| Description | Discovered by Messier himself (#15) and recorded on July 29, 1764, noting: "A cluster of 7 or 8 very small stars, which are below Gamma Cygni." <--> Sometimes I think the Messier Catalog has morphed into a "brand" that's out of touch with it reality. Yes, it's the oldest catalog, and some of the most beautiful, and bright, DSOs are listed in it. But this hides a larger truth that Messier was, to a significant degree, creating a list of places that he DIDN'T want to observe. He recorded them so he could eliminate them as "not comets" when trying to spot a new one. M29 seems to be one of those objects. Frankly, except for the fact that this cluster is in the Messier Catalog, I would never choose to observe it. That it kept me awake past 1 AM on a crazy night with a nearly full moon and multiple layers of clouds makes it worse. Sigh. Do I sound bitter? Not really. But it's one of those unintended consequences of taking on a challenge like "observe every Messier Object". |
