Description: 梅西耶天體是指查爾斯-梅西耶（Charles Messier）和皮埃爾-梅尚（Pierre Méchain）在1781年首次編成目錄的110個天體。梅西耶和梅尚當時正在尋找彗星，彗星看起來是模糊而延伸的，但他們發現的許多模糊而延伸的天體看起來卻沒有移動。他們對這些天體進行了記錄，以免再次觀測浪費觀測時間。這些太陽系外的模糊延伸天體被稱為 "星雲"。

現在的星表包含 55 個星團、39 個星系、11 個真正的星雲和 5 個星群。這些天體是業餘天文學家最喜歡的觀測目標。一個天文學家的垃圾就是另一個天文學家的寶藏。

梅西耶天體通常用它們的星表編號前綴字母 "M "來表示。因此螺旋星系Messier 101通常被稱為M101。

Related Terms:

• 銀河系
• 星雲
• 星團

Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher
The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval

This is an automated transliteration of the simplified Chinese translation of this term

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