Flammarion's Publications related to Charles Messier and his Catalog

French astronomer Camille Flammarion had found Messier's Personal Copy, including manuscript personal observing notes, in 1877, and initiated a series of profound methodic observations and investigations of each of them from his Observatory of Juvisy (known as Camille Flammarion Observatory). The results of these investigations were printed in a series of articles in the magazine L'Astronomie he published, in 46 issues from November 1917 to September 1921. In addition, he published observations of more objects, added consecutively to the list, bringing the number "Principal Star Clusters and Great Nebulae" to 120, and the number of issues to 62, to February 1924.

We add a reference on Gabrielle (Camille) Flammarion's article celebrating Charles Messier's 200th birthday on June 26, 1930.

Here we present a list of his articles on the "Nebulae and Star Clusters of Messier," and the additional "Principal Star Clusters and Great Nebulae" visible from France, published from 1917 to 1924, with links to the references in the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) and Gallica, the digital library of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BNF).


"Nébuleuses et Amas d'Étoiles de Messier."
  • 1. 1917a: Intro, M1, M2 -- Nov 1017 -- [ADS: 1917LAstr..31..385F] -- [Gallica]
  • 2. 1917b: M3, M4, M5, M6 -- Dec 1917 -- [ADS: 1917LAstr..31..449F] -- [Gallica]
  • 3. 1918a: M7, M8, M11 -- Jan 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32...25F] -- [Gallica]
  • 4. 1918b: M13 -- Feb 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32...56F] -- [Gallica]
  • 5. 1918c: M20, M21 -- Mar 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32...98F] -- [Gallica]
  • 6. 1918d: M10, M12 -- Apr 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..123F] -- [Gallica]
  • 7. 1918e: M9 -- May 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..160F] -- [Gallica]
  • 8. 1918f: M14, M15 -- Jun 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..196F] -- [Gallica]
  • 9. 1918g: M16, M17, M18 -- Jul 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..239F] -- [Gallica]
  • 10. 1918h: M19, M22, M23, M24 -- Aug 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..267F] -- [Gallica]
  • 11. 1918i: M25, M26, M27, M28 -- Sep 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..308F] -- [Gallica] -- remark p 315 on Messier's descendants
  • 12. 1918j: M29, M30, M31, M32 -- Oct 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..340F] -- [Gallica]
  • 13. 1918k: M33, M34, M35 -- Nov 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..402F] -- [Gallica]
  • 14. 1918l: M36, M37, M38 -- Dec 1918 -- [ADS: 1918LAstr..32..446F] -- [Gallica]
  • 15. 1919a: M39, M40, M41, M42, M43 -- Jan 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33...21F] -- [Gallica]
  • 16. 1919b: M44 -- Feb 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33...79F] -- [Gallica]
  • 17. 1919c: M45 -- Apr 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..169F] -- [Gallica]
  • 18. 1919d: M46, M47miss -- May 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..206F] -- [Gallica] "Les Principaux Amas d'Étoiles et Grandes Nébuleuses du Ciel Visible en France"
  • 19. 1919e: M48miss, M49, M50, M51ab -- Jun 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..263F] -- [Gallica] -- M51ab drawing p269
  • 20. 1919f: M52, M53 -- Jul 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..318F] -- [Gallica]
  • 21. 1919g: M54, M55, M56 -- Aug 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..341F] -- [Gallica]
  • 22. 1919h: M57 -- Sep 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..383F] -- [Gallica]
  • 23. 1919i: M58, M59, M60, M61 -- Oct 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..415F] -- [Gallica]
  • 24. 1919j: M62, M63, M64 -- Nov 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..455F] -- [Gallica]
  • 25. 1919k: M65, M66 -- Dec 1919 -- [ADS: 1919LAstr..33..517F] -- [Gallica]
  • 26. 1920a: M67, M68, M69, M70 -- Jan 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34...34F] -- [Gallica]
  • 27. 1920b: M71, M72, M73 -- Feb 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34...62F] -- [Gallica]
