Discovery Table of the Deep Sky Objects

Here is the discovery table of the Deep Sky objects discovered during the compilation of the Messier catalog and before, in the order they joined "Humanity's General Knowledge" (I know this term can be discussed). Please report me any errors, additions, or comments. 
Disc-#  Rec-#  Object               Year        Discoverer/Notes


     0      0  Milky Way            pre-hist    (doesn't count here)
     0      0  UMa cluster          pre-hist    (doesn't count here)
     1      1  M45 Pleiades         pre-hist    (mentioned by Hesiod 1000 BC)
     2      2  Hyades               pre-hist
     5      3  M44 Praesepe         300-250 BC  Aratus/Theophrastus; Hipparchos 130 BC. 
                                                Recognized as cluster by Galileo 1609.
     6      4  NGC 884 (Chi Per)    130 BC      Hipparchus
     7      5  NGC 869 (h Per)      130 BC      Hipparchus
     8      6  M7                   138 AD      Ptolemy, Lac II.14
     9      7  Coma st.cl Mel 111               Ptolemy
     3      8  LMC                  pre-hist    (Southern Hemisphere; Magellan 1519)
     4      9  SMC                  pre-hist    (Southern Hemisphere; Magellan 1519)
    10     10  M31                < 905 AD      Al Sufi; S. Marius 1612 telescopic
    11     11  o Vel (IC 2391)      964 AD      Al Sufi; Lac II.5
    13     12  M42                 1610         Peiresc; Cysatus 1611; Hodierna <1654; Huygens 1656
    28     13  M22                 1665 Aug 26  Ihle (Hevelius may have seen it before)
    29     14  Omega Centauri      1677         Halley, Lac. I.5
[14-27]    15  NGC 6530 (in M8)   <1654         Hodierna, Flamsteed 1680 (No. 2446)
    30     16  M11                 1681         Kirch; resolved by Derham 1733
    31     17  NGC 2244 (12 Mon)   1690         Flamsteed
[14-27]    18  M41                <1654         Hodierna, Flamsteed 1702 Feb 16; 
                                                perhaps seen by Aristotle 325 BC.
    32     19  M5                  1702 May 5   Kirch, Messier 1764 May 23
    34     20  M13                 1714         Halley
    35     21  M43                 1731         de Mairan
    45     22  M15                 1746 Sep 7   Maraldi; Messier 1764 Jun 3
    46     23  M2                  1746 Sep 11  Maraldi; Messier 1760 Sep 11
[14-27]    24  M36                <1654         Hodierna, Le Gentil 1749
[14-27]    25  M38                <1654         Hodierna, Le Gentil 1749
    47     26  M32                 1749 Oct 29  Le Gentil; Messier 1757 and 1764 Aug 3
    48     27  M8                  1749         Le Gentil
                                                (cluster N6530 prior by Hodierna < 1654 and Flamsteed 1680)
[49-72][28-54] 47 Tuc              1751-52      Lacaille I.1
[49-72][28-54] NGC 2070            1751-52      Lacaille I.2
[49-72][28-54] NGC 2477            1751-52      Lacaille I.3
[49-72][28-54] NGC 4833            1751-52      Lacaille I.4
[49-72][28-54] M83                 1751-52      Lacaille I.6, Messier 1781 Mar 18
[49-72][28-54] NGC 5281            1751-52      Lacaille I.7
[49-72][28-54] NGC 6124            1751-52      Lacaille I.8
    41 [28-54] M4                  1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 19; Lac I.9
[49-72][28-54] NGC 6242            1751-52      Lacaille I.10
[49-72][28-54] M69                 1751-52      Lacaille I.11, Messier 1780 Aug 31
[49-72][28-54] M55                 1751-52      Lacaille I.14, Messier 1778 Jul 24
[49-72][28-54] NGC 2516            1751-52      Lacaille II.3
[49-72][28-54] NGC 2546            1751-52      Lacaille II.4
[49-72][28-54] NGC 3228            1751-52      Lacaille II.7
[49-72][28-54] NGC 3293            1751-52      Lacaille II.8
[49-72][28-54] IC 2602             1751-52      Lacaille II.9
[49-72][28-54] NGC 3532            1751-52      Lacaille II.10
[49-72][28-54] Kappa Cru, NGC 4755 1751-52      Lacaille II.12
[14-27][28-54] NGC 6231           <1654         Hodierna, Lac. II.13
[49-72][28-54] NGC 2547            1751-52      Lacaille III.2
               (cluster?)          1751-52      Lacaille III.3; probably non-existent
[49-72][28-54] IC 2488             1751-52      Lacaille III.4
[49-72][28-54] Eta Carinae Nebula  1751-52      Lacaille III.5, III.6
[49-72][28-54] NGC 3766            1751-52      Lacaille III.7
[49-72][28-54] NGC 5662            1751-52      Lacaille III.8
[49-72][28-54] NGC 6025            1751-52      Lacaille III.10
[49-72][28-54] NGC 6397            1751-52      Lacaille III.11
[14-27][28-54] M6                 <1654         Hodierna, de Cheseaux No. 1, 1745-46, 
                                                Lacaille III.12, 1751-52
