Who found the 100 largest globular clusters in the whole sky?
Six men found more than 2 of them.
1 Sir William Herschel found 33 from Slough, England
2 James Dunlop found 21 from Parramatta, NSW
3 Charles Messier found 15 from Paris, France
4 Sir John Herschel found 5 from Cape Town, South Africa
5 Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille found 4 from Cape Town, South Africa
5 Pierre Mechain found 4 from Paris, France
Who found the 200 largest NGC galaxies in the whole sky?
1 Sir William Herschel found 107 from Slough, England
2 James Dunlop found 20 from Parramatta, NSW
3 Pierre Mechain found 16 from Paris, France
4 Sir John Herschel found 15 from Cape Town, South Africa
5 Charles Messier found 8 from Paris, France
The other 34 large galaxies were found by 23 people.
Most of the southern NGC and IC clusters, nebulae and galaxies were found by 6 people.
The Frenchman Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille (1713-1762) made the first catalogue of southern non-stellar objects from Cape Town in 1751 and 1752 with a 0.5” aperture (1.3cm) refractor. He discovered 22 open clusters, 4 globular clusters, 2 nebulae (NGCs 2070 and 3372) and the galaxy M83.
The Scot James Dunlop (1793-1848) made the second catalogue of southern non-stellar objects from Parramatta, NSW in 1826 with a 9” aperture (23cm) speculum reflector. He discovered 134 open clusters, 44 globular clusters, 61 nebulae, 4 planetary nebulae and 53 galaxies. His catalogue contains most of the bright southern deep-sky objects.
Englishman Sir John Herschel (1792-1871) made the third catalogue of southern non-stellar objects from Cape Town in the years 1834 to 1838 with his father’s 18.5” aperture (47cm) speculum reflector. He discovered 229 open clusters, 15 globular clusters, 55 nebulae, 16 planetary nebulae and 688 galaxies.
The final southern non-stellar catalogues were made by Williamina Fleming, DeLisle Stewart and Royal Frost at Arequipa, Peru with an 8” and a 24” refractor using photography between 1893 and 1907.
Stewart found 148 objects including 131 galaxies.
Fleming found 30 nebulae including 16 PN.
Frost discovered 19 objects including 15 galaxies.
Orion Nebula, M42, the most magnificent object in the sky was the first deep sky object discovered. M42 was discovered by Nicolas Peirese, in 1610AD, one year after Galileo made his discoveries, the year before the King James Version Bible was first published, and the year the Last Anabaptist Heretics were burnt at the stake in England for the Baptist belief in Soul Sleep.
But the Maya of Central America, talked about the Orion Nebula in their "Three Hearthstones" as being the "Fire of Creation," that is they may have known the Orion Nebula's gas clouds.
Hi Glenn,
Thanks for posting such a detailed historical reference document on the early pioneers of astronomy.
I’ve had a particular interest in James Dunlop and have read some well documented historical literature about his life and times as an astronomer in the Parramatta area.
My eldest son lived in Dunlop St North Parramatta for a number of years and we often took the grandkids to Parramatta Park, the site of James Dunlop’s observatory.
Dunlop is buried in the grounds of St Paul’s Anglican Church Kincumber on the Central Coast NSW. I think his headstone is still intact.
Although a significant amount of Dunlops work was amended or updated by other astronomers 40 to 60 years later , he was the first astronomer to discover many of our Southern Hemisphere objects we observe and image today.
Dunlop was poor and not well educated while John Herschel was rich and well educated. He tried to discredit Dunlop's catalogue.
Dunlop lived with the Elders in this house when he catalogued clusters and nebulae in 1826. It is now part of the Woolpack Hotel.
The photo was taken in 1870.
William and John Herschel are well known.
There is no plaque or monument for James Dunlop.
Who discovered the brightest and largest deep sky objects?
The attached list is for the largest 100 OC, GC, Neb and PN
and the brightest 100 OC, GC and PN
It also includes the discoverers of the 200 largest and 200 brightest galaxies.
