Charles Messier's Original Object Positions

Below we give a list of Charles Messier's original position measurements for the objects in his catalog, compared with modern positions. Given are Messier object number (M#), as well as Right Ascension (RA in h:m:s) and Declination (Dec in deg:m:s) as measured by Messier at the Epoch given by him (Messier's RA both in hours and degrees where given so by Messier), this Messier's position precessed to 2000.0 coordinates, and modern positions of the object. So the positions can be compared to see how far off Messier's determination was. In case of some object positions (including all missing objects), remarks are given. Separate positions by Pierre Méchain are given whenever Messier quotes them.

This position file is also available in Ascii

Additions, corrections and comments are certainly welcome; please notify me. 

M#    RA (M)   Dec (M)    Epoch (M)     RA  (2000.0)  Dec     RA (2000.0) Dec  Remarks
                                             Messier             modern


  1   05:20:02 +21:45:27 (Sep-12-1758)  05:34:31.4 +21:56:55  05:34.5 +22:01
     (80:00:33)

  2   21:21:08 -01:47:00 (Sep-11-1760)  21:33:30.6 -00:43:54  21:33.5 -00:49
    (320:17:00)

  3   13:31:25 +29:32:57 (May-03-1764)  13:42:17.5 +28:21:09  13:42.2 +28:23
    (202:51:19)

  4   16:09:08 -25:55:40 (May-08-1764)  16:23:31.4 -26:30:04  16:23.6 -26:32
    (242:16:56)

  5   15:06:36 +02:57:16 (May-23-1764)  15:18:29.6 +02:04:44  15:18.6 +02:05
    (226:39:04)

  6   17:24:42 -32:10:34 (May-23-1764)  17:40:03.2 -32:20:02  17:40.1 -32:13
    (261:10:39)

  7   17:38:02 -34:40:34 (May-23-1764)  17:53:43.7 -34:45:25  17:53.9 -34:49
    (264:30:24)

  8   17:49:58 -24:21:10 (May-23-1764)  18:04:24.5 -24:22:08  18:03.8 -24:23
    (267:29:30)

  9   17:05:22 -18:13:26 (May-28-1764)  17:19:08.1 -18:29:43  17:19.2 -18:31
    (256:20:36)

 10   16:44:48 -03:42:18 (May-29-1764)  16:57:12.4 -04:05:38  16:57.1 -04:06
    (251:12:06)

 11   18:30:23 -06:31:01 (May-30-1764)  18:43:01.7 -06:18:27  18:51.1 -06:16
    (279:35:43)

 12   16:34:53 -02:30:28 (May-30-1764)  16:47:10.9 -02:57:04  16:47.2 -01:57
    (248:43:10)

 13   16:33:15 +36:54:44 (Jun-01-1764)  16:41:39.3 +36:26:59  16:41.7 +36:28
    (248:18:48)

 14   17:25:14 -03:05:45 (Jun-01-1764)  17:37:35.1 -03:15:33  17:37.6 -03:15
    (261:18:29)

 15   21:18:41 +10:40:03 (Jun-03-1764)  21:30:05.7 +11:41:19  21:30.0 +12:10
    (319:40:19)

 16   18:05:00 -13:51:44 (Jun-03-1764)  18:18:21.2 -13:47:44  18:18.8 -13:47
    (271:15:03)

 17   18:07:03 -16:14:44 (Jun-03-1764)  18:20:38.2 -16:09:59  18:20.8 -16:11
    (271:45:48)

 18   18:06:16 -17:13:14 (Jun-03-1764)  18:19:57.0 -17:08:44  18:19.9 -17:08
    (271:34:03)

 19   16:48:07 -25:54:46 (Jun-05-1764)  17:02:38.9 -26:16:40  17:02.6 -26:16
    (252:01:45)

 20   17:48:16 -22:59:10 (Jun-05-1764)  18:02:33.4 -23:00:45  18:02.6 -23:02
    (267:04:05)

 21   17:50:07 -22:31:25 (Jun-05-1764)  18:04:21.4 -22:32:22  18:04.6 -22:30
    (267:31:35)

