'Charles Messier, "The ferret of comets"

 Charles Messier 26 June 1730 – 12 April 1817 was a French astronomer most notable for publishing an astronomical catalogue consisting of nebulae and star clusters that came to be known as the 110 "Messier objects". The purpose of the catalogue was to help astronomical observers, in particular comet hunters such as himself, distinguish between permanent and transient visually diffuse objects in the sky.

About the speaker: Dr Allan Chapman

Allan Chapman is a historian by training and his special interests are astronomy and scientific biography, for most of his career he has been based at Wadham College (University of Oxford ).

He is an accomplished author and public speaker and has made many television appearances, presenting Gods in the Sky and Great Scientists and as a guest on The Sky at Night.

Allan is also Honorary President and Patron of the Mexborough & Swinton Astronomical Society.