M40 = Winnecke 4 ( 12h 22.4m +58°05´, 8.0 mag. )
This double star was included by Messier in his catalogue for unknown reasons - he observed it on October 24, 1764. Nebula was listed at this location by Hevelius in 1660.
M40 was discovered by Charles Messier while searching for a nebula that had been reported in the area. The nebula was never found, so this double star system was logged instead. M40 is a binary star system found in the constellation Ursa Major.
M40 Winecke 4 (double star)
M81 Bode's Galaxy or Bode's Nebula (spiral galaxy)
M82 The Cigar Galaxy (irregular galaxy)
M97 The Owl Nebula (planetary nebula)
M101 The Pinwheel Galaxy (spiral galaxy)
M108 (spiral galaxy)
M109 (spiral galaxy) ...
Ursa Major has five Messier objects: M40, M81, M82, M97, and M101. M40 is the Messier object that really isn't one. In 1764 Messier went looking for an object that had been catalogued as a nebulosity in this area.
94 (July, 1992) has the planets; 28 user defined objects; the Messier catalogue (including M40 and M110); the full NGC, including the so-called 'non-existent' objects; about half of the IC catalogue; a catalogue of 951 interesting stars (multiple, ...
* WNC4 — Messier Object M40
* Zeta Boötis — speckle binary test system
See also
* Astronomical naming conventions
* Star
* Star catalogue
References
* The Bright Star Catalog, Astronomical Data Center, NSSDC/ADC, 1991.
 See also: Nebula, Star, Double star, Sky, Planet
|
