Astrophotography by Rob

 

Messier Project

The Messier objects are those catalogued by Charles Messier during the 18th century. Messier was a comet hunter and listed objects so that he would not mistake them for comets.

As a source of motivation and to aid target selection when I need it I thought I would attempt to collect images of all the 110 Messier objects. M102 may be a challenge as the identity of this object is not known. I will have to figure something out for that one.

The table below has been adapted from the one that can be found of Wikipedia. It just made it easier for me to set up my own table. Objects highlighted in blue are nebulae, orange clusters, green galaxies and those not fitting into these categories are in dark blue. M numbers in red are those that I have imaged. These objects also have a small image in the Image column. You can click the image or the Messier number to see a larger version of the image. There is also details of the image capture procedure. I have yet to upload an image of M51.

I have so far collected images for 43 of the 110 objects.

Messier number NGC Number Common name Image Object type Distance (kly) Constellation

App. mag.

 M1 NGC 1952 Crab Nebula Supernova remnant 6.3 Taurus 9.0
 M2 NGC 7089   M2 Globular cluster 36 Aquarius 7.5
 M3 NGC 5272   Globular cluster 31 Canes Venatici 7.0
 M4 NGC 6121   Globular cluster 7 Scorpius 7.5
 M5 NGC 5904   M5 globular cluster Globular cluster 23 Serpens 7.0
 M6 NGC 6405 Butterfly Cluster M6 Open cluster 2 Scorpius 4.5
 M7 NGC 6475 Ptolemy Cluster M7 Open cluster 1 Scorpius 3.5
 M8 NGC 6523 Lagoon Nebula M8 Cluster with nebula 6.5 Sagittarius 6.0
 M9 NGC 6333   Globular cluster 26 Ophiuchus 9.0
 M10 NGC 6254   Globular cluster 13 Ophiuchus 7.5
 M11 NGC 6705 Wild Duck Cluster M11 - Wild Duck Cluster Open cluster 6 Scutum 7.0
 M12 NGC 6218   Globular cluster 18 Ophiuchus 8.0
 M13 NGC 6205 Great Globular Cluster in Hercules Globular cluster 22 Hercules 5.8
 M14 NGC 6402   Globular cluster 27 Ophiuchus 9.5
 M15 NGC 7078 CĂșmulo de Pegaso M15 Globular cluster 33 Pegasus 7.5
 M16 NGC 6611 Eagle Nebula M16 Cluster with H II region 7 Serpens 6.5
 M17 NGC 6618 Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or Lobster Nebula Cluster with H II region 5 Sagittarius 6.0
 M18 NGC 6613   Open cluster 6 Sagittarius 8.0
 M19 NGC 6273   Globular cluster 27 Ophiuchus 8.5
 M20 NGC 6514 Trifid Nebula M20 - Trifid Nebula Cluster with H II region 5.2 Sagittarius 6.3
 M21 NGC 6531   Open cluster 3 Sagittarius 7.0
 M22 NGC 6656 Sagittarius Cluster M22 Globular cluster 10 Sagittarius 5.1
 M23 NGC 6494   Open cluster 4.5 Sagittarius 6.0
 M24 NGC 6603 Sagittarius Star Cloud M24 Milky Way star cloud 10.0 Sagittarius 4.6
 M25 IC 4725   M25 Open cluster 2 Sagittarius 4.9
 M26 NGC 6694   Open cluster 5 Scutum 9.5
 M27 NGC 6853 Dumbbell Nebula Planetary nebula 1.25 Vulpecula 7.5
 M28 NGC 6626   Globular cluster 18 Sagittarius 8.5
 M29 NGC 6913   Open cluster 7.2 Cygnus 9.0
 M30 NGC 7099   M30 Globular cluster 25 Capricornus 8.5
 M31 NGC 224 Andromeda Galaxy M31 Spiral galaxy 2,500 Andromeda 3.4
 M32 NGC 221   M32 Dwarf elliptical galaxy 2,900 Andromeda 10.0
 M33 NGC 598 Triangulum Galaxy M33 Spiral galaxy 2,810 Triangulum 5.7
 M34 NGC 1039   Open cluster 1.4 Perseus 6.0
 M35 NGC 2168   M35 Open cluster 2.8 Gemini 5.5
 M36 NGC 1960   Open cluster 4.1 Auriga 6.5
 M37 NGC 2099   Open cluster 4.6 Auriga 6.0
 M38 NGC 1912   Open cluster 4.2 Auriga 7.0
 M39 NGC 7092   Open cluster 0.8 Cygnus 5.5
 M40   Winnecke 4 Double star WNC4 0.5 Ursa Major 9.0
 M41 NGC 2287   Open cluster 2.3 Canis Major 4.5
 M42 NGC 1976 Orion Nebula M42 H II region 1.6 Orion 4.0
 M43 NGC 1982 De Mairan's Nebula M43 H II region
