Messier, Charles

Born Badonviller, (Meurthe‐et‐Moselle), France, 26 June 1730

Charles Messier, the first astronomer to search systematically for comets, published memoirs of his astronomical observations on solar‐system phenomena, including his observations of 44 comets. He made independent discoveries of 20 comets. However, Messier is best known today for his catalog of the 103 brightest nebulous objects in the skies visible from the Northern Hemisphere.

Messier was the tenth of twelve children of Nicolas Messier, a catchpole, and Françoise B. Grandblaise. Six of his brothers and sisters died at young age; his father died in 1741. Messier was educated by his older brother, Hyacinthe, who was working in the administration of the princes of Salm, reigning in Badonviller at that time. When the princes gave up Badonviller in 1751, Hyacinthe left for Senones, and Charles Messier went