Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: February 8, 1998
Messier object data in the tables below:
M# NGC# Con Type ra dec B D d Remarks
M1 1952 Tau 9 05 34.5 +22 01 8.2 6x4 6.3 !! famous Crab Nebula supernova remnant M45 - Tau 1 03 47.0 +24 07 1.6 110.0 0.4 !! Pleiades; use low power, look for nebulosity M36 1960 Aur 1 05 36.1 +34 08 6.3 12.0 4.1 best at low power; bright but scattered group M37 2099 Aur 1 05 52.4 +32 33 6.2 24.0 4.6 !! finest of the 3 Auriga clusters; very rich M38 1922 Aur 1 05 28.4 +35 50 7.4 21.0 4.2 look for the small cluster NGC 1907 1/2 deg south M42 1976 Ori 4 05 35.4 -05 27 4.0 85x60 1.6 !! Orion Nebula !; a magnificient object M43 1982 Ori 4 05 35.6 -05 16 9.1 20x15 1.6 detached part of Orion Nebula; in same field M78 2068 Ori 4 05 46.7 +00 03 10.3 8x6 1.6 featureless reflection nebula M79 1904 Lep 2 05 24.2 -24 31 8.4 8.7 39.8 20-cm telescope needed to resolve M35 2168 Gem 1 06 08.9 +24 20 5.3 28.0 2.8 !! look for small cluster NGC 2158 1/4 deg SW M41 2287 CMa 1 06 46.0 -20 44 4.6 38.0 2.4 4 deg S of Sirius; bright but coarse cluster M50 2323 Mon 1 07 03.2 -08 20 6.3 16.0 3 between Sirius and Procyon; use low power M46 2437 Pup 1 07 41.8 -14 49 6.0 27.0 5.4 !! contains planetary nebula NGC 2438 M47 2422 Pup 1 07 36.6 -14 30 4.5 30.0 1.6 coarse cluster; 1.5 deg W of M46 M93 2447 Pup 1 07 44.6 -23 52 6.0 22.0 4.5 compact, bright cluster; fairly rich M48 2548 Hya 1 08 13.8 -05 48 5.3 54.0 1.5 former 'lost' Messier object; sparse group
M# NGC# Con Type ra dec B D d Remarks
M44 2632 Cnc 1 08 40.1 +19 59 3.7 95.0 0.5 !! Beehive Cluster; use low power & wide field M67 2682 Cnc 1 08 50.4 +11 49 6.1 30.0 2.25 one of the oldest star clusters M40 Win4 UMa C 12 22.4 +58 05 9.1 0.8 0.51 double star Winnecke 4; separation of 50" M81 3031 UMa 5 09 55.6 +69 04 7.9 21x10 12000 !! bright spiral; M82 1/2 deg N M82 3034 UMa 7 09.55.8 +69 41 8.8 9x4 12000 !! the `exploding galaxy'; look for structure M97 3587 UMa 3 11 14.8 +55 01 9.9 3.4x3.3 2.6 !! Owl Nebula; appears brighter than 11.2 mag M101 5457 UMa 5 14 03.2 +54 21 9.6 22.0 24000 !! Pinwheel Galaxy; face-on spiral; diffuse M108 3556 UMa 5 11 11.5 +55 40 10.7 8x1 45000 nearly edge-on; very close to M97 M109 3992 UMa 5 11 57.6 +53 23 10.8 7x4 55000 barred spiral near gamma UMa M65 3623 Leo 5 11 18.9 +13 05 9.3 8x1.5 35000 !! bright elongated spiral M66 3627 Leo 5 11 20.2 +12 59 8.2 8x2.5 35000 !! M65 & NGC 3628 in same field M95 3351 Leo 5 10 44.0 +11 42 10.4 4.4x3.3 38000 bright barred spiral M96 3368 Leo 5 10 46.8 +11 49 9.1 6x4 38000 M95 in same field M105 3379 Leo 6 10 47.8 +12 35 9.2 2.0 38000 very bear M95 and M96 M53 5024 Com 2 13 12.9 +18 10 7.6 12.6 56.4 15-cm telescope needed to resolve M64 4826 Com 5 12 56.7 +21 41 8.8 9.3x5.4 19000 !! Black Eye Galaxy; `eye' needs large aperture M85 4382 Com 8 12 25.4 +18 11 9.3 7.1x5.2 60000 bright elliptical shape M88 4501 Com 5 12 32.0 +14 25 10.2 7x4 60000 bright multiple-arm spiral M91 4548 Com 5 12 35.4 +14 30 9.5 5.4x4.4 60000 some lists say M91 is