 22   18:21:55 -24:06:11 (Jun-05-1764)  18:36:18.0 -23:56:13  18:36.4 -23:54
    (275:28:39)

 23   17:42:51 -18:45:55 (Jun-20-1764)  17:56:41.7 -18:49:26  17:56.8 -19:01
    (265:42:50)

 24   18:01:44 -18:26:00 (Jun-20-1764)  18:15:32.4 -18:23:02  18:16.9 -18:29
    (270:26:00)

 25   18:17:40 -19:05:00 (Jun-20-1764)  18:31:31.5 -18:56:34  18:31.6 -19:15
    (274:25:00)

 26   18:32:22 -09:38:14 (Jun-20-1764)  18:45:17.7 -09:24:58  18:45.2 -09:24
    (278:05:25)

 27   19:49:27 +22:04:00 (Jul-12-1764)  19:59:36.7 +22:41:42  19:59.6 +22:43
    (297:21:41)

 28   18:09:58 -24:57:11 (Jul-27-1764)  18:24:27.0 -24:51:17  18:24.5 -24:52
    (272:29:30)

 29   20:15:38 +37:11:57 (Jul-29-1764)  20:24:23.0 +37:57:04  20:23.9 +38:32
    (303:54:29)

 30   21:27:05 -24:19:04 (Aug-03-1764)  21:40:30.9 -23:15:52  21:40.4 -23:11
    (321:46:18)

 31   00:29:46 +39:09:32 (Aug-03-1764)  00:42:30.4 +40:27:13  00:42.7 +41:16
      (7:26:32)

 32   00:29:50 +38:45:34 (Aug-03-1764)  00:42:33.9 +40:03:15  00:42.7 +40:52
      (7:27:32)

 33   01:40:37 +29:32:25 (Aug-25-1764)  01:54:02.6 +30:42:37  01:33.9 +30:39
     (20:09:17)

 34   02:27:27 +41:39:32 (Aug-25-1764)  02:42:28.6 +42:40:53  02:42.0 +42:47
     (36:51:37)

 35   05:54:41 +24:33:30 (Aug-30-1764)  06:09:08.0 +24:32:51  06:08.9 +24:20
     (88:40:09)

 36   05:20:47 +34:08:06 (Sep-02-1764)  05:36:22.2 +34:18:51  05:36.1 +34:08
     (80:11:42)

 37   05:37:01 +32:11:51 (Sep-02-1764)  05:52:22.0 +32:17:06  05:52.4 +32:33
     (84:15:12)

 38   05:12:41 +36:11:51 (Sep-25-1764)  05:28:31.8 +36:25:18  05:28.4 +35:50
     (78:10:12)

 39   21:23:49 +47:25:00 (Oct-24-1764)  21:32:17.5 +48:26:59  21:32.2 +48:26
    (320:57:10)

 40   12:11:02 +59:23:50 (Oct-24-1764)  12:22:26.8 +58:05:27  12:22.4 +58:05
    (182:45:30)

 41   06:35:53 -20:33:00 (Jan-16-1765)  06:45:58.2 -20:46:57  06:46.0 -20:44   correct pos, while most refs
     (98:58:12)                                                                are 1 min off in RA (06:47.0)

 42   05:23:59 -05:34:06 (Mar-04-1769)  05:35:18.7 -05:23:55  05:35.4 -05:27
     (80:59:40)

 43   05:24:12 -05:26:37 (Mar-04-1769)  05:35:32.4 -05:16:30  05:35.6 -05:16
     (81:03:00)

 44   08:27:22 +20:31:38 (Mar-04-1769)  08:40:39.6 +19:43:37  08:40.1 +19:59
    (126:50:30)

 45   03:33:48 +23:22:41 (Mar-04-1769)  03:47:28.5 +24:06:45  03:47.0 +24:07
     (53:27:04)

 46   07:31:11 -14:19:07 (Feb-19-1771)  07:41:41.3 -14:50:21  07:41.8 -14:49
    (112:47:43)

