Messier and New General Catalogue (NGC)

Introduction to Catalogues

Astronomical catalogues are an important tool for identifying and generalising different celestial objects.
Messier Catalogue and New General Catalogue (NGC) are two of the most significant catalogues in astronomy.

Messier Catalogue

The Messier Catalogue was created by French astronomer Charles Messier in the 18th century.
It contains a list of 110 ‘fuzzy’ celestial objects, which were originally mistaken for comets.
These objects include nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies, which are now known to be distant astronomical bodies rather than objects in our own solar system.
Each object in the catalogue has a unique identifier, beginning with ‘M’ and followed by a number (e.g., M1, M2 etc.).

New General Catalogue (NGC)

The NGC is a more extensive list developed in the 19th century, which contains 7,840 objects.
It extends upon the Messier Catalogue by including newer discoveries and categories of objects.
Like the Messier Catalogue, objects in the NGC have a unique identifier, beginning with ‘NGC’ and followed by a number (e.g., NGC 224).

Importance of Catalogues in Astronomy

Catalogues provide a systematic method for identifying and studying celestial bodies.
They aid in research and make it easier for astronomers around the world to locate and share information about different objects.
Messier and NGC catalogues have contributed immensely to the field of stellar evolution, helping us understand different stages in the life cycle of stars.