M58, not NGC 4548 M98 4192 Com 5 12 13.8 +14 54 11.7 9.5x3.2 60000 nearly edge-on spiral near star 6 Comae B. M99 4254 Com 5 12 18.8 +14 25 10.1 5.4x4.8 60000 nearly face-on spiral near M98 M100 4321 Com 5 12 22.9 +15 49 10.6 7x6 60000 face-on spiral with starlike nucleus M49 4472 Vir 6 12 29.8 +08 00 8.5 9x7.5 60000 very bright elliptical M58 4579 Vir 5 12 37.7 +11 49 9.2 5.5x4.5 60000 bright barred spiral; M59 and M60 1 deg East M59 4621 Vir 6 12 42.0 +11 39 9.6 5x3.5 60000 bright elliptical paired with M60 M60 4649 Vir 6 12 43.7 +11 33 8.9 7x6 60000 bright elliptical with M59 and NGC 4647 M61 4303 Vir 5 12 21.9 +04 28 10.1 6x5.5 60000 face-on two-armed spiral M84 4374 Vir 8 12 25.1 +12 53 9.3 5.0 60000 M86 and many NGC's nearby; lots to explore ! M86 4406 Vir 8 12 26.2 +12 57 9.7 7.5x5.5 60000 in richest part of Coma-Virgo galaxy cluster M87 4486 Vir 6 12 30.8 +12 24 9.2 7.0 60000 the one with the famous jet and black hole M89 4552 Vir 6 12 35.7 +12 33 9.5 4.0 60000 resembles M87 but smaller M90 4569 Vir 5 12 36.8 +13 10 10.0 9.5x4.5 60000 bright spiral; near M89 M104 4594 Vir 5 12 40.0 -11 37 8.7 9x4 50000 !! Sombrero Galaxy; look for dust lane M3 5272 CVn 2 13 42.2 +28 23 6.3 16.2 30.6 !! contains many variable stars M51 5194 CVn 5 13 29.9 +47 12 8.1 11x7 37000 !! Whirlpool Galaxy; superb in big telescopes M63 5055 CVn 5 13 15.8 +42 02 9.5 10x6 37000 !! Sunflower Galaxy; bright, elongated M94 4736 CVn 5 12 50.9 +41 07 7.9 7x3 14500 very bright and very comet-like M106 4258 CVn 5 12 19.0 +47 18 8.6 19x8 25000 !! large bright spiral M68 4590 Hya 2 12 39.5 -26 45 8.0 12.0 32.3 15-cm telescope needed to resolve M83 5236 Hya 5 13 37.0 -29 52 7.6 11x10 10000 large and diffuse; tough from northern latitudes M102? 5866 Dra 8 15 06.5 +55 46 10.0 5.2x2.3 40000 or is M102 = M101 ? (look for NGC 5907 nearby) M5 5904 Ser 2 15 18.6 +02 05 6.2 17.4 22.8 !! one of the finest globulars
M# NGC# Con Type ra dec B D d Remarks
M13 6205 Her 2 16 41.7 +36 28 5.7 16.6 22.2 !! Hercules cluster !; NGC 6207 1/2 deg NE M92 6341 Her 2 17 17.1 +43 08 6.5 11.2 26.1 9 deg NE of M13; fine object but often overlooked M9 6333 Oph 2 17 19.2 -18 31 7.3 9.3 26.4 smallest of Ophiuchus globulars M10 6254 Oph 2 16 57.1 -04 06 6.7 15.1 13.4 rich cluster; M12 3 deg NW M12 6218 Oph 2 16 47.2 -01 57 6.6 14.5 17.6 loose globular cluster M14 6402 Oph 2 17 37.6 -03 15 7.7 11.7 27.4 20-cm telescope needed to resolve M19 6273 Oph 2 17 02.6 -26 16 6.6 13.5 27.1 oblate cluster; M62 4 deg South M62 6266 Oph 2 17 01.2 -30 07 6.6 14.1 21.5 unsymmetrical; in rich field M107 6171 Oph 2 16 32.5 -13 03 9.2 10.0 19.6 small, faint globular M4 6121 Sco 2 16 23.6 -26 32 6.4 26.3 6.8 bright globular near Antares M6 6405 Sco 1 17 40.1 -32 13 5.3 15.0 2 !! Butterfly Cluster; best at low power M7 6475 Sco 1 17 53.9 -34 49 4.1 80.0 1 !! excellent in binocular or rich-field scope M80 6093 Sco 2 16 17.0 -22 59 7.7 8.9 27.4 very compressed globular M16 6611 Ser 1 18 18.8 -13 47 6.4 7.0 7 Eagle Nebula with open cl.; use nebula filter M8 6523 Sgr 4 