Messier Catalog

The Messier Catalog below is a list of astronomical objects catalogued by the French astronomer [1] in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles" ("Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters"), originally published in 1771. Messier created this list because of his interest in finding comets. He developed the list to help differentiate between comets and other "fuzzy objects" that didn't move. These objects primarily comprised galaxies, open clusters, globular clusters, planetary nebula and supernova remnants.

My goal is to photograph each object, with my list and current photographs below.

Messier objects

Messier Number	Scope	Ted's Messier Photo	NGC/IC Number	Common name	Object type	Distance (kly)	Constellation	Apparent magnitude
M1	T3		NGC 1952	Crab Nebula	Supernova remnant	4.9-8.1	Taurus	8.4
M2			NGC 7089		Cluster, globular	33	Aquarius	6.3
M3	T12		NGC 5272		Cluster, globular	33.9	Canes Venatici	6.2
M4			NGC 6121		Cluster, globular	7.2	Scorpius	5.9
M5	T16		NGC 5904		Cluster, globular	24.5	Serpens	6.7
M6			NGC 6405	Butterfly Cluster	Cluster, open	1.6	Scorpius	4.2
M7			NGC 6475	Ptolemy Cluster	Cluster, open	0.65-1.31	Scorpius	3.3
M8	T12		NGC 6523	Lagoon Nebula	Nebula with cluster	4.1	Sagittarius	6
M9			NGC 6333		Cluster, globular	25.8	Ophiuchus	8.4
M10	T16		NGC 6254		Cluster, globular	14.3	Ophiuchus	6.4
M11			NGC 6705	Wild Duck Cluster	Cluster, open	6.2	Scutum	6.3
M12			NGC 6218		Cluster, globular	15.7	Ophiuchus	7.7
M13	T16		NGC 6205	Great Globular Cluster in Hercules	Cluster, globular	22.2	Hercules	5.8
M14			NGC 6402		Cluster, globular	30.3	Ophiuchus	8.3
M15			NGC 7078		Cluster, globular	33	Pegasus	6.2
M16	T21		NGC 6611	Eagle Nebula	Nebula, H II region with cluster	7	Serpens	6
M17			NGC 6618	Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or Lobster Nebula	Nebula, H II region with cluster	6-May	Sagittarius	6
M18			NGC 6613		Cluster, open	4.9	Sagittarius	7.5
M19			NGC 6273		Cluster, globular	28.7	Ophiuchus	7.5
M20	T12		NGC 6514	Trifid Nebula	Nebula, H II region with cluster	5.2	Sagittarius	6.3
M21			NGC 6531		Cluster, open	4.25	Sagittarius	6.5
M22			NGC 6656	Sagittarius Cluster	Cluster, globular	9.6-11.6	Sagittarius	5.1
M23			NGC 6494		Cluster, open	2.15	Sagittarius	6.9
M24			IC 4715	Sagittarius Star Cloud	Milky Way star cloud	~10	Sagittarius	4.6
M25			IC 4725		Cluster, open	2	Sagittarius	4.6
M26			NGC 6694		Cluster, open	5	Scutum	8
M27			NGC 6853	Dumbbell Nebula	Nebula, planetary	1.148-1.52	Vulpecula	7.5
M28			NGC 6626		Cluster, globular	17.9	Sagittarius	7.7
M29			NGC 6913		Cluster, open	7.2	Cygnus	7.1
M30			NGC 7099		Cluster, globular	27.8-31	Capricornus	7.7
M31	T20		NGC 224	Andromeda Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	2,430-2,650	Andromeda	3.4
M32			NGC 221		Galaxy, dwarf elliptical	2,410-2,570	Andromeda	8.1
M33	T3		NGC 598	Triangulum Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	2,380-3,070	Triangulum	5.7
M34			NGC 1039		Cluster, open	1.5	Perseus	5.5
M35	T20		NGC 2168		Cluster, open	2.8	Gemini	5.3
M36	T14		NGC 1960		Cluster, open	4.1	Auriga	6.3
M37	T24		NGC 2099		Cluster, open	4.511	Auriga	6.2
M38	T24		NGC 1912		Cluster, open	4.2	Auriga	7.4
M39			NGC 7092		Cluster, open	0.8244	Cygnus	5.5
M40				Winnecke 4	Double star WNC4	0.51	Ursa Major	9.7
M41			NGC 2287		Cluster, open	2.3	Canis Major	4.5
M42	T20		NGC 1976	Orion Nebula	Nebula, H II region	1.324-1.364	Orion	4
M43			NGC 1982	De Mairan's Nebula	Nebula, H II region
M44		60px	NGC 2632	Beehive Cluster	Cluster, open	0.577	Cancer	3.7
M45	T14			Pleiades	Cluster, open	0.39-0.46	Taurus	1.6
M46			NGC 2437		Cluster, open	5.4	Puppis	6.1
M47	T20		NGC 2422		Cluster, open	1.6	Puppis	4.2
M48			NGC 2548		Cluster, open	1.5	Hydra	5.5
M49			NGC 4472		Galaxy, elliptical	53,600-58,200	Virgo	9.4
