Messier Object Observations and Descriptions

Find (mostly historical) observations and descriptions for each Messier object from this index.

M-# NGC-# Type Const. RA(h:m) Dec(d:m) Mag  dim(')  d(kly)   Name


  1  1952 SNR  Tau    05:34.5  +22:01  8.4    6x4      6.3   Crab Nebula

  2  7089 GlCl Aqr    21:33.5  -00:49  6.5    12.9    36.2 

  3  5272 GlCl CVn    13:42.2  +28:23  6.2    16.2    30.6 

  4  6121 GlCl Sco    16:23.6  -26:32  5.6    26.3     6.8 

  5  5904 GlCl SerCap 15:18.6  +02:05  5.6    17.4    22.8 

  6  6405 OpCl Sco    17:40.1  -32:13  4.3    25.0       2   Butterfly Cluster

  7  6475 OpCl Sco    17:53.9  -34:49  3.3    80.0     0.8   The Scorpion's Tail, Ptolemy's Cluster

  8  6523 DifN Sgr    18:03.8  -24:23  6.0   90x40     5.2   Lagoon Nebula

  9  6333 GlCl Oph    17:19.2  -18:31  7.7    9.3     26.4 

 10  6254 GlCl Oph    16:57.1  -04:06  6.6    15.1    13.4  

 11  6705 OpCl Sct    18:51.1  -06:16  6.3    14.0       6   Wild Duck Cluster

 12  6218 GlCl Oph    16:47.2  -01:57  6.7    14.5    17.6 

 13  6205 GlCl Her    16:41.7  +36:28  5.8    16.6    22.8   Hercules Globular Cluster

 14  6402 GlCl Oph    17:37.6  -03:15  7.6    11.7    27.4 

 15  7078 GlCl Peg    21:30.0  +12:10  6.2    12.3    32.6 

 16  6611 OpCl SerCau 18:18.8  -13:47  6.4    7.0        7   associated with the Eagle Nebula

 17  6618 DifN Sgr    18:20.8  -16:11  7.0    11.0       5   Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or Lobster Nebula

 18  6613 OpCl Sgr    18:19.9  -17:08  7.5    9.0      4.9 

 19  6273 GlCl Oph    17:02.6  -26:16  6.8    13.5    27.1 

 20  6514 DifN Sgr    18:02.6  -23:02  9.0    28.0     5.2   Trifid Nebula

 21  6531 OpCl Sgr    18:04.6  -22:30  6.5    13.0    4.25 

 22  6656 GlCl Sgr    18:36.4  -23:54  5.1    24.0    10.1 

 23  6494 OpCl Sgr    17:56.8  -19:01  6.9    27.0    2.15 

 24  6603 MWP  Sgr    18:16.9  -18:29  4.6     90       10   Sagittarius Star Cloud, Delle Caustiche

 25 I4725 OpCl Sgr    18:31.6  -19:15  6.5    40.0       2 

 26  6694 OpCl Sct    18:45.2  -09:24  8.0    15.0       5 

 27  6853 Pl N Vul    19:59.6  +22:43  7.4  8.0x5.7   1.25   Dumbbell Nebula

 28  6626 GlCl Sgr    18:24.5  -24:52  6.8    11.2    17.9 

 29  6913 OpCl Cyg    20:23.9  +38:32  7.1    7.0      4.0 

 30  7099 GlCl Cap    21:40.4  -23:11  7.2    11.0    24.8 

 31   224 Sp G And    00:42.7  +41:16  3.4   178x63   2900   Andromeda Galaxy

 32   221 El G And    00:42.7  +40:52  8.1    8x6     2900   A Satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31

 33   598 Sp G Tri    01:33.9  +30:39  5.7   73x45    3000   Triangulum Galaxy

 34  1039 OpCl Per    02:42.0  +42:47  5.5    35.0     1.4 

 35  2168 OpCl Gem    06:08.9  +24:20  5.3    28.0     2.8 

 36  1960 OpCl Aur    05:36.1  +34:08  6.3    12.0     4.1 

 37  2099 OpCl Aur    05:52.4  +32:33  6.2    24.0     4.4 

 38  1912 OpCl Aur    05:28.4  +35:50  7.4    21.0     4.2 

 39  7092 OpCl Cyg    21:32.2  +48:26  5.2    32.0   0.825 

 40       2 St UMa    12:22.4  +58:05  8.4    0.8     0.51   Winnecke 4

 41  2287 OpCl CMa    06:46.0  -20:44  4.6    38.0     2.3 

 42  1976 DifN Ori    05:35.4  -05:27  4.0   85x60     1.6   Orion Nebula

 43  1982 DifN Ori    05:35.6  -05:16  9.0   20x15     1.6   De Mairan's Nebula

 44  2632 OpCl Cnc    08:40.1  +19:59  3.7    95.0   0.577   Beehive Cluster, Praesepe

