Under construction!

Charles Messier: Connaissance des Tems, an IX (1800-01), pp. 434-465 (1797)

Observations Astronomiques de 1770 à 1774, par le C. [Citoyen] Messier. Connaissance des Tems pour l'an IX d l'ère de la République; Française [1800-1801], pp. 434-465.

Astronomical Observations, 1770-1774.

By the Charles Messier.

These observations have been made at the observatory of the Navy, hôtel de Cluny, rue de Mathurins, between five years, form January 1, 1770 to the end of 1774. These five years precede the summaries of twenty years, published in the Connaissance des tems for the years VII [1798-1799] and VIII [1799-1800].

I have employed for these observations four achromatic refractors and two Gregorian telescopes; for each observation, I have cited the instruments and their magnifications, so that one is able know the degree of precision which should be supposed for each.

The position of the observatory of the Navy; [is] latitude 48d 51' 14" [North], longitude 1".8 of time east from the great observatory [in Paris].

Month Day True time  Object  Details of Observation
           h  m  s

                             Eclipse of the Sun. 1773 (1)
March 22  17.56.29    Sun    End of the exlipse of the sun, which I observed
                             from the guard house of the College of 
                             Louis-the-Grande.

                             Eclipse of the Moon. 1771 (2)
April 28  13. 4.35    Moon   Begin of the eclipse, uncertain, the moon was not
                             clear[ly visible].
          15.19.43    ....   End of the eclipse, more certain.

(1) That observations are published, Mém. de l'acad., 1773, where one finds more details. (2) Memoirs of the academy, 1771; the beginning of the eclipse is there reported at 13h 10' 35", it should be read as above, 13h 4' 35".

[p. 455-457]

Comets Discovered and Observed

On June 14, 1770, I discovered a comet in the Milky Way, near the Shield of Sobieski [Scutum], observed during its first and second branch of its orbit until October 2, when it ceased to appear near Cancer, after having passed it. ..

[p. 457-464]

Diverse Observations

On April 19, 1770, in the evening, an Aurora Borealis ...

[p. 464-465] One finds in the volume of the Academy for 1771, page 435, the catalog of nebulae and star clusters, which are discovered between the fixed stars over the horizon of Paris; ...

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]

Last Modification: February 6, 2005