Britannica.com Ratings: The Messier Catalog http://www.seds.org/messier/ **** Rating: Images of and detailed information about the 110 nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies recognized as the standard Messier Catalog. Also includes a biography of Charles Messier, a transcript of his original catalog, entries for many important objects that were not included in the catalog, and links to other sites on deep-sky objects. This beautifully designed electronic rendition of Messier's famous astronomical catalog allows the user to explore both its contents and its history in considerable depth. Charles Messier (June 26, 1730-April 12, 1817) http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/history/CMessier.html ** Rating: Biography of the French astronomer and creator of the Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters. Includes a transcript of the original catalog, a timeline of life events, images of several of his handmade star charts and drawings, and a history of the Messier catalog.