AstroSpeedrun

Messier objects

The table lists all 110 objects of the Messier catalogue, taken from the OpenNGC catalogue. We take M102 to be NGC 5866, as most modern lists do. The constellations are given by their three-letter abbreviations, which the table of constellations spells out.

The magnitude of an extended object is the total light of the whole object, so a large galaxy or nebula looks much fainter than a star of the same magnitude. The size is the length of the object along its longest direction, and the width across it where the catalogue gives one, in arcminutes. The positions are for the equinox J2000. Section O1.8 teaches the catalogue and how to find the brightest of these objects.

The Messier catalogue110 objects
MObjectCon.Mag.SizeRADec
M1Crab Nebulasupernova remnant, NGC 1952Tau8.48.0′ × 4.0′05h 34.5m+22° 01′
M2Globular clusterNGC 7089Aqr6.38.4′21h 33.4m−00° 49′
M3Globular clusterNGC 5272CVn6.416.2′13h 42.2m+28° 23′
M4Globular clusterNGC 6121Sco5.428.2′16h 23.6m−26° 32′
M5Globular clusterNGC 5904Ser6.015.0′15h 18.6m+02° 05′
M6Butterfly Clusteropen cluster, NGC 6405Sco4.215.6′17h 40.3m−32° 15′
M7Ptolemy's Clusteropen cluster, NGC 6475Sco3.322.2′17h 53.9m−34° 48′
M8Lagoon Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 6523Sgr5.845.0′ × 30.0′18h 03.7m−24° 23′
M9Globular clusterNGC 6333Oph8.46.9′17h 19.2m−18° 31′
M10Globular clusterNGC 6254Oph5.09.3′16h 57.2m−04° 06′
M11Wild Duck Clusteropen cluster, NGC 6705Sct5.89.0′18h 51.1m−06° 16′
M12Globular clusterNGC 6218Oph6.111.1′16h 47.2m−01° 57′
M13Hercules Globular Clusterglobular cluster, NGC 6205Her5.816.5′16h 41.7m+36° 28′
M14Globular clusterNGC 6402Oph5.79.9′17h 37.6m−03° 15′
M15Globular clusterNGC 7078Peg6.311.1′21h 30.0m+12° 10′
M16Eagle Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 6611Ser6.0120.0′ × 25.0′18h 18.8m−13° 48′
M17Omega Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 6618Sgr7.012.6′18h 20.8m−16° 10′
M18Open clusterNGC 6613Sgr6.96.0′18h 20.0m−17° 06′
M19Globular clusterNGC 6273Oph5.67.5′17h 02.6m−26° 16′
M20Trifid Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 6514Sgr8.528.0′ × 28.0′18h 02.7m−22° 58′
M21Open clusterNGC 6531Sgr5.96.0′18h 04.2m−22° 29′
M22Globular clusterNGC 6656Sgr6.212.6′18h 36.4m−23° 54′
M23Open clusterNGC 6494Sgr5.516.8′17h 57.1m−18° 59′
M24Sagittarius Star Cloudstar cloud, IC 4715Sgr4.5120.0′ × 60.0′18h 16.9m−18° 31′
M25Open clusterIC 4725Sgr4.614.1′18h 31.8m−19° 07′
