Charles Messier (1730 - 1817) was an avid comet hunter. Unfortunately, he kept coming across fuzzy-looking objects in his telescope that could easily fool the unwary, so he began to compile a list of these objects which eventually became known as the Messier Catalogue. Ironically, Charles Messier is now more famous for his list of galaxies, nebulae and clusters than he is for his comet discoveries.
| Identification Number(s) |
Popular Name | Constellation | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | NGC1952 | Crab Nebula | Taurus | supernova remnant |
| M2 | NGC7089 | Aquarius | globular cluster | |
| M3 | NGC5272 | Canes Venatici | globular cluster | |
| M4 | NGC6121 | Scorpius | globular cluster | |
| M5 | NGC5904 | Serpens | globular cluster | |
| M6 | NGC6405 | Butterfly Cluster | Scorpius | open cluster |
| M7 | NGC6475 | Ptolemy's Cluster | Scorpius | open cluster |
| M8 | NGC6523 | Lagoon Nebula | Sagittarius | diffuse nebula |
| M9 | NGC6333 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M10 | NGC6254 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M11 | NGC6705 | Wild Duck Cluster | Scutum | open cluster |
| M12 | NGC6218 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M13 | NGC6205 | Great Globular Cluster | Hercules | globular cluster |
| M14 | NGC6402 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M15 | NGC7078 | Pegasus | globular cluster | |
| M16 | NGC6611 | Eagle Nebula | Serpens | diffuse nebula and open cluster |
| M17 | NGC6618 | Horseshoe Nebula Omega Nebula Swan Nebula |
Sagittarius | diffuse nebula |
| M18 | NGC6613 | Sagittarius | open cluster | |
| M19 | NGC6273 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M20 | NGC6514 | Triffid Nebula | Sagittarius | diffuse nebula |
| M21 | NGC6531 | Sagittarius | open cluster | |
| M22 | NGC6656 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M23 | NGC6494 | Sagittarius | open cluster | |
| M24 | NGC6603 | part of the Milky Way | Sagittarius | star cloud |
| M25 | IC4725 | Sagittarius | open cluster | |
| M26 | NGC6694 | Scutum | open cluster | |
| M27 | NGC6853 | Dumbbell Nebula | Vulpecula | planetary nebula |
| M28 | NGC6626 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M29 | NGC6913 | Cygnus | open cluster | |
| M30 | NGC7099 | Capricornus | globular cluster | |
| M31 | NGC224 | Andromeda Galaxy | Andromeda | spiral galaxy |
| M32 | NGC221 | Andromeda | elliptical galaxy | |
| M33 | NGC598 | Triangulum Galaxy | Triangulum | spiral galaxy |
| M34 | NGC1039 | Perseus | open cluster | |
| M35 | NGC2168 | Gemini | open cluster | |
| M36 | NGC1960 | Auriga | open cluster | |
| M37 | NGC2099 | Auriga | open cluster | |
| M38 | NGC1912 | Auriga | open cluster | |
| M39 | NGC7092 | Cygnus | open cluster | |
| M40 | WNC4 | Winnecke 4 | Ursa Major | binary star |
| M41 | NGC2287 | Canis Major | open cluster | |
| M42 | NGC1976 | Great Orion Nebula | Orion | diffuse nebula |
| M43 | NGC1982 | part of the Orion Nebula | Orion | diffuse nebula |
| M44 | NGC2632 | Beehive Cluster Praesepe |
Cancer | open cluster |
| M45 | Pleiades | Taurus | open cluster | |
| M46 | NGC2437 | Puppis | open cluster | |
| M47 | NGC2422 | Puppis | open cluster | |
| M48 | NGC2548 | Hydra | open cluster | |
| M49 | NGC4472 | Virgo | elliptical galaxy | |
| M50 | NGC2323 | Monoceros | open cluster | |
| M51 | NGC5194 | Whirlpool Galaxy | Canes Venatici | spiral galaxy |
| M52 | NGC7654 | Cassiopeia | open cluster | |
