The first Messier list of 45 objects was published in 1774 by the French astronomer Charles Messier and now contains 110 astronomical objects:
Messier List
# | Common Name | Type | Constellation | Mag | Highest |
M1 | Crab Nebula | Supernova Remnant | Taurus | 8.4 | Dec-Jan |
M2 | – | Globular Cluster | Aquarius | 6.5 | Aug-Oct |
M3 | – | Globular Cluster | Canes Venatici | 6.2 | Apr-May |
M4 | – | Globular Cluster | Scorpius | 5.6 | Jun-Jul |
M5 | – | Globular Cluster | Serpens | 5.6 | Jun-Aug |
M6 | Butterfly Cluster | Open Cluster | Scorpius | 5.3 | Jun-Jul |
M7 | Ptolemy’s Cluster | Open Cluster | Scorpius | 4.1 | Jun-Jul |
M8 | Lagoon Nebula | Cluster with Nebula | Sagittarius | 6 | Jul-Aug |
M9 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 7.7 | Jun-Jul |
M10 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 6.6 | Jun-Jul |
M11 | Wild Duck Cluster | Open Cluster | Scutum | 6.3 | Jul-Aug |
M12 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 6.7 | Jun-Jul |
M13 | Hercules Cluster | Globular Cluster | Hercules | 5.8 | Jun-Aug |
M14 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 7.6 | Jun-Jul |
M15 | – | Globular Cluster | Pegasus | 6.2 | Sep-Oct |
M16 | Eagle Nebula | Cluster with Nebula | Serpens | 6.4 | Jun-Aug |
M17 | Omega, Swan or Lobster Nebula | Cluster with Nebula | Sagittarius | 7 | Jul-Aug |
M18 | – | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | 7.5 | Jul-Aug |
M19 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 6.8 | Jun-Jul |
M20 | Trifid Nebula | Cluster with Nebula | Sagittarius | 9 | Jul-Aug |
M21 | – | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | 6.5 | Jul-Aug |
M22 | Sagittarius Cluster | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 5.1 | Jul-Aug |
M23 | – | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | 6.9 | Jul-Aug |
M24 | Sagittarius Star Cloud | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | 4.6 | Jul-Aug |
M25 | – | Open Cluster | Sagittarius | 6.5 | Jul-Aug |
M26 | – | Open Cluster | Scutum | 8 | Jul-Aug |
M27 | Dumbbell Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Vulpecula | 7.4 | Aug-Sep |
M28 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 6.8 | Jul-Aug |
M29 | – | Open Cluster | Cygnus | 7.1 | Aug-Sep |
M30 | – | Globular Cluster | Capricornus | 7.2 | Aug-Sep |
M31 | Andromeda Galaxy | Galaxy | Andromeda | 3.4 | Oct-Nov |
M32 | – | Galaxy | Andromeda | 8.1 | Oct-Nov |
M33 | Triangulum Galaxy | Galaxy | Triangulum | 5.7 | Nov-Dec |
M34 | – | Open Cluster | Perseus | 5.5 | Nov-Dec |
M35 | – | Open Cluster | Gemini | 5.3 | Jan-Feb |
M36 | – | Open Cluster | Auriga | 6.3 | Dec-Feb |
M37 | – | Open Cluster | Auriga | 6.2 | Dec-Feb |
M38 | – | Open Cluster | Auriga | 7.4 | Dec-Feb |
M39 | – | Open Cluster | Cygnus | 4.6 | Aug-Sep |
M40* | Double Star WNC4 | Cluster | Ursa Major | 8.4 | Feb-May |
M41 | – | Open Cluster | Canis Major | 4.6 | Jan-Feb |
M42 | Orion Nebula | Diffuse Nebula | Orion | 4 | Dec-Jan |
M43 | part of Orion Nebula | Diffuse Nebula | Orion | 9 | Dec-Jan |
M44 | Beehive Cluster | Open Cluster | Cancer | 3.7 | Apr-May |
M45 | Subaru, Pleiades, Seven Sisters | Open Cluster | Taurus | 1.6 | Dec-Jan |
M46 | – | Open Cluster | Puppis | 6 | Jan-Feb |
M47 | – | Open Cluster | Puppis | 5.2 | Jan-Feb |
M48 | – | Open Cluster | Hydra | 5.5 | Feb-Jun |
M49 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.4 | Apr-Jun |
M50 | – | Open Cluster | Monoceros | 6.3 | Jan-Feb |
M51 | Whirlpool Galaxy | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.4 | Apr-May |
M52* | – | Open Cluster | Cassiopeia | 7.3 | Oct-Dec |
M53 | – | Globular Cluster | Coma Berenices | 7.6 | Apr-May |
M54 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 7.6 | Jul-Aug |
M55 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 6.3 | Jul-Aug |
