly observing session.

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