| M53 | NGC5024 | Coma Berenices | globular cluster | |
| M54 | NGC6715 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M55 | NGC6809 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M56 | NGC6779 | Lyra | globular cluster | |
| M57 | NGC6720 | Ring Nebula | Lyra | planetary nebula |
| M58 | NGC4579 | Virgo | barred spiral galaxy | |
| M59 | NGC4621 | Virgo | elliptical galaxy | |
| M60 | NGC4649 | Virgo | elliptical galaxy | |
| M61 | NGC4303 | Virgo | spiral galaxy | |
| M62 | NGC6266 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M63 | NGC5055 | Canes Venatici | spiral galaxy | |
| M64 | NGC4826 | Blackeye Galaxy | Coma Berenices | spiral galaxy |
| M65 | NGC3623 | Leo | spiral galaxy | |
| M66 | NGC3627 | Leo | spiral galaxy | |
| M67 | NGC2682 | Cancer | open cluster | |
| M68 | NGC4590 | Hydra | globular cluster | |
| M69 | NGC6637 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M70 | NGC6681 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M71 | NGC6838 | Sagitta | globular cluster | |
| M72 | NGC6981 | Aquarius | globular cluster | |
| M73 | NGC6994 | Aquarius | asterism of four stars | |
| M74 | NGC628 | Pisces | spiral galaxy | |
| M75 | NGC6864 | Sagittarius | globular cluster | |
| M76 | NGC651 | Butterfly Nebula Little Dumbbell Nebula |
Perseus | planetary nebula |
| M77 | NGC1068 | Cetus | spiral galaxy | |
| M78 | NGC2068 | Orion | diffuse nebula | |
| M79 | NGC1904 | Lepus | globular cluster | |
| M80 | NGC6093 | Scorpius | globular cluster | |
| M81 | NGC3031 | Bode's Galaxy | Ursa Major | spiral galaxy |
| M82 | NGC3034 | Cigar Galaxy | Ursa Major | irregular galaxy |
| M83 | NGC5236 | Hydra | spiral galaxy | |
| M84 | NGC4374 | Virgo | lentucular galaxy | |
| M85 | NGC4382 | Coma Berenices | lenticular galaxy | |
| M86 | NGC4406 | Virgo | lenticular galaxy | |
| M87 | NGC4486 | Virgo A | Virgo | elliptical galaxy |
| M88 | NGC4501 | Coma Berenices | spiral galaxy | |
| M89 | NGC4552 | Virgo | elliptical galaxy | |
| M90 | NGC4569 | Virgo | spiral galaxy | |
| M91 | NGC4548 | Coma Berenices | barred spiral galaxy | |
| M92 | NGC6341 | Hercules | globular cluster | |
| M93 | NGC2447 | Puppis | open cluster | |
| M94 | NGC4736 | Canes Venatici | spiral galaxy | |
| M95 | NGC3351 | Leo | barred spiral galaxy | |
| M96 | NGC3368 | Leo | spiral galaxy | |
| M97 | NGC3587 | Owl Nebula | Ursa Major | planetary nebula |
| M98 | NGC4192 | Coma Berenices | spiral galaxy | |
| M99 | NGC4254 | Coma Berenices | spiral galaxy | |
| M100 | NGC4321 | Coma Berenices | spiral galaxy | |
| M101 | NGC5457 | Pinwheel Galaxy | Ursa Major | spiral galaxy |
| M102 | There is some controversy as to the identity of this object. Some think that Messier made a mistake and re-identified M101 as M102. Others believe that this object is actually the lenticular galaxy NGC5866 in the constellation Draco. | |||
| M103 | NGC581 | Cassiopeia | open cluster | |
| M104 | NGC4594 | Sombrero Galaxy | Virgo | spiral galaxy |
| M105 | NGC3379 | Leo | elliptical galaxy | |
| M106 | NGC4258 | Canes Venatici | spiral galaxy | |
| M107 | NGC6171 | Ophiuchus | globular cluster | |
| M108 | NGC3556 | Ursa Major | spiral galaxy | |
| M109 | NGC3992 | Ursa Major | barred spiral galaxy | |
| M110 | NGC205 | Andromeda | elliptical galaxy | |
[SkyEye] [For More Information...] [Glossary]
Copyright © 1995-2007 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman