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What to watch out for in February’s night skies – The Irish Times

The Great Nebula in Orion is easily observable as one of the jewels of the winter sky

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Two hundred and fifty years ago this month the French astronomer Charles Messier (1730-1817) submitted the first draft of a catalogue that would guarantee him lasting fame.
Now recognised as a list of the skys showpiece objects, it contains highlights such as the Great Nebula in Orion (designated M42); the Andromeda Galaxy (M31); and the beautiful Pleiades star cluster (M45).
The catalogue grew out of a need to avoid confusion. During his nightly scans of the sky, Messier occasionally stumbled across…

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