    36     55  M1                  1731         Bevis; Messier 1758 Aug 21
    73     56  M3                  1764 May 3   Messier
    74     57  M9                  1764 May 28  Messier
    75     58  M10                 1764 May 29  Messier
    76     59  M12                 1764 May 30  Messier
    77     60  M14                 1764 Jun 1   Messier
    37     61  M16 (cluster)       1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 4; nebula: Messier 1764 Jun 3
    42     62  M17                 1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 20; Messier 1764 Jun 3
    78     63  M18                 1764 Jun 3   Messier
    79     64  M19                 1764 Jun 5   Messier
    80     65  M20                 1764 Jun 5   Messier
    81     66  M21                 1764 Jun 5   Messier
    82     67  M23                 1764 Jun 20  Messier
   [83]   [68] M24                 1764 Jun 20  Messier (may be not counted, because starcloud)
    38     69  M25                 1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 5; Messier 1764 Jun 20
    84     70  M26                 1764 Jun 20  Messier
    85     71  M27                 1764 Jul 12  Messier
    86     72  M28                 1764 Jul 27  Messier
    87     73  M29                 1764 Jul 29  Messier
    88     74  M30                 1764 Aug 3   Messier
[14-27]    75  M33                <1654         Hodierna, 1764 Aug 25  Messier
[14-27]    76  M34                <1654         Hodierna, 1764 Aug 25  Messier
    39     77  M35                 1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 12; in Bevis' Atlas 1750; Messier 1764 Aug 30
[14-27]    78  M37                <1654         Hodierna, Messier 1764 Sep 2
    89     79  M39                 1764 Oct 24  Messier; Burnham: Le Gentil 1750 ? Aristotle 325 BC ?
   [90]   [80] M40                 1764 Oct 24  [Messier] (Double star, thus may be not counted)
    91     81  M46                 1771 Feb 19  Messier
[14-27]   [82] M47                <1654         Hodierna, Messier 1771 Feb 19 (but missed)
                                                W. Herschel H VIII.38 1785 Feb 4
    92    [83] M48                 1771 Feb 19  Messier (but missed); 1783 Caroline Herschel
    93     84  M49                 1771 Feb 19  Messier
    94     85  M62                 1771 Jun 7   Messier (measured 1779 Jun 4)
    33     86  M50                 1711         G.D. Cassini (?), Messier 1772 Apr 5
    95    [87] M110                1773 Aug 10  Messier (not measured; added 1966 Glyn Jones), 
                                                independently 1783 Aug 27 Caroline Herschel
    96     88  M51                 1773 Oct 13  Messier (NGC 5194 only; 5195 seen by Mechain 1781)    
    97     89  M52                 1774 Sep 7   Messier
    98     90  M81                 1774 Dec 31  Bode (#17), 1772-78 Koehler (# 8A), Mechain 1779 Aug
    99     91  M82                 1774 Dec 31  Bode (#18), 1772-78 Koehler (# 8B), Mechain 1779 Aug
   100     92  M53                 1775 Feb 3   Bode (#26), Messier 1777 Feb 26
   101     93  M92                 1777 Dec 31  Bode (#76), Messier 1781 Mar 18
   102     94  M54                 1778 Jul 24  Messier
    40     95  M71                 1745-46      de Cheseaux No. 13; Koehler 1772-8; Mechain 1780 Jun 28
   103     96  M67                <1779         Koehler (#19), Messier 1780 Apr 6
   104     97  M57                 1779 Jan     Darquier, Messier 1779 Jan 31
   105     98  M56                 1779 Jan 19  Messier
   106     99  M64                 1779 Apr 4   Bode (#77), Messier 1780 Mar 1
   107    100  M59                 1779 Apr 11  Koehler, Messier 1779 Apr 15
   108    101  M60                 1779 Apr 11  Koehler, Oriani 1779 Apr 12, Messier 1779 Apr 15
   109    102  M58                 1779 Apr 15  Messier 
   110    103  M61                 1779 May 5   Oriani, Messier 1779 May 11 (saw it May 5!)
   111    104  M63                 1779 Jun 14  Mechain
   112    105  M78                 1780 "begin" Mechain
   113    106  M65                 1780 Mar 1   Mechain
   114    107  M66                 1780 Mar 1   Mechain
   115    108  M68                 1780 Apr 9   Mechain
   116    109  M75                 1780 Aug 27  Mechain, Messier 1780 Oct 5
   117    110  M72                 1780 Aug 30  Mechain, Messier 1780 Oct 4
   118    111  M70                 1780 Aug 31  Messier
   119    112  M76                 1780 Sep 5   Mechain, Messier 1780 Oct 21
   120    113  M74                 1780 Sep end Mechain, Messier 1780 Oct 18
  [121]  [114] M73                 1780 Oct 4   Messier (may not be counted, 4 stars)
   122    115  M79                 1780 Oct 26  Mechain, Messier 1780 Dec 17
