Charles Messier, a French comet hunter, and his assistant Pierre Méchain compiled 110 astronomical objects in their famous Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters in 1771. Messier’s work was self-motivated; he was interested in tracking non-comet objects, so they did not distract him from discovering comets. Today Messier’s catalog is one of the most widely used deep-sky catalogs. It contains nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters.
Every spring, amateur astronomers around the world embark on the “Messier Marathon,” an observing challenge in which participants attempt to view all 110 objects in a single night.
Open cluster Globular cluster Nebula Planetary nebula Supernova remnant Galaxy Other
| Messier number | NGC/IC Number | Common name | Picture | Object type | Distance (kly) | Constellation | Apparent magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | NGC 1952 | Crab Nebula |  |
Supernova remnant | 4.9–8.1 | Taurus | 8.4 |
| M2 | NGC 7089 | Cluster, globular | 33 | Aquarius | 6.3 | ||
| M3 | NGC 5272 | Cluster, globular | 33.9 | Canes Venatici | 6.2 | ||
| M4 | NGC 6121 | Cluster, globular | 7.2 | Scorpius | 5.9 | ||
| M5 | 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 | NGC 6523 | Lagoon Nebula | Nebula with cluster | 4.1 | Sagittarius | 6.0 | |
| M9 | NGC 6333 | Cluster, globular | 25.8 | Ophiuchus | 8.4 | ||
| M10 | 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 | 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 | NGC 6611 | Eagle Nebula |  |
Nebula, H II region with cluster | 7 | Serpens | 6.0 |
| M17 | NGC 6618 | Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or Lobster Nebula |  |
Nebula, H II region with cluster | 5–6 | Sagittarius | 6.0 |
| M18 | NGC 6613 | Cluster, open | 4.9 | Sagittarius | 7.5 | ||
| M19 | NGC 6273 | Cluster, globular | 28.7 | Ophiuchus | 7.5 | ||
| M20 | 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 | 2.0 | Sagittarius | 4.6 | ||
| M26 | NGC 6694 | Cluster, open | 5.0 | Scutum | 8.0 | ||
| 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 | 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 | NGC 598 | Triangulum Galaxy |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 2,380–3,070 | Triangulum | 5.7 |
| M34 | NGC 1039 | Cluster, open | 1.5 | Perseus | 5.5 | ||
| M35 | NGC 2168 |  |
Cluster, open | 2.8 | Gemini | 5.3 | |
| M36 | NGC 1960 | Cluster, open | 4.1 | Auriga | 6.3 | ||
| M37 | NGC 2099 | Cluster, open | 4.511 | Auriga | 6.2 | ||
| M38 | 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 | NGC 1976 | Orion Nebula | Nebula, H II region | 1.324–1.364 | Orion | 4.0 | |
| M43 | NGC 1982 | De Mairan’s Nebula | Nebula, H II region (part of the Orion Nebula) |
1.6 | Orion | 9.0 | |
| M44 | NGC 2632 | Beehive Cluster |  |
Cluster, open | 0.577 | Cancer | 3.7 |
| M45 | Pleiades |  |
Cluster, open | 0.39–0.46 | Taurus | 1.6 | |
| M46 | NGC 2437 |  |
Cluster, open | 5.4 | Puppis | 6.1 | |
| M47 | 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 | NGC 5194, NGC 5195 | Whirlpool Galaxy |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 19,000–27,000 | Canes Venatici | 8.4 |
| M52 | NGC 7654 | Cluster, open | 5.0 | Cassiopeia | 5.0 | ||
| M53 | 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 | NGC 6779 | Cluster, globular | 32.9 | Lyra | 8.3 | ||
