The first galaxies were found in the 17th century, although their true nature wasn't understood at the time.
Early Observations
French astronomer Charles Messier, a dedicated comet hunter, played a crucial role in the early identification of galaxies. Frustrated by consistently mistaking fuzzy, non-cometary objects for comets, Messier compiled a catalog of these objects to avoid future confusion. These fuzzy objects turned out to be galaxies.
Messier's Catalog
Messier's catalog, compiled during the late 1700s, contained over 100 objects, many of which are now recognized as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. While Messier meticulously documented these objects, he lacked the technology to understand their true nature and vast distances. He simply recorded their positions and appearances in the sky.
Recognizing Galaxies for What They Are
It wasn't until the 20th century, with the development of powerful telescopes and new astronomical techniques, that astronomers realized these "fuzzy objects" were actually immense collections of stars, gas, and dust located far beyond our own Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers like Edwin Hubble played a pivotal role in determining the distances to these objects, revealing them to be independent "island universes" – galaxies.
Therefore, galaxies were initially "found" by identifying them as fuzzy, non-cometary objects in the sky, primarily through the work of Charles Messier. The understanding of these objects as galaxies required further advancements in technology and astronomical understanding centuries later.
