Midnight Culmination of the Messier Objects

Below we give the dates of Midnight Culmination for the Messier Objects.

As the Earth orbits the Sun, every object in the sky once comes into the position opposite from the Sun, as seen from Earth (so-called opposition); then its daily meridian transit (culmination) occurs at midnight. More acurately, the date given is the only day in the year when there occur two culminations: One shortly (within 4 minutes) after 0:00 midnight, and the second shortly (again, within 4 minutes) before 24:00, or the next day's 0:00 midnight (this reflects the fact that there are about 366.25 siderial days in an about 365.25 solar days year, i.e. exactly one day more).


M# NGC# Con Type RA Dec m D MC
M1 1952 Tau 9 05:34.5 +22:01 8.4 6x4 Dec 14 M2 7089 Aqr 2 21:33.5 -00:49 6.5 12.9 Aug 14 M3 5272 CVn 2 13:42.2 +28:23 6.2 16.2 Apr 17 M4 6121 Sco 2 16:23.6 -26:32 5.6 26.3 May 28 M5 5904 Ser 2 15:18.6 +02:05 5.6 17.4 May 11 M6 6405 Sco 1 17:40.1 -32:13 5.3 15.0 Jun 16 M7 6475 Sco 1 17:53.9 -34:49 4.1 80.0 Jun 20 M8 6523 Sgr 4 18:03.8 -24:23 6.0 60x35 Jun 22 M9 6333 Oph 2 17:19.2 -18:31 7.7 9.3 Jun 11 M10 6254 Oph 2 16:57.1 -04:06 6.6 15.1 Jun 5 M11 6705 Sct 1 18:51.1 -06:16 6.3 14.0 Jul 4 M12 6218 Oph 2 16:47.2 -01:57 6.7 14.5 Jun 3 M13 6205 Her 2 16:41.7 +36:28 5.8 16.6 Jun 1 M14 6402 Oph 2 17:37.6 -03:15 7.6 11.7 Jun 16 M15 7078 Peg 2 21:30.0 +12:10 6.2 12.3 Aug 14 M16 6611 Ser 1 18:18.8 -13:47 6.4 7.0 Jun 26 M17 6618 Sgr 4 18:20.8 -16:11 7.0 11.0 Jun 27 M18 6613 Sgr 1 18:19.9 -17:08 7.5 9.0 Jun 26 M19 6273 Oph 2 17:02.6 -26:16 6.8 13.5 Jun 7 M20 6514 Sgr 4 18:02.6 -23:02 9.0 28.0 Jun 22 M21 6531 Sgr 1 18:04.6 -22:30 6.5 13.0 Jun 22 M22 6656 Sgr 2 18:36.4 -23:54 5.1 24.0 Jun 30 M23 6494 Sgr 1 17:56.8 -19:01 6.9 27.0 Jun 20 M24 >6603 Sgr B 18:16.9 -18:29 4.6 90 Jun 26 M25 I4725 Sgr 1 18:31.6 -19:15 6.5 40.0 Jun 29 M26 6694 Sct 1 18:45.2 -09:24 8.0 15.0 Jul 3 M27 6853 Vul 3 19:59.6 +22:43 7.4 8.0x5.7 Jul 22 M28 6626 Sgr 2 18:24.5 -24:52 6.8 11.2 Jun 27 M29 6913 Cyg 1 20:23.9 +38:32 7.1 7.0 Jul 28 M30 7099 Cap 2 21:40.4 -23:11 7.2 11.0 Aug 16 M31 224 And 5 00:42.7 +41:16 3.4 178x63 Oct 1 M32 221 