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Messier Catalog
Charles Messier was a French astronomer who discovered 15 comets and in 1784 published a list of 103 star clusters and nebulae. Objects on this list are given M (for Messier) numbers, which astronomers still use today, such as M1 (the Crab nebula) and M31 (the Andromeda galaxy).
Messier was born in Badonviller, Lorraine, and joined the Paris Observatory. Watching for the predicted return of Halley's comet, he was one of the first people to spot it, an experience that inspired him with the desire to go on discovering new comets for the rest of his life. Louis XV nicknamed him the 'Comet Ferret'.
But Messier's search was continually hampered by rather obscure forms which he came to recognize as nebulae. During the period 1760-84, therefore, he compiled a list of these nebulae and star clusters, so that he and other astronomers would not confuse them with possible new comets.
The Messier list as it came to be known includes many of the brightest and most interesting objects that can be seen. Some objects are visible with the naked eye and most of these can be viewed with binoculars.
MCoordinatesTypeMagName
M1Tau05313000 21590000Planetary Nebula8.19M1 - Crab Nebula
M2Aqr21305400-01030000Globular Cluster6.29M2
M3Cvn13395400 28380000Globular Cluster6.29M3
M4Sco16203600-26240000Globular Cluster6.40M4
M5Ser15160000 02160000Globular Cluster6.20M5
M6Sco17364800-32110000Open Cluster5.29M6 - Butterfly Cluster
M7Sco17504200-34480000Open Cluster4.09M7 - Ptolemy's Cluster
M8Sgr18013600-24200000Reflection Nebula6M8 - Lagoon Nebula
M9Oph17161200-18280000Globular Cluster7.29M9
M10Oph16543000-04020000Globular Cluster6.70M10
M11Sct18482400-06200000Open Cluster6.29M11 - Wild Duck Cluster
M12Oph16443600-01520000Globular Cluster6.6M12
M13Her16395400 36330000Globular Cluster5.70M13 - Hercules Cluster
M14Oph17350000-03130000Globular Cluster7.70M14
M15Peg21273600 11570000Globular Cluster6M15
M16Ser18160000-13480000Open Cluster6.40M16 - Eagle Nebula
M17Sgr18180000-16120000Reflection Nebula7.5M17 - Horseshoe Nebula
M18Sgr18170000-17090000Open Cluster7.5M18
M19Oph16593000-26110000Globular Cluster6.59M19
M20Sgr17585400-23020000Reflection Nebula9M20 - Trifid Nebula
M21Sgr18014800-22300000Open Cluster6.5M21
M22Sgr18331800-23580000Globular Cluster5.90M22
M23Sgr17540000-19010000Open Cluster6.90M23
M24Sgr18153000-18270000Open Cluster4.59M24 - Sagittarius Star Cloud
M25Sgr18284800-19170000Open Cluster6.5M25
M26Sct18423000-09270000Open Cluster9.30M26
M27Vul19572400 22350000Planetary Nebula7.59M27 - Dumbbell Nebula
M28Sgr18213000-24540000Globular Cluster7.29M28
M29Cyg20221200 38210000Open Cluster7.09M29
M30Cap21373000-23250000Globular Cluster8.40M30
M31And00400000 41000000Spiral Galaxy 4.79M31 - Andromeda Galaxy
M32And00400000 40360000Elliptical Galaxy8.69M32
M33Tri01310600 30240000Spiral Galaxy 6.70M33 - Triangulum Galaxy
M34Per02384800 42340000Open Cluster5.5M34
M35Gem06054200 24200000Open Cluster5.29M35
M36Aur05320000 34070000Open Cluster6.29M36
M37Aur05490000 32330000Open Cluster6.20M37
M38Aur05251800 35480000Open Cluster7.40M38
M39Cyg05251800 35480000Open Cluster7.40M39
M40Uma12200000 58220000Double Star9.09M40
M41Cma06445400-20420000Open Cluster4.59M41
M42ori05325400-05250000Reflection Nebula4M42 - Orion Nebula
M43Ori05330600-05180000Reflection Nebula9.09M43