| M57 | NGC 6720 | Ring Nebula | Nebula, planetary | 1.6–3.8 | Lyra | 8.8 | |
| M58 | NGC 4579 | Galaxy, barred spiral | ~63,000 | Virgo | 10.5 | ||
| M59 | NGC 4621 | Galaxy, elliptical | 55,000–65,000 | Virgo | 10.6 | ||
| M60 | NGC 4649 | Galaxy, elliptical | 51,000–59,000 | Virgo | 9.8 | ||
| M61 | NGC 4303 | Galaxy, spiral | 50,200–54,800 | Virgo | 10.2 | ||
| M62 | NGC 6266 | Cluster, globular | 22.2 | Ophiuchus | 7.4 | ||
| M63 | NGC 5055 | Sunflower Galaxy | Galaxy, spiral | 37,000 | Canes Venatici | 9.3 | |
| M64 | 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 | NGC 2682 |  |
Cluster, open | 2.61–2.93 | Cancer | 6.1 | |
| M68 | 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 | 13.0 | Sagitta | 6.1 | ||
| M72 | NGC 6981 | Cluster, globular | 53.40–55.74 | Aquarius | 9.4 | ||
| M73 | NGC 6994 | Asterism | ~2.5 | Aquarius | 9.0 | ||
| M74 | NGC 628 |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 24,000–36,000 | Pisces | 10.0 | |
| 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 | NGC 3031 | Bode’s Galaxy | Galaxy, spiral | 11,400–12,200 | Ursa Major | 6.9 | |
| M82 | NGC 3034 | Cigar Galaxy |  |
Galaxy, starburst | 10,700–12,300 | Ursa Major | 8.4 |
| M83 | NGC 5236 | Southern Pinwheel Galaxy | Galaxy, barred spiral | 14,700 | Hydra | 7.5 | |
| M84 | NGC 4374 | Galaxy, lenticular | 57,000–63,000 | Virgo | 10.1 | ||
| M85 | NGC 4382 |  |
Galaxy, lenticular | 56,000–64,000 | Coma Berenices | 10.0 | |
| M86 | 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 | 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 | NGC 4569 | Galaxy, spiral | 55,900–61,500 | Virgo | 10.3 | ||
| M91 | NGC 4548 | Galaxy, barred spiral | 47,000–79,000 | Coma Berenices | 11.0 | ||
| M92 | NGC 6341 | Cluster, globular | 26.7 | Hercules | 6.3 | ||
| M93 | NGC 2447 |  |
Cluster, open | 3.6 | Puppis | 6.0 | |
| M94 | NGC 4736 | Galaxy, spiral | 14,700–17,300 | Canes Venatici | 9.0 | ||
| 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 | NGC 3587 | Owl Nebula |  |
Nebula, planetary | 2.03 | Ursa Major | 9.9 |
| M98 | NGC 4192 | Galaxy, spiral | 44,400 | Coma Berenices | 11.0 | ||
| M99 | NGC 4254 |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 44,700–55,700 | Coma Berenices | 10.4 | |
| M100 | NGC 4321 |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 55,000 | Coma Berenices | 10.1 | |
| M101 | NGC 5457 | Pinwheel Galaxy |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 19,100–22,400 | Ursa Major | 7.9 |
| M102 | (Not conclusively identified)[110] |  |
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| M103 | NGC 581 |  |
Cluster, open | 10 | Cassiopeia | 7.4 | |
| M104 | NGC 4594 | Sombrero Galaxy |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 28,700–30,900 | Virgo | 9.0 |
| M105 | NGC 3379 |  |
Galaxy, elliptical | 30,400–33,600 | Leo | 10.2 | |
| M106 | NGC 4258 |  |
Galaxy, spiral | 22,200–25,200 | Canes Venatici | 9.1 | |
| M107 | NGC 6171 | Cluster, globular | 20.9 | Ophiuchus | 8.9 | ||
| M108 | NGC 3556 |  |
Galaxy, barred spiral | 46,000 | Ursa Major | 10.7 | |
| M109 | NGC 3992 |  |
Galaxy, barred spiral | 59,500–107,500 | Ursa Major | 10.6 | |
| M110 | NGC 205 | Galaxy, dwarf elliptical | 2,600–2,780 | Andromeda | 9.0 |