The Milky Way

 

There is a band of very dense stars running right round the sky in huge irregular stripe. Most of these stars are very dim, but the overall effect is that on very dark clear nights we can see a large, beautiful area of diffuse light in the sky. It is this for which we name our galaxy the Milky Way.

The reason for this effect is that our galaxy is somewhat like a disc, and we are off to one side. Thus when we look towards the centre of the disc, we see more a great concentration of stars (there are more star in that direction).

 

As we look out away from the centre of the disc we see fewer stars we are staring out into the void between galaxies!

It's a little hard to work out what our galaxy would look like from far away, because when we look up at the night sky, we are seeing it from the inside.

 

All the stars we can see are part of the Milky Way, and we can see them in every direction. However, there is some structure. There is a higher density of stars in particular places.

 

The Messier Objects

The Messier objects are a set of astronomical objects catalogued by CHARLES MESSIER in his catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters first published in 1774. The original motivation behind the catalogue was that Messier was a comet hunter, and was frustrated by objects which resembled but were not comets. He therefore compiled a list of these annoying objects.

The first edition covered 45 objects numbered M1 to M45. The total list consists of 110 objects, ranging from M1 to M110. The final catalogue was published in 1781 and printed in the Co naissance des Temps in 1784.

 

Many of these objects are still known by their Messier number.

Because the Messier list was compiled by astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere, it contains only objects from the north celestial pole to a celestial latitude of about 35° .

 

Many impressive Southern objects, such as the Large and Small Magellan Clouds are excluded from the list.

Because all of the Messier objects are visible with binoculars or small telescopes (under favorable conditions), they are popular viewing objects for amateur astronomers.

 

In early spring, astronomers sometimes gather for "Messier Marathons", when all of the objects can be viewed over a single night.

 

• Exactly 2520 years from the exile of Benjamin, Iceland became an independent nation.

 

•  The first tribe to be conquered by the Assyrians was Manasseh, in 745 B.C. Exactly 2520 years later America became a nation on July 4, 1776.

(Leviticus. 26: 28-46) God warned Israel that if they persisted in continually breaking His Laws, not only would curses come upon them.

He would punish them for seven times, (a time being 360 years, seven times would be 2520 years) and would banish them from the land of Palestine and scatter them among the heathens (like lost sheep)

• Study the book: Abrahamic Covenant, (A study outline of the identity of God's people) By E. Raymond Capt - page 25