M26Open clusterNGC 6694Sct8.96.0′18h 45.3m−09° 23′
M27Dumbbell Nebulaplanetary nebula, NGC 6853Vul7.46.7′19h 59.6m+22° 43′
M28Globular clusterNGC 6626Sgr6.95.1′18h 24.5m−24° 52′
M29Open clusterNGC 6913Cyg6.63.6′20h 24.0m+38° 30′
M30Globular clusterNGC 7099Cap7.19.0′21h 40.4m−23° 11′
M31Andromeda Galaxygalaxy, NGC 224And3.4177.8′ × 69.7′00h 42.7m+41° 16′
M32GalaxyNGC 221And8.17.7′ × 4.9′00h 42.7m+40° 52′
M33Triangulum Galaxygalaxy, NGC 598Tri5.862.1′ × 36.7′01h 33.8m+30° 40′
M34Open clusterNGC 1039Per5.222.5′02h 42.1m+42° 45′
M35Open clusterNGC 2168Gem5.124.0′06h 09.1m+24° 20′
M36Open clusterNGC 1960Aur6.07.2′05h 36.3m+34° 08′
M37Open clusterNGC 2099Aur5.611.4′05h 52.3m+32° 33′
M38Open clusterNGC 1912Aur6.49.6′05h 28.7m+35° 51′
M39Open clusterNGC 7092Cyg4.619.5′21h 31.8m+48° 26′
M40Double starUMa8.012h 22.3m+58° 05′
M41Open clusterNGC 2287CMa4.512.0′06h 46.0m−20° 45′
M42Orion Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 1976Ori4.090.0′ × 60.0′05h 35.3m−05° 23′
M43De Mairan's Nebuladiffuse nebula, NGC 1982Ori9.020.0′ × 15.0′05h 35.5m−05° 16′
M44Beehive Clusteropen cluster, NGC 2632Cnc3.1108.6′08h 40.4m+19° 40′
M45Pleiadesopen clusterTau1.2150.0′ × 150.0′03h 47.5m+24° 06′
M46Open clusterNGC 2437Pup6.121.0′07h 41.8m−14° 49′
M47Open clusterNGC 2422Pup4.419.8′07h 36.6m−14° 29′
M48Open clusterNGC 2548Hya5.828.2′08h 13.7m−05° 45′
M49GalaxyNGC 4472Vir8.310.2′ × 8.4′12h 29.8m+08° 00′
M50Open clusterNGC 2323Mon5.914.1′07h 02.7m−08° 22′
M51Whirlpool Galaxygalaxy, NGC 5194CVn8.413.7′ × 11.7′13h 29.9m+47° 12′
M52Open clusterNGC 7654Cas6.99.9′23h 24.8m+61° 36′
M53Globular clusterNGC 5024Com7.89.0′13h 12.9m+18° 10′
M54Globular clusterNGC 6715Sgr7.75.1′18h 55.1m−30° 29′
M55Globular clusterNGC 6809Sgr6.512.0′19h 40.0m−30° 58′
M56Globular clusterNGC 6779Lyr8.45.8′19h 16.6m+30° 11′
M57Ring Nebulaplanetary nebula, NGC 6720Lyr8.81.3′18h 53.6m+33° 02′
M58GalaxyNGC 4579Vir10.35.0′ × 3.8′12h 37.7m+11° 49′
M59GalaxyNGC 4621Vir9.64.5′ × 3.2′12h 42.0m+11° 39′
M60GalaxyNGC 4649Vir8.86.8′ × 5.5′12h 43.7m+11° 33′
M61GalaxyNGC 4303Vir10.36.9′ × 6.6′12h 21.9m+04° 28′
M62Globular clusterNGC 6266Oph7.47.8′17h 01.2m−30° 07′
M63Sunflower Galaxygalaxy, NGC 5055CVn8.611.8′ × 7.2′13h 15.8m+42° 02′
M64Black Eye Galaxygalaxy, NGC 4826Com8.510.5′ × 5.3′12h 56.7m+21° 41′
M65GalaxyNGC 3623Leo9.37.6′ × 2.0′11h 18.9m+13° 06′
M66GalaxyNGC 3627Leo8.910.3′ × 4.6′11h 20.2m+12° 59′
M67Open clusterNGC 2682Cnc6.933.0′08h 51.3m+11° 49′
