Another look at the Crab Nebula. This much more detailed image was taken by the Hubble.
This nebula has the distinction of being M1, meaning it is the first object in the catalog compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier in the 18th century. Although the 110 objects identified in the catalog are still referred to by their Messier numbers, they were catalogued not because of what they were, but rather what they weren't: comets.
Comets were Messier's passion, and he originally thought this nebula was actually Halley's comet, which was due for its periodic visitation. After noticing that the "comet" didn't seem to be going anywhere, he realized that a catalog of all the vague cloudy objects in the sky that could be mistaken for comets would be useful for comet hunters like himself so they wouldn't waste time observing them. The catalog contains nebulae like this, but also galaxies and star clusters -- the Andromeda galaxy, the nearest spiral galaxy to our own, which is frequently bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, is commonly referred to as M31.
Messier did manage to find comets, by the way: thirteen of them.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Hester, A. Loll (ASU); Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin (Skyfactory)
I am a native in this world And think in it as a native thinks
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Blog Archive
-
▼
2014
(396)
-
▼
August
(73)
- More from the train
- View from the train
- Train to Talkeetna
- Here comes civilization
- Another look
- Mountain melodrama
- Eielson Visitor Center
- No external hard drive
- Sunrise
- Leaving Denali
- Really, no more after this
- Icicles
- Denali closeup
- Location, location, location
- Wow. Just wow.
- God is my co-pilot
- One more
- Denali again
- More Wonder Lake
- Wonder Lake
- Serendipity
- Yippee!
- Alaska night
- Gold rush
- Rain
- Denali Backcountry Lodge
- Close call
- I'm guessing this is seasonal
- "White dots with discernible legs"
- Critters
- Mountains, but not THE mountain
- The long and winding road
- Comfort stations
- Tundra
- The perils of permafrost
- Denali
- What a difference a day makes
- Into the wild
- Something unexpected
- You can always go downtown
- Here's a better view
- Sandhill Central Station
- Creamers Field
- Pike's Landing
- Northern exposure
- Walruses
- Pike's
- Money money money
- I'm sorry I missed this
- Urban poetry
- The bathrooms are also fun
- Inside EMP
- Grass Blades
- More Space Needle
- Seattle, take two
- This also cracked me up
- Utilikilts
- The bluest skies you've ever seen are in Seattle
- Saturday reflections
- Sky view
- Urban poetry
- Astronomy Tuesday -- okay, really Wednesday
- Sunday bird blogging
- Saturday reflections
- Urban poetry
- Sunday bird blogging
- Saturday reflections
- Urban poetry
- Astronomy Tuesday
- Bonus reflections
- Last Week Tonight
- Sunday bird blogging
- Geometries
-
▼
August
(73)
No comments:
Post a Comment