M50			NGC 2323		Cluster, open	3.2	Monoceros	5.9
M51	T16		NGC 5194, NGC 5195	Whirlpool Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	19,000-27,000	Canes Venatici	8.4
M52			NGC 7654		Cluster, open	5	Cassiopeia	5
M53	T16		NGC 5024		Cluster, globular	58	Coma Berenices	8.3
M54			NGC 6715		Cluster, globular	87.4	Sagittarius	8.4
M55			NGC 6809		Cluster, globular	17.6	Sagittarius	7.4
M56	T20		NGC 6779		Cluster, globular	32.9	Lyra	8.3
M57	T11		NGC 6720	Ring Nebula	Nebula, planetary	1.6-3.8	Lyra	8.8
M58	T14		NGC 4579		Galaxy, barred spiral	~63,000	Virgo	10.5
M59	T16		NGC 4621		Galaxy, elliptical	55,000-65,000	Virgo	10.6
M60	T16		NGC 4649		Galaxy, elliptical	51,000-59,000	Virgo	9.8
M61			NGC 4303		Galaxy, spiral	50.2-54.6	Virgo	10.2
M62			NGC 6266		Cluster, globular	22.2	Ophiuchus	7.4
M63	T16		NGC 5055	Sunflower Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	37,000	Canes Venatici	9.3
M64	T3		NGC 4826	Black Eye Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	22,000-26,000	Coma Berenices	9.4
M65			NGC 3623	Leo Triplet	Galaxy, barred spiral	41,000-42,000	Leo	10.3
M66			NGC 3627	Leo Triplet	Galaxy, barred spiral	31,000-41,000	Leo	8.9
M67	T21		NGC 2682		Cluster, open	2.61-2.93	Cancer	6.1
M68	T30		NGC 4590		Cluster, globular	33.6	Hydra	9.7
M69			NGC 6637		Cluster, globular	29.7	Sagittarius	8.3
M70			NGC 6681		Cluster, globular	29.4	Sagittarius	9.1
M71			NGC 6838		Cluster, globular	13	Sagitta	6.1
M72			NGC 6981		Cluster, globular	53.40-55.74	Aquarius	9.4
M73			NGC 6994		Asterism	~2.5	Aquarius	9
M74			NGC 628		Galaxy, spiral	24,000-36,000	Pisces	10
M75			NGC 6864		Cluster, globular	67.5	Sagittarius	9.2
M76			NGC 650, NGC 651	Little Dumbbell Nebula	Nebula, planetary	2.5	Perseus	10.1
M77			NGC 1068	Cetus A	Galaxy, spiral	47,000	Cetus	9.6
M78			NGC 2068		Nebula, diffuse	1.6	Orion	8.3
M79			NGC 1904		Cluster, globular	41	Lepus	8.6
M80			NGC 6093		Cluster, globular	32.6	Scorpius	7.9
M81	T11		NGC 3031	Bode's Galaxy	Galaxy, spiral	11,400-12,200	Ursa Major	6.9
M82	T11		NGC 3034	Cigar Galaxy	Galaxy, starburst	10,700-12,300	Ursa Major	8.4
M83	T13		NGC 5236	Southern Pinwheel Galaxy	Galaxy, barred spiral	14,700	Hydra	7.5
M84	T12		NGC 4374		Galaxy, lenticular	57,000-63,000	Virgo	10.1
M85	T16		NGC 4382		Galaxy, lenticular	56,000-64,000	Coma Berenices	10
M86	T12		NGC 4406		Galaxy, lenticular	49,000-55,000	Virgo	9.8
M87			NGC 4486	Virgo A	Galaxy, elliptical	51,870-55,130	Virgo	9.6
M88	T20		NGC 4501		Galaxy, spiral	39,000-56,000	Coma Berenices	10.4
M89			NGC 4552		Galaxy, elliptical	47,000-53,000	Virgo	10.7
M90	T21		NGC 4569		Galaxy, spiral	55,900-61,500	Virgo	10.3
M91			NGC 4548		Galaxy, barred spiral	47,000-79,000	Coma Berenices	11
M92	T14		NGC 6341		Cluster, globular	26.7	Hercules	6.3
M93			NGC 2447		Cluster, open	3.6	Puppis	6
M94	T18		NGC 4736		Galaxy, spiral	14,700-17,300	Canes Venatici	9
M95			NGC 3351		Galaxy, barred spiral	31,200-34,000	Leo	11.4
M96			NGC 3368		Galaxy, spiral	28,000-34,000	Leo	10.1
M97	T21		NGC 3587	Owl Nebula	Nebula, planetary	2.03	Ursa Major	9.9
M98	T20		NGC 4192		Galaxy, spiral	44,400	Coma Berenices	11
M99	T20		NGC 4254		Galaxy, spiral	44,700-55,700	Coma Berenices	10.4
M100	T16		NGC 4321		Galaxy, spiral	55,000	Coma Berenices	10.1 M101 T18 NGC 5457 Pinwheel Galaxy Galaxy, spiral 19,100-22,400 Ursa Major 7.9 M102 T21 (Not conclusively identified) M103 NGC 581 Cluster, open 10 Cassiopeia 7.4 M104 T17 NGC 4594 Sombrero Galaxy Galaxy, spiral 28,700-30,900 Virgo 9 M105 NGC 3379 Galaxy, elliptical 30,400-33,600 Leo 10.2 M106 T16 NGC 4258 Galaxy, spiral 22,200-25,200 Canes Venatici 9.1 M107 NGC 6171 Cluster, globular 20.9 Ophiuchus 8.9 M108 T16 NGC 3556 Galaxy, barred spiral 46,000 Ursa Major 10.7 M109 T16 NGC 3992 Galaxy, barred spiral 59,500-107,500 Ursa Major 10.6 M110 NGC 205 Galaxy, dwarf elliptical 2,600-2,780 Andromeda 9