The Next Step: Finding and Viewing Messier's Objects

In 1752, Charles Messier left the small French town of Badonviller for employment in Paris as an astronomer’s assistant. In the following years, he discovered 20 comets and compiled the first catalogue of over 100 objects listing star clusters, nebulae and galaxies collectively called Deep Sky Objects.

Today, Messier’s catalogue is often the first set of Deep Sky Objects observed by budding amateurs wanting to go beyond viewing the Moon, Planets and Sun.

The Next Step is a complete field guide to discovering Messier’s objects — a celestial road map for the successful navigation and exploration of these beautiful heavenly bodies. Experience space anew by taking the next step into the cosmos.

• Easy to understand, written especially for the novice amateur astronomer.

• Complete set of color star charts for locating every Messier object.

• Scale photographs, up-to-date information and easy-to-use spreads for each object.

• Expanded catalogue now includes 112 objects.

• New historical information about Charles Messier’s childhood and journey to Paris.