And 6 00:42.7 +40:52 8.1 8x6 Oct 1 M33 598 Tri 5 01:33.9 +30:39 5.7 73x45 Oct 14 M34 1039 Per 1 02:42.0 +42:47 5.5 35.0 Nov 1 M35 2168 Gem 1 06:08.9 +24:20 5.3 28.0 Dec 23 M36 1960 Aur 1 05:36.1 +34:08 6.3 12.0 Dec 15 M37 2099 Aur 1 05:52.4 +32:33 6.2 24.0 Dec 19 M38 1922 Aur 1 05:28.4 +35:50 7.4 21.0 Dec 13 M39 7092 Cyg 1 21:32.2 +48:26 4.6 32.0 Aug 14 M40 Win4 UMa C 12:22.4 +58:05 8.4 0.8 Mar 28 M41 2287 CMa 1 06:46.0 -20:44 4.6 38.0 Jan 1 M42 1976 Ori 4 05:35.4 -05:27 4.0 85x60 Dec 15 M43 1982 Ori 4 05:35.6 -05:16 9.0 20x15 Dec 15 M44 2632 Cnc 1 08:40.1 +19:59 3.7 95.0 Jan 30 M45 - Tau 1 03:47.0 +24:07 1.6 110.0 Nov 17 M46 2437 Pup 1 07:41.8 -14:49 6.0 27.0 Jan 15 M47 2422 Pup 1 07:36.6 -14:30 5.2 30.0 Jan 14 M48 2548 Hya 1 08:13.8 -05:48 5.5 54.0 Jan 24 M49 4472 Vir 6 12:29.8 +08:00 8.4 9x7.5 Mar 30 M50 2323 Mon 1 07:03.2 -08:20 6.3 16.0 Jan 6 M51 5194 CVn 5 13:29.9 +47:12 8.4 11x7 Apr 14 M51B 5195 CVn 5 13 30.0 +47 16 9.6 6.4x4.6 Apr 14 M52 7654 Cas 1 23:24.2 +61:35 7.3 13.0 Sep 11 M53 5024 Com 2 13:12.9 +18:10 7.6 12.6 Apr 9 M54 6715 Sgr 2 18:55.1 -30:29 7.6 9.1 Jul 5 M55 6809 Sgr 2 19:40.0 -30:58 6.3 19.0 Jul 17 M56 6779 Lyr 2 19:16.6 +30:11 8.3 7.1 Jul 11 M57 6720 Lyr 3 18:53.6 +33:02 8.8 1.4x1.0 Jul 5 M58 4579 Vir 5 12:37.7 +11:49 9.7 5.5x4.5 Apr 1 M59 4621 Vir 6 12:42.0 +11:39 9.6 5x3.5 Apr 2 M60 4649 Vir 6 12:43.7 +11:33 8.8 7x6 Apr 2 M61 4303 Vir 5 12:21.9 +04:28 9.7 6x5.5 Mar 28 M62 6266 Oph 2 17:01.2 -30:07 6.5 14.1 Jun 6 M63 5055 CVn 5 13:15.8 +42:02 8.6 10x6 Apr 10 M64 4826 Com 5 12:56.7 +21:41 8.5 9.3x5.4 Apr 5 M65 3623 Leo 5 11:18.9 +13:05 9.3 8x1.5 Mar 12 M66 3627 Leo 5 11:20.2 +12:59 8.9 8x2.5 Mar 12 M67 2682 Cnc 1 08:50.4 +11:49 6.1 30.0 Feb 2 M68 4590 Hya 2 12:39.5 -26:45 7.8 12.0 Apr 1 M69 6637 Sgr 2 18:31.4 -32:21 7.6 7.1 Jun 29 M70 6681 Sgr 2 18:43.2 -32:18 7.9 7.8 Jul 2 M71 6838 Sge 2 19:53.8 +18:47 8.2 7.2 Jul 20 M72 6981 Aqr 2 20:53.5 -12:32 9.3 5.9 Aug 4 M73 6994 Aqr A 20:58.9 -12:38 9.0 2.8 Aug 6 M74 628 Psc 5 01:36.7 +15:47 9.4 10.2x9.5 Oct 15 M75 6864 Sgr 2 20:06.1 -21:55 8.5 6.0 Jul 23 M76 650 Per 3 01:42.4 +51:34 10.1 2.7x1.8 Oct 17 M77 1068 Cet 5 02:42.7 -00:01 8.9 7x6 Nov 1 M78 