M68Globular clusterNGC 4590Hya8.06.6′12h 39.5m−26° 45′
M69Globular clusterNGC 6637Sgr8.35.7′18h 31.4m−32° 21′
M70Globular clusterNGC 6681Sgr9.16.6′18h 43.2m−32° 18′
M71Globular clusterNGC 6838Sge6.16.9′19h 53.8m+18° 47′
M72Globular clusterNGC 6981Aqr9.04.5′20h 53.5m−12° 32′
M73AsterismNGC 6994Aqr8.920h 58.9m−12° 38′
M74GalaxyNGC 628Psc9.39.9′ × 9.3′01h 36.7m+15° 47′
M75Globular clusterNGC 6864Sgr8.33.6′20h 06.1m−21° 55′
M76Little Dumbbell Nebulaplanetary nebula, NGC 650Per10.11.1′01h 42.3m+51° 35′
M77GalaxyNGC 1068Cet9.36.1′ × 5.6′02h 42.7m−00° 01′
M78Diffuse nebulaNGC 2068Ori8.04.5′05h 46.8m+00° 05′
M79Globular clusterNGC 1904Lep8.27.2′05h 24.2m−24° 31′
M80Globular clusterNGC 6093Sco7.35.7′16h 17.0m−22° 59′
M81Bode's Galaxygalaxy, NGC 3031UMa6.921.6′ × 11.3′09h 55.6m+69° 04′
M82Cigar Galaxygalaxy, NGC 3034UMa8.311.0′ × 5.1′09h 55.9m+69° 41′
M83Southern Pinwheel Galaxygalaxy, NGC 5236Hya7.213.6′ × 13.2′13h 37.0m−29° 52′
M84GalaxyNGC 4374Vir9.87.4′ × 6.4′12h 25.1m+12° 53′
M85GalaxyNGC 4382Com9.17.0′ × 5.3′12h 25.4m+18° 11′
M86GalaxyNGC 4406Vir8.911.5′ × 8.4′12h 26.2m+12° 57′
M87Virgo Agalaxy, NGC 4486Vir9.07.1′ × 6.7′12h 30.8m+12° 23′
M88GalaxyNGC 4501Com10.38.7′ × 4.4′12h 32.0m+14° 25′
M89GalaxyNGC 4552Vir10.18.1′ × 8.0′12h 35.7m+12° 33′
M90GalaxyNGC 4569Vir9.59.1′ × 3.8′12h 36.8m+13° 10′
M91GalaxyNGC 4548Com11.05.5′ × 4.5′12h 35.4m+14° 30′
M92Globular clusterNGC 6341Her6.514.4′17h 17.1m+43° 08′
M93Open clusterNGC 2447Pup6.215.0′07h 44.5m−23° 51′
M94GalaxyNGC 4736CVn8.27.7′ × 6.7′12h 50.9m+41° 07′
M95GalaxyNGC 3351Leo9.87.2′ × 4.5′10h 44.0m+11° 42′
M96GalaxyNGC 3368Leo9.28.3′ × 5.5′10h 46.8m+11° 49′
M97Owl Nebulaplanetary nebula, NGC 3587UMa9.93.6′11h 14.8m+55° 01′
M98GalaxyNGC 4192Com10.811.0′ × 2.7′12h 13.8m+14° 54′
M99GalaxyNGC 4254Com9.85.0′ × 4.7′12h 18.8m+14° 25′
M100GalaxyNGC 4321Com9.56.1′ × 5.6′12h 22.9m+15° 49′
M101Pinwheel Galaxygalaxy, NGC 5457UMa7.924.0′ × 23.1′14h 03.2m+54° 21′
M102Spindle Galaxygalaxy, NGC 5866Dra9.96.3′ × 2.7′15h 06.5m+55° 46′
M103Open clusterNGC 581Cas7.44.5′01h 33.4m+60° 39′
M104Sombrero Galaxygalaxy, NGC 4594Vir8.68.4′ × 4.9′12h 40.0m−11° 37′
M105GalaxyNGC 3379Leo9.34.9′ × 4.3′10h 47.8m+12° 35′
M106GalaxyNGC 4258CVn9.317.0′ × 7.2′12h 19.0m+47° 18′
M107Globular clusterNGC 6171Oph8.87.8′16h 32.5m−13° 03′
M108GalaxyNGC 3556UMa10.14.0′ × 1.7′11h 11.5m+55° 40′
M109GalaxyNGC 3992UMa9.98.1′ × 5.6′11h 57.6m+53° 22′
M110GalaxyNGC 205And8.216.2′ × 9.6′00h 40.4m+41° 41′