Messier Catalog and Its Contents?

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W. eWatson - 31 Jul 2008 05:27 GMT

Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is the
official version and the description of its fields?

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Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)

(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>

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Chris L Peterson - 31 Jul 2008 06:27 GMT

>Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is the
>official version and the description of its fields?

I don't think there is such a thing as an "official" version of this
catalog. It isn't really used professionally, and it isn't maintained in
the way working catalogs are. By reference, it has been incorporated
into many catalogs. You can find the original in various versions online
(in English, see http://seds.org/MESSIER/xtra/history/m-cat71.html). As
you'll note, there are no fields in the modern sense, just a list with
commentary and coordinates.
_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

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W. eWatson - 31 Jul 2008 07:11 GMT

>> Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is the
>> official version and the description of its fields?
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> Cloudbait Observatory
> http://www.cloudbait.com

I suspect not. My question came about as a strange result I got out of TS6
(Bisque). They seemed to be confused over calling the objects M10 or just
10. They dropped the M. A very odd way to do it.

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VicXnews - 31 Jul 2008 15:52 GMT

"W. eWatson" <notvalid2@sbcglobal.net> wrote in news:H8bkk.6887$cn7.4979
@flpi145.ffdc.sbc.com:

> Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is the
> official version and the description of its fields?

http://www.ngcic.org/dss/dss_messier.asp

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perik@unknown-00-15-e9-b8-21-a9.lan - 31 Jul 2008 16:12 GMT

> Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is
> the official version and the description of its fields?

This site has some background:

http://seds.org/messier/xtra/history/m-cat.html

and a link to the original 1781 version:

http://seds.org/messier/xtra/Mcat/mcat1781.html

pej

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Per Erik Jorde

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Mike Thomas - 31 Jul 2008 21:14 GMT

here is a neat package
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Messier_Catalogue.html

> Apart from software programs that use "the" Messier catalog, where is the
> official version and the description of its fields?

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Space Forum / Amateur Astronomy / July 2008

Messier Catalog and Its Contents?