The Messier catalogue
109 OF 110Charles Messier was hunting comets, and kept finding things that looked like comets and did not move. Between 1774 and 1781 he published the list of them so that he and everyone after him could stop being fooled — which is why the finest deep-sky objects in the northern sky are catalogued as a list of nuisances. Every one is visible in a small telescope, and most in binoculars.
NOT IN THIS CATALOGUE
One entry is missing here — M 102. They are objects the upstream catalogues this site merges do not carry as a single row, usually because they are a naked-eye asterism or a pair of clusters catalogued separately.
NAME
CLASS
MASS
DISTANCE
MAG
CONSTELLATION
M 1Crab Nebula★
Supernova remnant
—
6500 ly
8.40 V
Taurus
M 2M2
Globular cluster
—
37 182 ly
6.25 V
Aquarius
M 3M3
Globular cluster
—
32 616 ly
6.39 V
Canes Venatici
M 4M4
Globular cluster
—
7175 ly
5.40 V
Scorpius
M 5M5
Globular cluster
—
23 809 ly
5.95 V
Serpens
M 6Butterfly Cluster
Open cluster
—
1482 ly
4.20 V
Scorpius
M 7Ptolemy's Cluster
Open cluster
—
905.7 ly
3.30 V
Scorpius
M 8Lagoon Nebula★
Nebula
—
4100 ly
5.80 V
Sagittarius
M 9M9
Globular cluster
—
27 071 ly
8.42 V
Ophiuchus
M 10M10
Globular cluster
—
14 025 ly
4.98 V
Ophiuchus
M 11Amas de l'Ecu de Sobieski
Open cluster
—
7159 ly
5.80 V
Scutum
M 12M12
Globular cluster
—
15 329 ly
6.07 V
Ophiuchus
M 13Hercules Globular Cluster★
Globular cluster
—
22 200 ly
5.80 V
Hercules
M 14M14
Globular cluster
—
28 376 ly
5.73 V
Ophiuchus
M 15M15
Globular cluster
—
33 268 ly
6.30 V
Pegasus
M 16IC 4703
Nebula
—
—
6.00 V
Serpens
M 17Checkmark Nebula★
Nebula
—
5500 ly
7.00 V
Sagittarius
M 18M18
Open cluster
—
4874 ly
6.90 V
Sagittarius
M 19M19
Globular cluster
—
27 723 ly
5.57 V
Ophiuchus
M 20Trifid Nebula★
Nebula
—
4100 ly
8.50 V
Sagittarius
M 21M21
Open cluster
—
3944 ly
5.90 V
Sagittarius
M 22M22
Globular cluster
—
10 437 ly
6.17 V
Sagittarius
M 23M23
Open cluster
—
2359 ly
5.50 V
Sagittarius
M 24Small Sgr Star Cloud
Stellar association
—
—
4.50 V
Sagittarius
M 25M25
Open cluster
—
2114 ly
4.60 V
Sagittarius
M 26M26
Open cluster
—
5900 ly
8.87 V
Scutum
M 27Dumbbell Nebula★
Planetary nebula
—
1360 ly
7.40 V
Vulpecula
M 28M28
Globular cluster
—
18 591 ly
6.90 V
Sagittarius
M 29M29
Open cluster
—
5606 ly
6.60 V
Cygnus
M 30M30
Globular cluster
—
25 766 ly
7.10 V
Capricornus
M 31Andromeda Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
2.537 Mly
3.44 V
Andromeda
M 32M32
Elliptical galaxy E
—
—
8.13 V
Andromeda
M 33Triangulum Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy Sc
—
2.730 Mly
5.79 V
Triangulum
M 34M34
Open cluster
—
1649 ly
5.20 V
Perseus
M 35M35
Open cluster
—
2813 ly
5.10 V
Gemini
M 36M36
Open cluster
—
3773 ly
6.00 V
Auriga
M 37M37
Open cluster
—
4690 ly
5.60 V
Auriga
M 38M38
Open cluster
—
3612 ly
6.40 V
Auriga
M 39M39
Open cluster
—
969.0 ly
4.60 V
Cygnus
M 40M40
Double star
—
—
8.00 V
Ursa Major
M 41M41
Open cluster
—
2349 ly
4.50 V
Canis Major
M 42Great Orion Nebula★
Nebula with cluster
—
1344 ly
4.00 V
Orion
M 43Mairan's Nebula
H II region
—
—
9.00 V
Orion
M 44Beehive
Open cluster
—
605.0 ly
3.10 V
Cancer
M 45Pleiades★
Open cluster
—
444.0 ly
1.20 V
Taurus
M 46M46
Open cluster
—
5161 ly
6.10 V
Puppis
M 47M47
Open cluster
—
1554 ly
4.40 V
Puppis
M 48M48
Open cluster
—
2475 ly
5.80 V
Hydra
M 49M49
Elliptical galaxy E
—
60.20 Mly
8.28 V
Virgo
M 50M50
Open cluster
—
3178 ly
5.90 V
Monoceros
M 51Whirlpool Galaxy★
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABb
—
23.60 Mly
8.36 V
Canes Venatici
M 52M52
Open cluster
—
5219 ly
6.90 V
Cassiopeia
M 53M53
Globular cluster
—
60 013 ly
7.79 V
Coma Berenices
M 54M54
Globular cluster
—
85 453 ly
7.70 V
Sagittarius
M 55M55
Globular cluster
—
17 286 ly
6.49 V
Sagittarius
M 56M56
Globular cluster
—
32 289 ly
8.40 V
Lyra
M 57Ring Nebula★
Planetary nebula
—
2570 ly
8.80 V
Lyra
M 58M58
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
94.22 Mly
10.30 V
Virgo
M 59M59