 45       OpCl Tau    03:47.0  +24:07  1.6   110.0    0.38   Pleiades

 46  2437 OpCl Pup    07:41.8  -14:49  6.0    27.0     5.4 

 47  2422 OpCl Pup    07:36.6  -14:30  5.2    30.0     1.6 

 48  2548 OpCl Hya    08:13.8  -05:48  5.5    54.0     1.5 

 49  4472 El G Vir    12:29.8  +08:00  8.4   9x7.5   60000 

 50  2323 OpCl Mon    07:03.2  -08:20  6.3    16.0       3 

 51  5194 Sp G CVn    13:29.9  +47:12  8.4    11x7   37000   Whirlpool Galaxy

 51B 5195 IrrG CVn    13:30.0  +47:16  9.6  6.4x4.6  37000

 52  7654 OpCl Cas    23:24.2  +61:35  7.3    13.0     5.0 

 53  5024 GlCl Com    13:12.9  +18:10  7.6    12.6    56.4 

 54  6715 GlCl Sgr    18:55.1  -30:29  7.6    9.1     82.8 

 55  6809 GlCl Sgr    19:40.0  -30:58  6.3    19.0    16.6 

 56  6779 GlCl Lyr    19:16.6  +30:11  8.3    7.1     31.6 

 57  6720 Pl N Lyr    18:53.6  +33:02  8.8  1.4x1.0    4.1   Ring Nebula

 58  4579 Sp G Vir    12:37.7  +11:49  9.7  5.5x4.5  60000 

 59  4621 El G Vir    12:42.0  +11:39  9.6   5x3.5   60000 

 60  4649 El G Vir    12:43.7  +11:33  8.8    7x6    60000 

 61  4303 Sp G Vir    12:21.9  +04:28  9.7   6x5.5   60000 

 62  6266 GlCl Oph    17:01.2  -30:07  6.5    14.1    21.5 

 63  5055 Sp G CVn    13:15.8  +42:02  8.6    10x6   37000   Sunflower Galaxy

 64  4826 Sp G Com    12:56.7  +21:41  8.5  9.3x5.4  19000   Blackeye Galaxy

 65  3623 Sp G Leo    11:18.9  +13:05  9.3   8x1.5   35000   in the Leo Triplett

 66  3627 Sp G Leo    11:20.2  +12:59  8.9   8x2.5   35000   in the Leo Triplett

 67  2682 OpCl Cnc    08:50.4  +11:49  6.1    30.0     2.7 

 68  4590 GlCl Hya    12:39.5  -26:45  7.8    12.0    32.3 

 69  6637 GlCl Sgr    18:31.4  -32:21  7.6    7.1     26.7 

 70  6681 GlCl Sgr    18:43.2  -32:18  7.9    7.8     28.0 

 71  6838 GlCl Sge    19:53.8  +18:47  8.2    7.2     11.7 

 72  6981 GlCl Aqr    20:53.5  -12:32  9.3    5.9     52.8 

 73  6994 4 St Aqr    20:58.9  -12:38  9.0    2.8      2.0 

 74   628 Sp G Psc    01:36.7  +15:47  9.4  10.2x9.5 35000 

 75  6864 GlCl Sgr    20:06.1  -21:55  8.5    6.0     57.7 

 76   650 Pl N Per    01:42.4  +51:34 10.1  2.7x1.8    3.4   Little Dumbbell Nebula