2068 Ori 4 05:46.7 +00:03 8.3 8x6 Dec 18 M79 1904 Lep 2 05:24.5 -24:33 7.7 8.7 Dec 12 M80 6093 Sco 2 16:17.0 -22:59 7.3 8.9 May 26 M81 3031 UMa 5 09:55.6 +69:04 6.9 21x10 Feb 18 M82 3034 UMa 7 09:55.8 +69:41 8.4 9x4 Feb 18 M83 5236 Hya 5 13:37.0 -29:52 7.6 11x10 Apr 16 M84 4374 Vir 8 12:25.1 +12:53 9.1 5.0 Mar 28 M85 4382 Com 8 12:25.4 +18:11 9.1 7.1x5.2 Mar 28 M86 4406 Vir 8 12:26.2 +12:57 8.9 7.5x5.5 Mar 29 M87 4486 Vir 6 12:30.8 +12:24 8.6 7.0 Mar 30 M88 4501 Com 5 12:32.0 +14:25 9.6 7x4 Mar 30 M89 4552 Vir 6 12:35.7 +12:33 9.8 4.0 Mar 31 M90 4569 Vir 5 12:36.8 +13:10 9.5 9.5x4.5 Mar 31 M91 4548 Com 5 12:35.4 +14:30 10.2 5.4x4.4 Mar 31 M92 6341 Her 2 17:17.1 +43:08 6.4 11.2 Jun 10 M93 2447 Pup 1 07:44.6 -23:52 6.0 22.0 Jan 16 M94 4736 CVn 5 12:50.9 +41:07 8.2 7x3 Apr 4 M95 3351 Leo 5 10:44.0 +11:42 9.7 4.4x3.3 Mar 3 M96 3368 Leo 5 10:46.8 +11:49 9.2 6x4 Mar 3 M97 3587 UMa 3 11:14.8 +55:01 9.9 3.4x3.3 Mar 10 M98 4192 Com 5 12:13.8 +14:54 10.1 9.5x3.2 Mar 25 M99 4254 Com 5 12:18.8 +14:25 9.9 5.4x4.8 Mar 27 M100 4321 Com 5 12:22.9 +15:49 9.3 7x6 Mar 28 M101 5457 UMa 5 14:03.2 +54:21 7.9 22.0 Apr 22 M102 5866 Dra 8 15:06.5 +55:46 9.9 5.2x2.3 May 8 M103 581 Cas 1 01:33.2 +60:42 7.4 6.0 Oct 14 M104 4594 Vir 5 12:40.0 -11:37 8.0 9x4 Apr 1 M105 3379 Leo 6 10:47.8 +12:35 9.3 2.0 Mar 4 M106 4258 CVn 5 12:19.0 +47:18 8.4 19x8 Mar 27 M107 6171 Oph 2 16:32.5 -13:03 7.9 10.0 May 30 M108 3556 UMa 5 11:11.5 +55:40 10.0 8x1 Mar 10 M109 3992 UMa 5 11:57.6 +53:23 9.8 7x4 Mar 21 M109B 3953 UMa 5 11:53.8 +52:20 10.1 7x4 Mar 21 M110 205 And 6 00:40.4 +41:41 8.5 17x10 Oct 1
Key:
Type:
1=Open Cluster, 2=Globular Cluster, 3=Planetary Nebula, 4=Diffuse Nebula, 5=Spiral Galaxy, 6=Elliptical Galaxy, 7=Irregular Galaxy, 8=Lenticular (S0) Galaxy, 9=Supernova Remnant, A=System of 4 stars or Asterism, B=Milky Way Patch, C=Binary star.
RA, Dec:
Right Ascension in hours:minutes and Declination in degrees:minutes. Epoch 2000.0
m:
apparent visual magnitude, value in our database
D:
apparent (angular) diameter in arc minutes, value in our database
MC:
Midnight Culmination Date


Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: February 14, 1998