M56 | – | Globular Cluster | Lyra | 8.3 | Jul-Aug |
M57 | Ring Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Lyra | 8.8 | Jul-Aug |
M58 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.7 | Apr-Jun |
M59 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.6 | Apr-Jun |
M60 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.8 | Apr-Jun |
M61 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.7 | Apr-Jun |
M62 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 6.5 | Jun-Jul |
M63 | Sunflower Galaxy | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.6 | Apr-May |
M64 | Blackeye Galaxy | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 8.5 | Apr-May |
M65 | Leo Triplet | Galaxy | Leo | 9.3 | Mar-Apr |
M66 | – | Galaxy | Leo | 8.9 | Mar-Apr |
M67 | – | Open Cluster | Cancer | 6.1 | Apr-May |
M68 | – | Globular Cluster | Hydra | 7.8 | Feb-Jun |
M69 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 7.6 | Jul-Aug |
M70 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 7.9 | Jul-Aug |
M71 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagitta | 8.2 | Aug |
M72 | – | Globular Cluster | Aquarius | 9.3 | Aug-Oct |
M73 | – | Spiral Galaxy | Aquarius | 9 | Aug-Oct |
M74 | – | Galaxy | Pisces | 9.4 | Oct-Nov |
M75 | – | Globular Cluster | Sagittarius | 8.5 | Jul-Aug |
M76 | Little Dumbbell Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Perseus | 10.1 | Nov-Dec |
M77 | – | Galaxy | Cetus | 8.9 | Oct-Dec |
M78 | – | Diffuse Nebula | Orion | 8.3 | Dec-Jan |
M79 | – | Globular Cluster | Lepus | 7.7 | Jan |
M80 | – | Globular Cluster | Scorpius | 7.3 | Jun-Jul |
M81* | Bode’s Galaxy | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 6.9 | Feb-May |
M82* | Cigar Galaxy | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 8.4 | Feb-May |
M83 | Southern Pinwheel Galaxy | Galaxy | Hydra | 7.6 | Feb-Jun |
M84 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.1 | Apr-Jun |
M85 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.1 | Apr-May |
M86 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.9 | Apr-Jun |
M87 | Virgo A | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.6 | Apr-Jun |
M88 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.6 | Apr-May |
M89 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.8 | Apr-Jun |
M90 | – | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.5 | Apr-Jun |
M91 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 10.2 | Apr-May |
M92 | – | Globular Cluster | Hercules | 6.4 | Jun-Aug |
M93 | – | Open Cluster | Puppis | 6 | Jan-Feb |
M94 | – | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.2 | Apr-May |
M95 | – | Galaxy | Leo | 9.7 | Mar-Apr |
M96 | – | Galaxy | Leo | 9.2 | Mar-Apr |
M97* | Owl Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Ursa Major | 9.9 | Feb-May |
M98 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 10.1 | Apr-May |
M99 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.9 | Apr-May |
M100 | – | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.3 | Apr-May |
M101* | Pinwheel Galaxy | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 7.9 | Feb-May |
M102* | Spindle Galaxy | Galaxy | Draco | 9.9 | Mar-Sep |
M103* | – | Open Cluster | Cassiopeia | 7.4 | Oct-Dec |
M104 | Sombrero Galaxy | Galaxy | Virgo | 8 | Apr-Jun |
M105 | – | Galaxy | Leo | 9.3 | Mar-Apr |
M106 | – | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.4 | Apr-May |
M107 | – | Globular Cluster | Ophiuchus | 7.9 | Jun-Jul |
M108* | – | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 10 | Feb-May |
M109* | – | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 9.8 | Feb-May |
M110 | – | Galaxy | Andromeda | 8.5 | Oct-Nov |
* These ten objects are not visible from the Macarthur latitude of 34° S, a more northerly location is required.