Elliptical galaxy E
—
—
9.56 V
Virgo
M 60M60
Elliptical galaxy E
—
62.63 Mly
8.79 V
Virgo
M 61M61
Spiral galaxy Sbc
—
89.67 Mly
10.25 V
Virgo
M 62M62
Globular cluster
—
21 852 ly
7.39 V
Ophiuchus
M 63Sunflower Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy Sbc
—
33.01 Mly
8.61 V
Canes Venatici
M 64Black Eye Galaxy★
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABa
—
—
8.52 V
Coma Berenices
M 65M65
Spiral galaxy Sa
—
51.85 Mly
9.32 V
Leo
M 66M66
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
49.04 Mly
8.92 V
Leo
M 67M67
Open cluster
—
2802 ly
6.90 V
Cancer
M 68M68
Globular cluster
—
32 942 ly
7.96 V
Hydra
M 69M69
Globular cluster
—
26 745 ly
8.31 V
Sagittarius
M 70M70
Globular cluster
—
28 376 ly
9.06 V
Sagittarius
M 71M71
Globular cluster
—
12 394 ly
6.10 V
Sagitta
M 72M72
Globular cluster
—
54 794 ly
8.96 V
Aquarius
M 73M73
Unclassified object
—
—
8.90 V
Aquarius
M 74M74
Spiral galaxy Sc
—
—
9.31 V
Pisces
M 75M75
Globular cluster
—
60 013 ly
8.26 V
Sagittarius
M 76Barbell Nebula
Planetary nebula
—
—
10.10 V
Perseus
M 77M77
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
42.92 Mly
9.29 V
Cetus
M 78M78★
Reflection nebula
—
—
8.00 V
Orion
M 79M79
Globular cluster
—
41 096 ly
8.16 V
Lepus
M 80M80
Globular cluster
—
28 376 ly
7.30 V
Scorpius
M 81Bode's Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy Sab
—
11.90 Mly
6.92 V
Ursa Major
M 82Cigar Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy S?
—
11.50 Mly
8.30 V
Ursa Major
M 83Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral galaxy Sc
—
37.30 Mly
7.21 V
Hydra
M 84M84
Elliptical galaxy E
—
61.29 Mly
9.79 V
Virgo
M 85M85
Lenticular galaxy S0-a
—
50.85 Mly
9.05 V
Coma Berenices
M 86M86
Elliptical galaxy E
—
—
8.86 V
Virgo
M 87Virgo Galaxy★
Elliptical galaxy E
—
53.50 Mly
9.00 V
Virgo
M 88M88
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
122.1 Mly
10.33 V
Coma Berenices
M 89M89
Elliptical galaxy E
—
—
10.08 V
Virgo
M 90M90
Spiral galaxy Sab
—
—
9.54 V
Virgo
M 91M91
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
38.01 Mly
10.96 V
Coma Berenices
M 92M92
Globular cluster
—
26 419 ly
6.52 V
Hercules
M 93M93
Open cluster
—
3271 ly
6.20 V
Puppis
M 94M94
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABa
—
—
8.24 V
Canes Venatici
M 95M95
Spiral galaxy Sb
—
52.15 Mly
9.77 V
Leo
M 96M96
Spiral galaxy Sab
—
58.52 Mly
9.21 V
Leo
M 97Owl Nebula
Planetary nebula
—
2025 ly
9.90 V
Ursa Major
M 98M98
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABb
—
—
10.84 V
Coma Berenices
M 99Coma Pinwheel
Spiral galaxy Sc
—
128.6 Mly
9.84 V
Coma Berenices
M 100M100
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABb
—
88.96 Mly
9.47 V
Coma Berenices
M 101M101★
Intermediate spiral galaxy SABc
—
20.90 Mly
7.90 V
Ursa Major
M 103M103
Open cluster
—
8113 ly
7.40 V
Cassiopeia
M 104Sombrero Galaxy★
Spiral galaxy Sa
—
29.50 Mly
8.59 V
Virgo
M 105M105
Elliptical galaxy E
—
57.19 Mly
9.27 V
Leo
M 106M106
Spiral galaxy Sbc
—
31.17 Mly
9.29 V
Canes Venatici
M 107M107
Globular cluster
—
20 548 ly
8.85 V
Ophiuchus
M 108M108
Spiral galaxy Sc
—
40.55 Mly
10.05 V
Ursa Major
M 109M109
Spiral galaxy Sbc
—
57.37 Mly
9.88 V
Ursa Major
M 110M110★
Elliptical galaxy E
—
—
8.15 V
Andromeda
[
COMMON QUESTIONS
] 3 ANSWERED- How many Messier objects are there?
- 110. Messier and his colleague Pierre Méchain published 103; the last seven were added in the twentieth century from their notes and correspondence.
- What is a Messier marathon?
- An attempt to observe every Messier object in a single night. It is only possible from around 25° north latitude in late March, when the Sun sits in the one gap in the list where Messier found nothing.
- What kinds of object are in the catalogue?
- Galaxies, nebulae and star clusters, plus one supernova remnant (M 1, the Crab) and one double star. Messier recorded them all as things that were not comets, so the list has no organising principle beyond that.