The Discovery of an 1862 Drawing of M 51, the Whirlpool Nebula
Abstract
An early drawing of the spiral galaxy Messier 51 in Canes Venatici has recently come to light. The drawing was made on 25 April 1862 by Jean Chacornac (1823-1873), at the Paris Observatory, using Léon Foucault’s then newly completed 80-cm silvered-glass reflector. Chacornac’s observation of M 51 was among the first results from the new telescope announced to the Académie des Sciences by observatory director Urbain Verrier in 1862. Although the existence of the drawing was known from Le Verrier’s description, the original had never been located. The circumstances surrounding the origin and the discovery of this drawing will be discussed and a brief comparison will be made with other nineteenth century drawings and photographs of M 51.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006AAS...209.3302H