18 03.8 -24 23 6.0 60x35 6.5 !! Lagoon Nebula with open cl. NGC 6530 M17 6618 Sgr 4 18 20.8 -16 11 7.5 11.0 5 !! Swan or Omega Nebula !; use nebula filter M18 6613 Sgr 1 18 19.9 -17 08 7.5 9.0 6 sparse cluster; 1 deg S of M17 M20 6514 Sgr 4 18 02.6 -23 02 9.0 28.0 2.2 !! Trifid Nebula; emission & reflection nebula M21 6531 Sgr 1 18 04.6 -22 30 6.5 13.0 4.25 0.7 deg NE of M20; sparse cluster M22 6656 Sgr 2 18 36.4 -23 54 5.9 24.0 10.1 spectacular from southern latitude M23 6494 Sgr 1 17 56.8 -19 01 6.9 27.0 4.5 bright loose cluster M24 >6603 Sgr B 18 16.9 -18 29 4.6 5.0 10 rich star cloud; contains open cl. NGC 6603 M25 I4725 Sgr 1 18 31.6 -19 15 6.5 40.0 2 bright but sparse cluster M28 6626 Sgr 2 18 24.5 -24 52 7.3 11.2 17.9 compact globular near M22 M54 6715 Sgr 2 18 55.1 -30 29 8.0 9.1 82.8 not easily resolved M55 6809 Sgr 2 19 40.0 -30 58 5.0 19.0 16.6 bright, loose globular M69 6637 Sgr 2 18 31.4 -32 21 8.9 7.1 25.4 small, poor globular M70 6681 Sgr 2 18 43.2 -32 18 9.6 7.8 28.0 small globular 2 deg E of M69 M75 6864 Sgr 2 20 06.1 -21 55 8.0 6.0 57.7 small and distant globular; 59,000 ly away M11 6705 Sct 1 18 51.1 -06 16 6.3 14.0 6 !! Wild Duck Cluster; perhaps the best open cluster M26 6694 Sct 1 18 45.2 -09 24 9.3 15.0 5 bright, coarse cluster M56 6779 Lyr 2 19 16.6 +30 11 8.2 7.1 31.6 within a rich star field M57 6720 Lyr 3 18 53.6 +33 02 8.8 1.4x1.0 4.1 !! Ring Nebula !; 15 mag central star very tough M71 6838 Sge 2 19 53.8 +18 47 9.0 7.2 11.7 loose globular; looks like an open cluster M27 6853 Vul 3 19 59.6 +22 43 7.4 8.0x5.7 1.25 !! Dumbbell Nebula !; superb object M29 6913 Cyg 1 20 23.9 +38 32 7.1 7.0 7.2 small, poor open cluster 2 deg S of gamma Cygni M39 7092 Cyg 1 21 32.2 +48 26 5.2 32.0 0.825 very sparse cluster; use low power
M# NGC# Con Type ra dec B D d Remarks
M2 7089 Aqr 2 21 33.5 -00 49 6.3 12.9 36.2 20-cm telescope needed to resolve M72 6981 Aqr 2 20 53.5 -12 32 9.8 5.9 52.8 near NGC 7009, the Saturn Nebula M73 6994 Aqr A 20 58.9 -12 38 9.0 2.8 ? group of 4 stars only; an `asterism' M15 7078 Peg 2 21 30.0 +12 10 6.0 12.3 32.6 rich, compact cluster M30 7099 Cap 2 21 40.4 -23 11 8.4 11.0 24.8 toughest object in one-night Messier marathon M52 7654 Cas 1 23 24.2 +61 35 7.3 13.0 7 young rich cluster; faint Bubble Neb. nearby M103 581 Cas 1 01 33.2 +60 42 7.4 6.0 8 3 NGC clusters nearby M31 224 And 5 00 42.7 +41 16 4.8 178 2200 !! Andromeda Gal.; 4 deg wide; look for dust lanes M32 221 And 6 00 42.7 +40 52 8.7 8x6 2200 closest companion to M31 M110 205 And 6 00 40.4 +41 41 9.4 17x10 2200 more distant companion to M31 M33 598 Tri 5 01 33.9 +30 39 6.7 73x45 2300 large diffuse spiral; requires dark sky M74 628 Psc 5 01 36.7 +15 47 10.2 10.2x9.5 35000 faint, illusive spiral; difficult in small telescopes M77 1068 Cet 5 02 42.7 -00 01 8.9 7x6 60000 a Seyfert galaxy; starlike nucleus M34 1039 Per 1 02 42.0 +42 47 5.5 35.0 1.4 best at very low power M76 650 Per 3 01 42.4 +51 34 10.1 2.7x1.8 3.4 Little Dumbbell; faintest Messier object
Last Modification: February 8, 1998