The name CustosMessium is a punning reference to his countryman Charles Messier, the famed comet hunter, and in fact the constellation was often known as Messier, particularly in France.
The comet was extensively observed by Messier but, ironically, was not discovered by him - the discoverer was actually another Frenchman, Jacques Montaigne.
Right: Custos Messsium, seen beside Rangifer the reindeer in the Uranographia of Johann Bode.
N: Formerly a class on its own representing the carbon star equivalent of Class M stars, e.g.
CustosMessium was situated not far from the North Celestial Pole, between and formed of bordering stars of Cassiopeia, Cepheus and Camelopardalis; one of its principal stars was double star 40 Cassiopeiae.
On the other end of the spectrum, NGC1502 (M122) in Camelopardalis is a very compact cluster, similar to M29 in Cygnus.
Feeds |
Contact