 47   07:44:16 -14:50:08 (Feb-19-1771)  07:54:45.5 -15:25:18  07:36.6 -14:30   off in RA; wrong sign from 2 Pup
    (116:03:58)

 48   08:02:24 -01:16:42 (Feb-19-1771)  08:13:59.6 -01:57:16  08:13.8 -05:48   off in Dec
    (120:36:00)

 49   12:17:48 +09:16:09 (Feb-19-1771)  12:29:26.2 +08:00:06  12:29.8 +08:00
    (184:26:58)

 50   06:51:50 -07:57:42 (Apr-05-1772)  07:02:47.5 -08:16:32  07:03.2 -08:20
    (102:57:28)

 51   13:20:23 +48:24:24 (Jan-11-1774)  13:29:56.3 +47:14:02  13:29.9 +47:12
    (200:05:48)

 52   23:14:38 +60:22:12 (Sep-07-1774)  23:24:35.0 +61:36:19  23:24.2 +61:35
    (348:39:27)

 53   13:02:02 +19:22:44 (Feb-26-1777)  13:12:57.2 +18:11:29  13:12.9 +18:10
    (195:30:26)

 54   18:40:52 -30:44:01 (Jul-24-1778)  18:55:03.5 -30:28:39  18:55.1 -30:29
    (280:12:55)

 55   19:26:02 -31:26:27 (Jul-24-1778)  19:40:06.9 -30:57:13  19:40.0 -30:58
    (291:30:25)

 56   19:08:00 +29:48:14 (Jan-23-1779)  19:16:36.7 +30:11:08  19:16.6 +30:11
    (287:00:01)

 57   18:45:21 +32:46:03 (Jan-31-1779)  18:53:33.2 +33:01:51  18:53.6 +33:02
    (281:20:08)

 58   12:26:30 +13:02:42 (Apr-15-1779)  12:37:39.0 +11:49:40  12:37.7 +11:49
    (186:37:23)

 59   12:30:47 +12:52:36 (Apr-15-1779)  12:41:55.0 +11:39:47  12:42.0 +11:39
    (187:41:38)

 60   12:32:28 +12:46:02 (Apr-15-1779)  12:43:35.6 +11:33:18  12:43.7 +11:33
    (188:06:53)

 61   12:10:44 +05:42:05 (May-11-1779)  12:21:59.9 +04:28:33  12:21.9 +04:28
    (182:41:05)

 62   16:47:14 -29:45:30 (Jun-04-1779)  17:01:14.5 -30:06:22  17:01.2 -30:07
    (251:48:24)

 63   13:04:22 +43:12:37 (Jun-14-1779)  13:14:18.7 +42:02:17  13:15.8 +42:02
    (196:05:30)

 64   12:45:51 +22:52:31 (Mar-01-1780)  12:56:41.7 +21:40:40  12:56.7 +21:41
    (191:27:38)

 65   11:07:24 +14:16:08 (Mar-01-1780)  11:18:53.8 +13:04:13  11:18.9 +13:05
    (166:50:54)

 66   11:08:47 +14:12:21 (Mar-01-1780)  11:20:16.4 +13:00:20  11:20.2 +12:59
    (167:11:39)

 67   08:36:28 +12:36:38 (Apr-06-1780)  08:48:31.3 +11:48:50  08:50.4 +11:49
    (129:06:57)

 68   12:27:38 -25:30:20 (Apr-09-1780)  12:39:14.0 -26:42:58  12:39.5 -26:45
    (186:54:33)

 69   18:16:47 -32:31:45 (Aug-31-1780)  18:31:06.3 -32:24:07  18:31.4 -32:21
    (274:11:46)

 70   18:28:53 -32:31:07 (Aug-31-1780)  18:43:10.7 -32:19:39  18:43.2 -32:18
    (277:13:16)

 71   19:43:57 +18:13:00 (Oct-04-1780)  19:53:43.4 +18:46:29  19:53.8 +18:47
    (295:59:06)
   PM 19:44:00 +18:14:21 (Jun-28-1780)  19:53:46.8 +18:47:53  19:53.8 +18:47
    (296:00:04)