 77  1068 Sp G Cet    02:42.7  -00:01  8.9    7x6    60000   Cetus A

 78  2068 DifN Ori    05:46.7  +00:03  8.3    8x6      1.6 

 79  1904 GlCl Lep    05:24.5  -24:33  7.7    8.7     41.1 

 80  6093 GlCl Sco    16:17.0  -22:59  7.3    8.9     27.4 

 81  3031 Sp G UMa    09:55.6  +69:04  6.9   21x10   12000   Bode's Galaxy

 82  3034 IrrG UMa    09:55.8  +69:41  8.4    9x4    12000   Cigar Galaxy

 83  5236 Sp G Hya    13:37.0  -29:52  7.6   11x10   15000   Southern Pinwheel

 84  4374 S0 G Vir    12:25.1  +12:53  9.1    5.0    60000 

 85  4382 S0 G Com    12:25.4  +18:11  9.1  7.1x5.2  60000 

 86  4406 S0 G Vir    12:26.2  +12:57  8.9  7.5x5.5  60000 

 87  4486 El G Vir    12:30.8  +12:24  8.6    7.0    60000   Virgo A

 88  4501 Sp G Com    12:32.0  +14:25  9.6    7x4    60000 

 89  4552 El G Vir    12:35.7  +12:33  9.8    4.0    60000 

 90  4569 Sp G Vir    12:36.8  +13:10  9.5  9.5x4.5  60000 

 91  4548 Sp G Com    12:35.4  +14:30 10.2  5.4x4.4  60000 

 92  6341 GlCl Her    17:17.1  +43:08  6.4    11.2    26.4 

 93  2447 OpCl Pup    07:44.6  -23:52  6.0    22.0     3.6 

 94  4736 Sp G CVn    12:50.9  +41:07  8.2    7x3    14500 

 95  3351 Sp G Leo    10:44.0  +11:42  9.7  4.4x3.3  38000 

 96  3368 Sp G Leo    10:46.8  +11:49  9.2    6x4    38000 

 97  3587 Pl N UMa    11:14.8  +55:01  9.9  3.4x3.3    2.6   Owl Nebula

 98  4192 Sp G Com    12:13.8  +14:54 10.1  9.5x3.2  60000 

 99  4254 Sp G Com    12:18.8  +14:25  9.9  5.4x4.8  60000    

100  4321 Sp G Com    12:22.9  +15:49  9.3    7x6    60000 

101  5457 Sp G UMa    14:03.2  +54:21  7.9    22.0   27000   Pinwheel Galaxy

102  5866 S0 G Dra    15:06.5  +55:46  9.9  5.2x2.3  40000   Spindle Galaxy

103   581 OpCl Cas    01:33.2  +60:42  7.4    6.0        8   

104  4594 Sp G Vir    12:40.0  -11:37  8.0    9x4    50000   Sombrero Galaxy

105  3379 El G Leo    10:47.8  +12:35  9.3    2.0    38000 

106  4258 Sp G CVn    12:19.0  +47:18  8.4    19x8   25000 

107  6171 GlCl Oph    16:32.5  -13:03  7.9    10.0    19.6 

108  3556 Sp G UMa    11:11.5  +55:40 10.0    8x1    45000 

109  3992 Sp G UMa    11:57.6  +53:23  9.8    7x4    55000 

109B 3953 Sp G UMa    11:53.8  +52:20 10.1    7x4    55000

110   205 El G And    00:40.4  +41:41  8.5   17x10    2900   A Satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31

Key:

M-#, NGC-#: Messier and NGC Catalog Number, respectively ("I" indicates IC No.)
Type: Object Type: SNR, Supernova Remnant; Pl N, Planetary Nebula; DifN, Diffuse Nebula; OpCl, Open Cluster; GlCl, Globular Cluster; Sp G, Spiral Galaxy; S0 G, S0 (Lenticular) Galaxy; El G, Elliptical Galaxy; IrrG, Irregular Galaxy; MWP, Milky Way Patch (Star Cloud); 2 St, Double Star; 4 St, Four Stars.
Const: Constellation
RA, Dec: Coordinates for Epoch 2000.0 (J2000.0): Right Ascension in hours and minutes (h:m), Declination in degrees and arc minutes (d:m)
Mag: Visual brightness in magnitudes
dim: Apparent dimension in arc minutes
d: Distance in thousands of light years ("kilo-lightyears", kly)
Name: Proper Name and remarks

Sources:

Messier, Méchain:: Charles Messier, Pierre Méchain. The Messier Catalog. Three editions 1771, 1780 and 1781. Also manuscript notes in the personal copy of his catalog, and various publications by Messier, notably a 1798 remark on his discovery of M110, and a letter of 1783 by Pierre Méchain.
Aristotle: Aristotle of Stageira. Probable observation of M41 described in his Meteorologica, c. 325 B.C. Also possibly M39.
Aratos: Aratos of Soloi. In his Phainomaina, described Praesepe (M44), the Pleiades (M45), and the Hyades.
Hipparchus: Hipparchus of Nicaea.
Ptolemy: Claudius Ptolemy (Ptolemaios, Ptolemaeus). In his Almagest, lists 7 "nebulous" objects.
Al Sufi: Abd-al-Rahman Al Sufi. In his Book of Fixed Stars (c. 964 A.D.), mentions 8 "nebulous" objects, among them the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).
Ulugh Begh: Ulugh Begh (Mohammed Taragai Ibn Shah-rukh Ibn-Timur).
Johann Bayer: Johann Bayer.
Galileo: Galileo Galilei.
Peiresc: Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc.
Cysatus: Johann Baptist Cysatus.
Marius: Simon Marius.
Hodierna: Giovanni Battista Hodierna.
Hevelius: Johan Hevelius.
Bullialdus: Ismail Bullialdus.
Kirch: Gottfried Kirch.
Flamsteed: John Flamsteed.
Halley: Edmond Halley.
De Mairan: Jean-Jacques Dortous De Mairan.
Bevis: John Bevis. Found M1 in 1731 (see Messier 1781). Also note his Uranographia Britannica (London, 1750).
Derham: William Derham.
Maraldi: Jean-Dominique Maraldi (Maraldi II).
De Chéseaux: Philippe Loys De Chéseaux.
Legentil: Guillaume-Joseph-Hyacinthe-Jean-Baptiste Le Gentil de la Galaziere.
Lacaille: Nicholas Louis de Lacaille's catalog of 42 "nebulous stars."
Bode: Johann Elert Bode's "Complete Catalog of hitherto observed Nebulous Stars and Star Clusters." Also his 1782 "Catalog" of nebulae and clusters, extracted from his "Vorstellung der Gestirne." This atlas contains markings for the position of Bode's deepsky objects, including many Messier Objects.
Koehler: Johann Gottfried Koehler.
Darquier: Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix.
Pigott: Edward Pigott.
Oriani: Barnabas Oriani.
Fortin (1776 and 1795): Jean Fortin. French editions of John Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis of 1776 and 1795. The maps in these atlasses contain markings for the positions for 18 and 87 Messier objects, respectively.
Caroline Herschel: Descriptions from her journals were quoted by William Herschel and some other authors. Many of the original descriptions were published only in 2005 by Michael Hoskin (Hoskin 2005).
William Herschel: Various publications, mostly in the Philosophical Transactions, in particular his Catalog of 2500 non-stellar objects. Also, J.L.E. Dreyer's compilation of Herschel's Unpublished Observations of Messier's Nebulae and Clusters.
Hahn: Friedrich von Hahn.
Dunlop: James Dunlop.
John Herschel (1833 and 1847): John Herschel.
Smyth: Admiral William H. Smyth. The Bedford Catalogue, From A Cycle Of Celestial Objects.
Rosse
Lassell
Webb
Secci
Julius Schmidt
John Herschel, General Catalogue (GC): John Herschel.
Huggins
D'Arrest
Rümker
Winnecke
Roberts
Vogel
J.L.E. Dreyer (1877). Supplement to the General Catalogue (GC): 1877. [X.] Supplement to Sir John Herschel's "General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars." Royal Irish Academy Transactions, Vol. XXVI (26). Science. P. 381-426. GC 5080-6251.
J.L.E. Dreyer, New general Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC)
R.H. Allen
Bailey: Solon I. Bailey
Barnard
Agnes M. Clerke
Gore: John Ellard Gore (1902). A series of three articles on the Messier Objects in "The Observatory."
Lick VIII (Keeler 1908)
Pease
Flammarion
Shapley, Davies (1917)
Curtis
Oswald Thomas (1934)
Helen Sawyer Hogg (1947)
Gingerich (1953)
T.F. Morris (1959)
Gingerich (1960): Owen Gingerich.
Mallas (1966): John Mallas.
William C. Williams (1969)
Sullentic, Tifft: RNGC (1975)

References

Michael Hoskin, 2005. Caroline Herschel as Observer. Journal for the History of Astronomy, Vol. 36, Part 4, No. 125, pp. 373-406 (November 2005).

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: January 26, 2025
Former Definitive Version: April 27, 2016