  • 28. 1920c: M74, M75, M76 -- Mar 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..132F] -- [Gallica]
  • 29. 1920d: M77, M78 -- Apr 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..164F] -- [Gallica]
  • 30. 1920e: M79, M80/T -- May 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..222F] -- [Gallica]
  • 31. 1920f: M81, M82 -- Jun 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..273F] -- [Gallica]
  • 32. 1920g: M83, M84, M85, M86 -- Jul 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..323F] -- [Gallica]
  • 33. 1920h: M87, M88, M89 -- Aug 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..366F] -- [Gallica]
  • 34. 1920i: M90, M91miss -- Sep 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..416F] -- [Gallica]
  • 35. 1920j: M92 -- Oct 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..455F] -- [Gallica]
  • 36. 1920k: M93 -- Nov 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..498F] -- [Gallica]
  • 37. 1920l: M94 -- Dec 1920 -- [ADS: 1920LAstr..34..534F] -- [Gallica]
  • 38. 1921a: M95, M96 -- Jan 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35...22F] -- [Gallica]
  • 39. 1921b: M97 -- Feb 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35...60F] -- [Gallica]
  • 40. 1921c: M98 -- Mar 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..112F] -- [Gallica]
  • 41. 1921d: M99 -- Apr 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..143F] -- [Gallica]
  • 42. 1921e: M100 -- May 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..193F] -- [Gallica]
  • 43. 1921f: M101 -- Jun 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..243F] -- [Gallica]
  • 44. 1921g: M102 -- Jul 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..287F] -- [Gallica]
  • 45. 1921h: M103 -- Aug 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..331F] -- [Gallica]
  • 46. 1921i: M104 -- Sep 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..355F] -- [Gallica] Flammarion's Additional Objects to Messier's Catalog "Les Principaux Amas d'Étoiles et Grandes Nébuleuses du Ciel Visible en France." - Additions de Flammarion.
  • 47. 1921j: F-M105ab N0869/N0884 -- Oct 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..377F] -- [Gallica]
  • 48. 1921k: F-M106 N6543 -- Nov 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..429F] -- [Gallica]
  • 49. 1921l: F-M107 N6940 -- Dec 1921 -- [ADS: 1921LAstr..35..460F] -- [Gallica]
  • 50. 1922a: F-M108 N7009 -- Jan 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36...23F] -- [Gallica]
  • 51. 1922b: F-M109 N7662 -- Feb 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36...70F] -- [Gallica]
  • 52. 1922c: F-M110 N1977 -- Mar 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..113D] -- [Gallica]
  • 53. 1922d: F-M111 M110 -- May 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..207F] -- [Gallica]
  • 54. 1922e: F-M112ab N0663/N0654 -- Jun 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..271F] -- [Gallica]
  • 55. 1922f: F-M113 N4565 -- Jul 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..298F] -- [Gallica] "Les Principaux Amas d'Étoiles et Grandes Nébuleuses du Ciel Visible en France."
  • 56. 1922g: F-M114 N7293 -- Sep 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..403F] -- [Gallica]
  • 57. 1922h: F-M115ab N6992/N6960 -- Oct 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..440F] -- [Gallica]
  • 58. 1922i: F-M116 M47 -- Nov 1922 -- [ADS: 1922LAstr..36..477F] -- [Gallica]
  • 59. 1923a: F-M117 N7789 -- Mar 1923 -- [ADS: 1923LAstr..37..113F] -- [Gallica]
  • 60. 1923b: F-M118 N2392 -- Jun 1923 -- [ADS: 1923LAstr..37..262F] -- [Gallica]
  • 61. 1923c: F-M119 N6633 -- Nov 1923 -- [ADS: 1923LAstr..37..458F] -- [Gallica]
  • 62. 1924: F-M120abcd N2335/N2343/N2349/N2353 -- Feb 1924 -- [ADS: 1924LAstr..38..107B] -- [Gallica] Charles Messier's Bicentennial
  • G.Flammarion 1930: Messier bicentennial -- Jun 1930 -- [ADS: 1930LAstr..44..249F] -- [Gallica]
  • References:

    Flammarion's investigations of the Messier Catalog:

    Flammarion's Additional Objects to Messier's Catalog: Bicentennial of Messier's Birth (200th birthday):


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    Last Modification: March 9, 2026