 72   20:41:23 -13:20:51 (Oct-04-1780)  20:53:26.6 -12:31:13  20:53.5 -12:32
    (310:20:49)
   PM 20:41:25 -13:21:24 (Aug-29-1780+) 20:53:29.0 -12:32:30  20:53.5 -12:32
    (310:21;10)

 73   20:46:52 -13:28:40 (Oct-04-1780+) 20:58:55.0 -12:38:30  20:58.9 -12:38
    (311:43:04)

 74   01:24:57 +14:39:35 (Oct-18-1780)  01:36:41.3 +15:47:09  01:36.7 +15:47
     (21:14:09)
   PM 01:25:08 +14:36:00 (Sep-1780)     01:36:52.5 +15:43:35  01:36.7 +15:47
     (21:17:00)

 75   19:53:10 -22:32:23 (Oct-18-1780)  20:06:07.4 -21:55:52  20:06.1 -21:55
    (298:17:24)
   PM 19:53:10 -22:32:00 (Aug-27-1780+) 20:06:07.7 -21:55:27  20:06.1 -21:55
    (298:17:30)

 76   01:28:43 +50:28:48 (Oct-21-1780)  01:42:23.2 +51:35:46  01:42.4 +51:34
     (22:10:47)
   PM 01:28:42 +50:28:12 (Sep-05-1780)  01:42:22.5 +51:35:12  01:42.4 +51:34
     (22:10:26)

 77   02:31:30 -00:57:43 (Dec-17-1780)  02:42:41.3 -00:01:04  02:42.7 -00:01
     (37:52:33)
   PM 02:31:32 -00:57:44 (Oct-29-1780)  02:42:40.8 -00:01:17  02:42.7 -00:01
     (37:52:58)

 78   05:35:34 -00:01:23 (Dec-17-1780)  05:46:16.0 +00:04:47  05:46.7 +00:03
     (83:53:35)
   PM 05:35:32 -00:00:31 (ea.-1780)     05:46:47.2 +00:05:31  05:46.7 +00:03
     (83:53:02)

 79   05:15:16 -24:42:57 (Dec-17-1780)  05:24:16.8 -24:30:10  05:24.5 -24:33
     (78:49:02)
   PM 05:15:09 -24:44:46 (Oct-26-1780)  05:24:10.1 -24:31:56  05:24.5 -24:33
     (78:47:10)

 80   16:04:00 -22:25:13 (Jan-04-1781)  16:17:01.7 -22:58:52  16:17.0 -22:59
    (240:59:48)
   PM 16:04:02 -22:27:58 (Jan-27-1781)  16:17:03.6 -23:01:36  16:17.0 -22:59
    (241:00:26)

 81   09:37:51 +70:07:24 (Feb-09-1781)  09:56:15.1 +69:06:13  09:55.6 +69:04
    (144:27:44)
   PM 09:37:48 +70:04:00 (Aug-1779)     09:56:17.7 +69:02:25  09:55.6 +69:04
    (144:27:00)

 82   09:37:57 +70:44:27 (Feb-09-1781)  09:56:35.1 +69:43:14  09:55.8 +69:41
    (144:29:22)
   PM 09:37:53 +70:43:05 (Aug-1779)     09:56:37.6 +69:41:28  09:55.8 +69:41
    (144:28:13)

 83   13:24:33 -28:42:27 (Feb-17-1781)  13:36:48.7 -29:49:57  13:37.0 -29:52
    (201:08:13)

 84   12:14:01 +14:07:01 (Mar-18-1781)  12:25:07.3 +12:54:10  12:25.1 +12:53
    (183:30:21)

 85   12:14:21 +19:24:26 (Mar-18-1781)  12:25:24.7 +18:11:35  12:25.4 +18:11
    (183:35:21)
   PM 12:14:23 +19:23:00 (Mar-04-1781)  12:25:26.7 +18:10:10  12:25.4 +18:11
    (183:35:45)

