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A Very Useful Messier Guide For Beginners


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I came across this online guide which I am finding extremely useful.  It shows in list form 110 Messier objects, each with a thumbnail picture and in which constellation it can be found.  Click on the thumbnail and a full page opens and a mass of detail appears, along with a larger image.  

Simple, easy to use and I hope you find it as useful as I do  http://messier.seds.org/data2.html 

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Try the list in Wikipedia.

It can be sorted by several options so you can order it by brightness - get the brighter ones first, or type - group by galaxies/clusters.planetary nebula then search out each in turn, by constellation - tick off each in a given constellation (useful).

WMessiers

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It is the ability to group by one of the catagories that I find useful.

If I recall when I first came across it that wasn't present.

What I find is that I can spend in effect a short time one evening/night on say one prominent constellation and I have a list of the Messier objects that is in it. Makes it easy in that they are all local to each other and so you can get through them relatively easily. Sort of a half plan is produced just by clicking one button.

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Thanks for sharing.  There are a couple of pretty good free apps dedicated to the messier objects.  There are also some more comprehensive apps that include the messier list, including their RA/DEC and Alt/Az details.  I can also highly recommend Stephen James O'Meara's book The Messier Objects.  Not free, but a good investment.

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It is the ability to group by one of the catagories that I find useful.

If I recall when I first came across it that wasn't present.

What I find is that I can spend in effect a short time one evening/night on say one prominent constellation and I have a list of the Messier objects that is in it. Makes it easy in that they are all local to each other and so you can get through them relatively easily. Sort of a half plan is produced just by clicking one button.

Whilst I agree that having the information to be able to recognize the objects visible in a particular constellation or quadrant of sky is agreeable, why the heck would one want to 'get through them'?

There's no prizes, no payment nor any other form of remuneration for 'getting through them'.

Each to his own, but I enjoy spending time on an object/area and am not concerned if I didn't see an object requiring a 180° turn and a meridian flip. 

I do know that some people enjoy doing a Messier Marathon, and hey, why not, if that is what floats the boat, but not me I'm afraid.

What I do like is the ironic fact that Messier catalogued these objects in order to 'avoid' them in his search for comets.  (appeals to my sense of humour). in that today, us amateurs actively seek them out.

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Thanks for sharing.  There are a couple of pretty good free apps dedicated to the messier objects.  There are also some more comprehensive apps that include the messier list, including their RA/DEC and Alt/Az details.  I can also highly recommend Stephen James O'Meara's book The Messier Objects.  Not free, but a good investment.

Thanks - I don't have a sophisticated phone so not into apps much, but I do have an old Archos tablet - maybe I should get modern!  

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