Science & Tech · Space · 1 day ago
Photographer completes mosaic of all 110 objects in the Messier catalog
Amateur astrophotographer Cornelis van Zuilen has made a mosaic showing all 110 objects in the Messier catalog.
The catalog was first compiled by 18th-century astronomer Charles Messier as a list of deep-sky objects that could be mistaken for comets.
It includes well-known sights such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the Pleiades star cluster and the Orion Nebula.
Van Zuilen spent 352 hours and 13 minutes taking images with two telescopes and several astronomy cameras and filters.
He photographed many objects from his balcony in Heiloo, the Netherlands, and traveled to nearby fields when trees or buildings blocked the view.
The work matters as a detailed visual collection of objects that amateur astronomers can also seek out with modest backyard telescopes under dark skies.
The mosaic is complete, and no further steps are given.
Amateur astrophotographer Cornelis van Zuilen created a mosaic of all 110 objects in the Messier catalog.
He spent 352 hours and 13 minutes imaging the galaxies, star clusters and nebulas.
Van Zuilen used two telescopes and a range of astronomy cameras and filters.
He photographed many objects from his balcony in Heiloo, Netherlands, and traveled to other sites for clearer views.
He said the project was challenging in the Netherlands and involved many nights sleeping in his car.
- Who
- Amateur astrophotographer Cornelis van Zuilen.
- What
- He completed a mosaic featuring all 110 objects in the Messier catalog.
- When
- Not stated.
- Where
- Heiloo, the Netherlands, and other nearby locations.
- Why
- He decided to capture the entire catalog; he said the images were personally meaningful to him.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Van Zuilen photographed Messier 45, the Pleiades, after purchasing his cooled deep-sky camera.
Van Zuilen decided to capture the entire Messier catalog.
He spent 352 hours and 13 minutes imaging the objects.
- Catalog size
- 110 objects
- Imaging time
- 352 hours and 13 minutes
- Photographer
- Cornelis van Zuilen
- Home location
- Heiloo, the Netherlands
- First photographed object mentioned
- Messier 45, the Pleiades, in 2024
What people are saying
About a year and a half ago, I decided to capture the entire catalogue.
I spent 352 hours and 13 minutes imaging the menagerie of deep-sky objects
Doing this from the Netherlands was quite a challenge
I often had to travel to a semi-dark field nearby to get a clear view of the horizon, which meant many nights of sleeping in my car.
Sources
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