messier object

A Messier object is, of course, one of the objects listed by the French astronomer Charles Messier as non-comets in 1774.  Some of ‘em are galaxies, some clusters, some nebulae, but they’re all farther away from you than you can imagine.

So here’s what’s going to go down here, once it comes on up: some thoughts on public history & museums, the intersections of cultural history & technology – science fiction, for you lame-os out there who like to read about that stuff, and whatever else pops up when it does.