Request for Information

Information Request on the Messier Objects

Following is a list of the most urgently required (or wanted) information on the Messier objects. Although we have usually invested considerable effort of research, we could not find very well confirmed (or no unique) data and informations in these cases. If you have any of the requested information, or some pointer or comment, please notify me.

Good (or at least considerably good) individual distances for the following galaxies:
- M64 (current value: 19 Mly).
- M74 (current value: 35 Mly)
- M77 (current value: 60 Mly)
- M83 (current value: 15 Mly)
- M94 (current value: 14.5 Mly)
- M104 (current value: 50 Mly)
- M106 (current value: 25 Mly)
- M108 (current value: 45 Mly)
- M109 (current value: 55 Mly)
Many other galaxy distances are also far from being safe or acurate; any corrections or pointers to modern references are certainly appreciated. It is not much better for some galactic Messier objects (clusters and nebulae).
Data which help to clear the nature of the system or asterism of four stars, M73
More and more acurate data on the double star M40
A spectrum of M77 showing the Seyfert emission lines
HRDs or FHDs of some more Messier open and globular clusters, in particular M92
Biographical informations on the following astronomers, related to the Messier catalog, Messier's life, or early deepsky or comet discoveries:
- William C. Williams - identified M91
- T.F. Morris - identified M47 and M48
- John Mallas - author (with Kreimer) of "The Messier Album"
- Evered Kreimer - author (with Mallas) of "The Messier Album"
- Edward Gregory
- Johann Evangelist Helfenzrieder
- Dirk Klinkenberg
- Jacques Leibax Montaigne

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]

Last Modification: February 12, 2002