 86   12:15:05 +14:09:52 (Mar-18-1781)  12:26:10.9 +12:57:03  12:26.2 +12:57
    (183:46:21)

 87   12:19:48 +13:38:01 (Mar-18-1781)  12:30:52.8 +12:25:21  12:30.8 +12:24
    (184:57:06)

 88   12:21:03 +15:37:51 (Mar-18-1781)  12:32:06.2 +14:25:13  12:32.0 +14:25
    (185:15:49)

 89   12:24:38 +13:46:49 (Mar-18-1781)  12:35:41.3 +12:34:20  12:35.7 +12:33
    (186:09:36)

 90   12:25:48 +14:22:50 (Mar-18-1781)  12:36:50.5 +13:10:24  12:36.8 +13:10
    (186:27:00)

 91   12:26:28 +14:57:06 (Mar-18-1781)  12:37:29.9 +13:44:42  12:35.4 +14:30   pos off; measured from wrong galaxy
    (186:37:00)

 92   17:10:32 +43:21:59 (Mar-18-1781)  17:17:14.7 +43:07:22  17:17.1 +43:08
    (257:38:03)

 93   07:35:14 -23:19:45 (Mar-20-1781)  07:44:30.5 -23:50:37  07:44.6 -23:52
    (113:48:35)

 94   12:40:43 +42:18:43 (Mar-24-1781)  12:51:03.4 +41:07:04  12:50.9 +41:07
    (190:10:46)
   PM 12:40:38 +42:18:50 (Mar-22-1781)  12:50:58.5 +41:07:11  12:50.9 +41:07
    (190:09:38)

 95   10:32:12 +12:50:21 (Mar-24-1781)  10:43:46.5 +11:41:52  10:44.0 +11:42
    (158:03:05)
   PM 10:32:26 +12:49:50 (Mar-20-1781)  10:44:00.5 +11:41:19  10:44.0 +11:42
    (158:06:23)

 96   10:35:05 +12:58:09 (Mar-24-1781)  10:46:39.0 +11:49:21  10:46.8 +11:49
    (158:46:20)
   PM 10:35:12 +12:57:33 (Mar-20-1781)  10:46:46.0 +11:48:44  10:46.8 +11:49
    (158:48:00)

 97   11:01:15 +56:13:30 (Mar-24-1781)  11:14:04.0 +55:02:17  11:14.8 +55:01
    (161:18:40)

 98   12:03:23 +16:08:15 (Apr-13-1781)  12:14:31.8 +14:55:13  12:13.8 +14:54
    (180:50:49)

 99   12:07:41 +15:37:12 (Apr-13-1781)  12:18:48.4 +14:24:14  12:18.8 +14:25
    (181:55:19)

100   12:11:57 +16:59:21 (Apr-13-1781)  12:23:02.4 +15:46:29  12:22.9 +15:49   
    (182:59:19)

101PM 13:43:28 +55:24:25 (Mar-27-1781)  13:51:32.4 +54:19:12  14:03.2 +54:21   12m W off in RA
    (208:52:42)

102   14:40:   +56:      (prob. 1781)   14:46:33.5 +55:04:41  15:06.5 +55:46   5 deg/20m W

103   01:20:   +61:      (prob. 1781)   01:34:32.6 +62:07:51  01:33.2 +60:42

104   12:28:39 -10:24:49 (May-11-1781)  12:39:59.4 -11:37:05  12:40.0 -11:37
    (187:09:42)

105PM 10:36:15 +13:43:58 (Mar-24-1781)  10:47:49.9 +12:35:03  10:47.8 +12:35

106PM 12:06:40 +49       (Jul-1781)     12:17:34   +47:47     12:19.0 +47:18

107 PM                   (Apr-1782)                           16:32.5 -13:03

108                      (Mar-24-1781)                        11:11.5 +55:40

109                      (Mar-24-1781)                        11:57.6 +53:23

110   00:28.0  +39:37    (Aug-10-1773)  00:40.2    +40:52     00:40.4 +41:41
      (7:00.5)

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: August 12, 2011