M44Cnc08373000 19520000Open Cluster3.70M44 - Beehive Cluster
M45Tau03435400 23580000Open Cluster1.60M45 - Pleiades
M46Pup07393600-14420000Open Cluster6M46
M47Pup07341800-14220000Open Cluster4.5M47
M48Hya08111200-05380000Open Cluster5.29M48
M49Vir12271800 08160000Elliptical Galaxy8.5M49
M50Mon07003000-08160000Open Cluster6.29M50
M51Cvn13274800 47270000Spiral Galaxy 8.09M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
M52Cas23220000 61200000Open Cluster7.29M52
M53Com13103000 18260000Globular Cluster7.59M53
M54Sgr18520000-30320000Globular Cluster8M54
M55Sgr19365400-31030000Globular Cluster5M55
M56Lyr19143600 30050000Globular Cluster8.19M56
M57Lyr18514200 32580000Planetary Nebula9.30M57 - Ring Nebula
M58Vir12350600 12050000Spiral Galaxy 9.19M58
M59Vir12393000 11550000Elliptical Galaxy9.59M59
M60Vir12410600 11490000Elliptical Galaxy8.90M60
M61Vir12192400 04450000Spiral Galaxy 10M61
M62Oph16580600-30030000Globular Cluster6.59M62
M63Cvn13133000 42170000Spiral Galaxy 9.5M63 - Sunflower Galaxy
M64Com12541800 21570000Spiral Galaxy 8.80M64 - Blackeye Galaxy
M65Leo11161800 13230000Spiral Galaxy 9.30M65
M66Leo11173600 13170000Spiral Galaxy 8.19M66
M67Cnc08481800 12000000Open Cluster6.09M67
M68Hya12364800-26290000Globular Cluster8M68
M69Sgr18280600-32230000Globular Cluster8.90M69
M70Sgr18400000-32210000Globular Cluster9.59M70
M71Sge19512400 18390000Globular Cluster9M71
M72Aqr20504200-12440000Globular Cluster9.80M72
M73Aqr20564200-12500000Open Cluster9M73
M74Psc01240000 15320000Spiral Galaxy 10M74
M75Sgr20031200-22040000Globular Cluster8M75
M76Per01384800 51190000Planetary Nebula10M76 - Little Dumbbell Nebula
M77Cet02400600 00140000Spiral Galaxy 8.90Cetus AM77
M78Ori05441200 00020000Reflection Nebula10M78
M79Lep05221200-24340000Globular Cluster8.40M79
M80Sco16140600-22520000Globular Cluster7.70M80
M81Uma09513000 69180000Spiral Galaxy 7.90M81 - Bode's Nebula
M82Uma09515400 69560000Irregular Galaxy8.80M82 - Cigar Galaxy
M83Hya13341800-29370000Spiral Galaxy 10M83 - Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
M84Vir12223600 13100000Elliptical Galaxy9.30M84
M85Com12224800 18280000Elliptical Galaxy9.30M85
M86Vir12234200 13130000Elliptical Galaxy9.69M86
M87Vir12281800 12400000Elliptical Galaxy9.19M87 - Virgo A
M88Com12293000 14420000Spiral Galaxy 10M88
M89Vir12330600 12500000Elliptical Galaxy9.5M89
M90Vir12341800 13260000Spiral Galaxy 10M90
M91Com12325400 14460000Spiral Galaxy 9.5M91
M92Her17170600 43080000Globular Cluster6.5M92
M93Pup07422400-23450000Open Cluster6M93
M94Cvn12483600 41230000Spiral Galaxy 7.90M94
M95Leo10411800 11580000Spiral Galaxy 10M95
M96Leo10441200 12050000Spiral Galaxy 9.09M96
M97Uma11020000 55180000Planetary Nebula12M97 - Owl Nebula
M98Com12111800 15110000Spiral Galaxy 11M98
M99Com12161800 14420000Spiral Galaxy 10M99 - St. Katherine's Wheel
M100Com12202400 16060000Spiral Galaxy 10M100
M101Uma14012400 54350000Spiral Galaxy 9.59M101
M102Uma14012400 54350000Spiral Galaxy 9.59M102 - Spindle Galaxy
M103Dra15063000 55450000Spiral Galaxy 10M103
M104Cas01295400 60270000Open Cluster7.40M104 - Sombrero Galaxy
M105Vir12371800-11210000Spiral Galaxy 8.69M105
M106Leo10451200 12510000Elliptical Galaxy9.19M106
M107Cvn12163000 47350000Spiral Galaxy 8.59M107
M108Oph16294200-12570000Globular Cluster9.19M108
M109Uma11084200 55570000Spiral Galaxy 10M109
M110Uma11550000 53390000Spiral Galaxy 10M110
M111And00373600 41250000Elliptical Galaxy9.40M111