Messier objects gallery. M45-M55 - 11 fotos

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iyalogoThe 5th post of this gallery (distributed in 10 posts) that will include all Messier objects, 110.

This post opens with the Pleiades (M45), probably the best pic of this set, and it also contains the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) among other open and globular clusters of stars.

The Pleiades, also known as Messier 45 (M45), are among those objects which are known since the earliest times. They were known pre-historically. Mentioned by Homer about 750 B.C., by biblical Amos about 750 B.C., and by Hesiod about 700 B.C. At least 6 member stars are visible to the naked eye, while under moderate conditions this number increases to 9, and under clear dark skies jumps up to more than a dozen (Vehrenberg, in his Atlas of Deep Sky Splendors, mentions that in 1579, well before the invention of the telescope, astronomer Moestlin has correctly drawn 11 Pleiades stars, while Kepler quotes observations of up to 14).[seds.org]

The Big Foto Messier catalog:

  1. Messier objects gallery. M1-M11
  2. Messier objects gallery. M12-M22
  3. Messier objects gallery. M23-M33
  4. Messier objects gallery. M34-M44
  5. Messier objects gallery. M45-M55
  6. Messier objects gallery. M56-M66
  7. Messier objects gallery. M67-M77
  8. Messier objects gallery. M78-M88
  9. Messier objects gallery. M89-M99
  10. Messier objects gallery. M100-M110
The Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is a conspicuous object in the night sky with a prominent place in ancient mythology. The cluster contains hundreds of stars, of which only a handful are commonly visible to the unaided eye. The stars in the Pleiades are thought to have formed together around 100 million years ago, making them 1/50th the age of our sun, and they lie some 130 parsecs (425 light years) away. From our perspective they appear in the constellation of Taurus.

1 The Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45, is a conspicuous object in the night sky with a prominent place in ancient mythology. The cluster contains hundreds of stars, of which only a handful are commonly visible to the unaided eye. The stars in the Pleiades are thought to have formed together around 100 million years ago, making them 1/50th the age of our sun, and they lie some 130 parsecs (425 light years) away. From our perspective they appear in the constellation of Taurus. Credit: NASA/ESA/AURA/Caltech. #
Messier 46 (also known as M 46 or NGC 2437) is an open cluster in the constellation of Puppis. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. Dreyer described it as

2 Messier 46 (also known as M 46 or NGC 2437) is an open cluster in the constellation of Puppis. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. Dreyer described it as "very bright, very rich, very large." M46 is about 5,500 light-years away with an estimated age on the order of several 100 million years. Credit: N.A.Sharp/NOAO/AURA/NSF #
Open Cluster M47 (also known as Messier Object 47 or NGC 2422) is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and independently discovered by Charles Messier on February 19, 1771. M47 is at a distance of about 1,600 light-years from Earth with an estimated age of about 78 million years. There are about 50 stars in this cluster.

3 Open Cluster M47 (also known as Messier Object 47 or NGC 2422) is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna before 1654 and independently discovered by Charles Messier on February 19, 1771. M47 is at a distance of about 1,600 light-years from Earth with an estimated age of about 78 million years. There are about 50 stars in this cluster. Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF #
Messier 48 (also known as M 48 or NGC 2548) is an open cluster in the Hydra constellation. This open cluster was discovered by Charles Messier and cataloged by him on February 19, 1771. However, as he did an error in data reduction, he gave a wrong position in his catalog so that the object was missing until Oswald Thomas identified it in 1934, and independently T.F. Morris in 1959.

4 Messier 48 (also known as M 48 or NGC 2548) is an open cluster in the Hydra constellation. This open cluster was discovered by Charles Messier and cataloged by him on February 19, 1771. However, as he did an error in data reduction, he gave a wrong position in his catalog so that the object was missing until Oswald Thomas identified it in 1934, and independently T.F. Morris in 1959. Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF #
Messier 49 (also known as M 49 or NGC 4472) is an elliptical / lenticular galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771.

5 Messier 49 (also known as M 49 or NGC 4472) is an elliptical / lenticular galaxy about 49 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by Charles Messier in 1771. Credit: David W. Hogg, Michael R. Blanton, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Collaboration. NYU at Princeton #
Messier 50 (also known as M 50 or NGC 2323) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros. It was perhaps discovered by G.D. Cassini before 1711 and independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772. M50 is at a distance of about 3,000 light-years away from Earth. It is described as a 'heart-shaped' figure.

6 Messier 50 (also known as M 50 or NGC 2323) is an open cluster in the constellation Monoceros. It was perhaps discovered by G.D. Cassini before 1711 and independently discovered by Charles Messier in 1772. M50 is at a distance of about 3,000 light-years away from Earth. It is described as a 'heart-shaped' figure. Credit: The Two Micron All Sky Survey at IPAC #
The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy located at a distance of approximately 23 million light-years in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous spiral galaxies in the sky.