   123    116  M77                 1780 Oct 29  Mechain, Messier 1780 Dec 17
   124    117  M80                 1781 Jan 4   Messier, Mechain 1781 Jan 27
   125    118  M97                 1781 Feb 16  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24
   126   [119] M108                1781 Feb 19  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24 (added 1953 O. Gingerich)
   127    120  M85                 1781 Mar 4   Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 18
   128   [121] M109                1781 Mar 12  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24 (added 1953 O. Gingerich)
   129    122  M98                 1781 Mar 15  Mechain, Messier 1781 Apr 13
   130    123  M99                 1781 Mar 15  Mechain, Messier 1781 Apr 13
   131    124  M100                1781 Mar 15  Mechain, Messier 1781 Apr 13
   132    125  M84                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   133    126  M86                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   134    127  M87                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   135    128  M88                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   136    129  M89                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   137    130  M90                 1781 Mar 18  Messier
   138   [131] M91                 1781 Mar 18  Messier, but missed, W Herschel H II.120 1784 Apr 8
   139    132  M93                 1781 Mar 20  Messier
   140    133  M95                 1781 Mar 20  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24
   141    134  M96                 1781 Mar 20  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24
   142    135  NGC 5195            1781 Mar 20  Mechain  (Messier mentions with M51)
   143    136  M94                 1781 Mar 22  Mechain, Messier 1781 Mar 24
   144   [137] M105                1781 Mar 24  Mechain (added 1947 H.S. Hogg), W Herschel H I.17 1784 Mar 11
   145    138  M101                1781 Mar 27  Mechain (Messier 1781)
   146?  [139] M102 (NGC 5866)     1781 Mar-Apr Mechain? (disclaimed), Messier? (position), W Herschel H I.215 1788 May 5
                                                missed and still dubious: may be duplication of M101, or NGC 5866.
   147    140  M103                1781 Mar-Apr Mechain (Messier 1781-2 added position)
   148   [141] M104                1781 May 11  Messier (added 1921 Flammarion), W Herschel H I.43 1784 May 9
   149   [142] M106                1781 Jul     Mechain (added 1947 H.S. Hogg), W Herschel H V.43 1788 Mar 9
   150   [143] M107                1782 Apr     Mechain (added 1947 H.S. Hogg), W Herschel H VI.40 1793 May 12
[14-27]        NGC 2362           <1654         Hodierna
[14-27]        NGC 752            <1654         Hodierna
[14-27]        NGC 2451           <1654         Hodierna
[43-44]        NGC 6633            1745-46      de Cheseaux
[43-44]        IC 4665             1745-46      de Cheseaux
    12         Brocchi's Cl Cr 399  964 AD      Al Sufi; Hodierna < 1654
[14-27]        Alpha Persei Cl.   <1654         Hodierna
Following the last discovery of Mechain, William Herschel started his extended scan of the skies for nebulae, scoring his first discovery on September 7, 1782, less than half a year after the discovery of M107. Herschel, assisted by his sister Caroline who was also an avid observer, discovered 1000 objects within the next 2.5 years, a second thousand to December 1788, and a final 500 until 1802.

This table is widely based on the documentation in Kenneth Glyn Jones' book Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters.

Key

Disc-#
Discovery sequence number Look at the list in this order.
Rec-#
Date when the object got "Generally Known", i.e. part of "Humanity's General Knowledge". Certainly, the definition of this is somewhat dubious. Here, lost observations, like that of Hodierna, or the probable prehistoric awareness of the Magellanic Clouds on the Southern hemisphere, are not counted; in this revision, also de Cheseaux's discoveries have also been excluded because they were only once read publicly at the French Academy of Sciences, not otherwise published, and widely forgotten (especially unknown to later observers and discoverers like Messier and Herschel).
Object
Identification of the object (usually, Messier or NGC number)
Year
year (and sometimes month/date) of discovery
Discoverer/Notes
Name of discoverer, notes on other discoveries, or circumstances (e.g., "additional" or "missing" Messier object).
Hartmut Frommert (spider@seds.org)
Christine Kronberg (smil@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)

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Last Modification: 7 Feb 1998, 18:10 MET