Editing 2851: Messier Objects

{{comic
| number    = 2851
| date      = November 6, 2023
| title     = Messier Objects
| image     = messier_objects_2x.png
| imagesize = 293x294px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = The debate over the correct Messier number for the Ship of Theseus is ongoing.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a BUNCH OF PEOPLE ARGUING OVER WHAT TO LABEL THE SHIP OF THESEUS - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

This comic is a play on the {{w|Messier Catalog}}, which is a famous list of astronomical objects compiled by the French astronomer Charles Messier in the 18th century. The real {{w|Messier object|Messier Catalog}} includes 110 objects, which are all deep-space objects like nebulae and galaxies. Its original aim was to help in comet-hunting by cataloguing fuzzy objects which have the same position in the sky, long before their nature became known. Afterwards a lot of other astronomical object catalogues were created, like {{w|New General Catalogue|NGC}} and {{w|SDSS}}.

In the comic, it's humorously suggested that the catalog includes not just these distant celestial objects, but also very ordinary things found here on Earth. Each ordinary object is labeled with an "M" followed by a number, just as the real Messier objects are numbered (like M1, M31, etc.). However, the numbers are much higher than the 110 included in the actual catalog, and they point to mundane things such as the ground, Charles Messier himself, a tree, a butterfly, and a squirrel.

The numbers increase as the objects go from large and significant to humans (the Earth, Charles Messier) to those that are smaller and less significant (a tree, a butterfly, and a squirrel). However, this pattern isn't strictly numerical (i.e., there's no clear mathematical sequence), but rather a conceptual one where the numbers arbitrarily become larger for things that are commonly considered less monumental or noteworthy than celestial objects.


There are an estimated 10^41 objects in this (slightly bigger) Messier Catalog. Here's how that might be estimated (as a thought experiment): 
* Within each solar system, we might find one star, at least a couple planets, and a staggering number of smaller objects, potentially up to 10^18 or more (assuming life is relatively rare) when considering all living and non-living objects, down to insects and grains of sand. 
* Assuming there are roughly 10^11 stars in a galaxy, and if each star is the center of a solar system with a similar number of objects, that would bring us to 10^29 objects per galaxy. 
* Since there are over 10^12 galaxies within the observable universe, multiplying the number of objects per galaxy by the number of galaxies yields the colossal estimate of 10^41 objects that would be cataloged if the Messier Catalog included all objects in the universe. 

So, the comic is a playful take on a piece of astronomical history, suggesting that everything in the universe is part of the Messier Catalog, not just the deep sky objects Messier originally listed. The Messier Catalog was created to help finding comets; these objects appear blurry like comets, but they're permanent fixtures in the sky like stars, while comets are temporary. There would be no need to include terrestrial objects in the catalog, since they're not likely to be confused for comets.{{citation needed}}


The title text refers to the {{w|Ship of Theseus}}, which according to legend had all of its parts replaced over the years, leading to the question of whether it is the same ship as the original. The title text suggests that this leads to a debate as to whether the original ship and the new ship (with all of its parts replaced) should be considered the same object and therefore given the same Messier number, or the two ships should be considered different objects with different Messier numbers.

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

:[Multiple objects are labelled with M followed by a number.]
:[There is a tree, a bug, a squirrel, a man with a powdered wig labeled Charles Messier, a squirrel, and ground.]
:M137 (Earth) (pointing to the ground)
:M205 (Charles Messier) (pointing to Charles Messier)
:M21860 (pointing to a tree on the left of the panel)
:M41592 (pointing to a butterfly above Charles)
:M30712050 (pointing to a squirrel)

:[Caption below the panel:]
:People usually focus on the first 110, but the Messier Catalog actually includes '''''ALL''''' objects.

{{comic discussion}}