7 The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51a, M51a, or NGC 5194) is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy located at a distance of approximately 23 million light-years in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous spiral galaxies in the sky. Credit: NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) #
Messier 52 (also known as M 52 or NGC 7654) is an open cluster in the Cassiopeia constellation. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1774. M52 can be seen from Earth with binoculars.

8 Messier 52 (also known as M 52 or NGC 7654) is an open cluster in the Cassiopeia constellation. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1774. M52 can be seen from Earth with binoculars. Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF #
Messier 53 (also known as M53, or NGC 5024) is a globular cluster in the Coma Berenices constellation. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1775. M53 is one of the more outlying globular clusters, being about 60,000 light-years away from the Galactic Center, and almost the same distance (about 58,000 light-years) from the Solar system.

9 Messier 53 (also known as M53, or NGC 5024) is a globular cluster in the Coma Berenices constellation. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1775. M53 is one of the more outlying globular clusters, being about 60,000 light-years away from the Galactic Center, and almost the same distance (about 58,000 light-years) from the Solar system. Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky #
Messier 54 (also known as M54 or NGC 6715) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1778 and subsequently included in his catalog of comet-like objects.

10 Messier 54 (also known as M54 or NGC 6715) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1778 and subsequently included in his catalog of comet-like objects. Credit: Hubble Space Telescope. NASA/STScI/WikiSky #
Messier 55 (also known as M55 or NGC 6809) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751 and catalogued by Charles Messier in 1778. M55 is at a distance of about 17,300 light-years away from Earth.

11 Messier 55 (also known as M55 or NGC 6809) is a globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1751 and catalogued by Charles Messier in 1778. M55 is at a distance of about 17,300 light-years away from Earth. Credit: Hillary Mathis, REU Program/NOAO/AURA/NSF #
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  1. Messier objects gallery. M56-M66 | The Big Foto on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 8:13 am

    [...] Messier objects gallery. M45-M55 VN:F [1.1.6_502]please wait…Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast) 1 Messier 56 (also known as M56 or NGC 6779) is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779. M56 is at a distance of about 32,900 light-years from Earth and measures roughly 84 light-years across. Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky # 2 The famously named “Ring Nebula” is located in the northern constellation of Lyra, and also catalogued as Messier 57, M57 or NGC 6720. It is one of the most prominent examples of the deep-sky objects called planetary nebulae (singular, planetary nebula), often abbreviated by astronomers as simply planetaries or PN. Credit: NASA/STScI/AURA/ESA # 3 M58 is a spiral galaxy of type SBc in the constellation Virgo, although the bar is not prominent and some have classified it as intermediate between normal and barred spirals. Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF # 4 Messier 59 (also known as M59 or NGC 4621) is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo. Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF # 5 Messier 60 (also known as NGC 4649) is an elliptical galaxy approximately 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky # 6 Messier 61 (also known as M61 or NGC 4303) is a spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. It was discovered by Barnabus Oriani on May 5, 1779. M61 is one of the larger members of the Virgo Cluster. Credit: Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF # 7 Messier 62 (also known as M62 or NGC 6266) is a globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier. M62 is at a distance of about 22,500 light-years from Earth and measures some 100 light-years across. Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky # 8 The Sunflower Galaxy (also known as Messier 63, M63, or NGC 5055) is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the Canes Venatici constellation. It is a flocculent spiral galaxy, consisting of a central disc surrounded by many short spiral arm segments. The Sunflower Galaxy is part of the M51 Group, a group of galaxies that also includes the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51). Credit: Processed by Juan Conejero / Image Acquisition by Jim Misti and Steve Mazlin # 9 A collision of two galaxies has left a merged star system with an unusual appearance as well as bizarre internal motions. Messier 64 (M64) has a spectacular dark band of absorbing dust in front of the galaxy’s bright nucleus, giving rise to its nicknames of the “Black Eye” or “Evil Eye” galaxy. Also known as Evil Eye Galaxy, Black Eye Galaxy, M 64, NGC 4826, IRAS 12542+2157. Credit: NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI) # 10 Messier 65 (also known as NGC 3623) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 22 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. M65, M66, and NGC 3628 comprise the famous Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies. Credit: NASA/STScI/WikiSky # 11 Messier 66 (also known as NGC 3627) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. M66 is about 95 thousand light-years across[3] with striking dust lanes and bright star clusters along sweeping spiral arms.[4] M66 is part of the famous Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies that also includes M65 and NGC 3628. Credit: ING Archive and Nik Szymanek. # SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Messier objects gallery. M56-M66″, url: “http://thebigfoto.com/messier-objects-gallery-m56-m66″ }); Post a comment | Trackback URI [...]

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