(part of the Orion Nebula)
1.6 Orion 7.0
 M44 NGC 2632 Beehive Cluster M44 - Beehive Cluster Open cluster 0.6 Cancer 3.7
 M45   Pleiades M45 Open cluster 0.4 Taurus 1.6
 M46 NGC 2437   M46 Open cluster 5.4 Puppis 6.5
 M47 NGC 2422   M47 Open cluster 1.6 Puppis 4.5
 M48 NGC 2548   Open cluster 1.5 Hydra 5.5
 M49 NGC 4472   Elliptical galaxy 60,000 Virgo 10.0
 M50 NGC 2323   Open cluster 3 Monoceros 7.0
 M51 NGC 5194, NGC 5195 Whirlpool Galaxy M51 Spiral galaxy 37,000 Canes Venatici 8.4
 M52 NGC 7654   M52 Open cluster 7 Cassiopeia 8.0
 M53 NGC 5024   Globular cluster 56 Coma Berenices 8.5
 M54 NGC 6715   Globular cluster 83 Sagittarius 8.5
 M55 NGC 6809   M55 Globular cluster 17 Sagittarius 7.0
 M56 NGC 6779   Globular cluster 32 Lyra 9.5
 M57 NGC 6720 Ring Nebula Planetary nebula 2.3 Lyra 8.8
 M58 NGC 4579   Barred spiral galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.0
 M59 NGC 4621   Elliptical galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.5
 M60 NGC 4649   Elliptical galaxy 60,000 Virgo 10.5
 M61 NGC 4303   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Virgo 10.5
 M62 NGC 6266   Globular cluster 22 Ophiuchus 8.0
 M63 NGC 5055 Sunflower Galaxy Spiral galaxy 37,000 Canes Venatici 8.5
 M64 NGC 4826 Black Eye Galaxy Spiral galaxy 12,000 Coma Berenices 9.0
 M65 NGC 3623   M65 Barred spiral galaxy 35,000 Leo 10.5
 M66 NGC 3627   M66 Barred spiral galaxy 35,000 Leo 10.0
 M67 NGC 2682   M67 Open cluster 2.25 Cancer 7.5
 M68 NGC 4590   M68 Globular cluster 32 Hydra 9.0
 M69 NGC 6637   Globular cluster 25 Sagittarius 9.0
 M70 NGC 6681   Globular cluster 28 Sagittarius 9.0
 M71 NGC 6838   Globular cluster 12 Sagitta 8.5
 M72 NGC 6981   M72 Globular cluster 53 Aquarius 10.0
 M73 NGC 6994   Asterism   Aquarius 9.0
 M74 NGC 628   Spiral galaxy 35,000 Pisces 10.5
 M75 NGC 6864   Globular cluster 58 Sagittarius 9.5
 M76 NGC 650, NGC 651 Little Dumbbell Nebula Planetary nebula 3.4 Perseus 10.1
 M77 NGC 1068   M77 Spiral galaxy 60,000 Cetus 10.5
 M78 NGC 2068   M78 Diffuse nebula 1.6 Orion 8.0
 M79 NGC 1904   Globular cluster 40 Lepus 8.5
 M80 NGC 6093   Globular cluster 27 Scorpius 8.5
 M81 NGC 3031 Bode's Galaxy Spiral galaxy 12,000 Ursa Major 6.9
 M82 NGC 3034 Cigar Galaxy Barred spiral galaxy (?) 11,000 Ursa Major 9.5
 M83 NGC 5236 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy M83 Barred spiral galaxy 10,000 Hydra 8.5
 M84 NGC 4374   M84 Lenticular galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.0
 M85 NGC 4382   Lenticular galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 10.5
 M86 NGC 4406   M86 Lenticular galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.0
 M87 NGC 4486   Elliptical galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.0
 M88 NGC 4501   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 11.0
 M89 NGC 4552   Elliptical galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.5
 M90 NGC 4569   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Virgo 11.0
 M91 NGC 4548   Barred Spiral galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 11.0
 M92 NGC 6341   Globular cluster 26 Hercules 7.5
 M93 NGC 2447   M93 Open cluster 4.5 Puppis 6.5
 M94 NGC 4736   Spiral galaxy 14,500 Canes Venatici 9.5
 M95 NGC 3351   M95 Barred Spiral galaxy 38,000 Leo 11.0
 M96 NGC 3368   M96 Spiral galaxy 38,000 Leo 10.5
 M97 NGC 3587 Owl Nebula Planetary nebula 2.6 Ursa Major 9.9
 M98 NGC 4192   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 11.0
 M99 NGC 4254   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 10.5
 M100 NGC 4321   Spiral galaxy 60,000 Coma Berenices 10.5
 M101 NGC 5457 Pinwheel Galaxy M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy Spiral galaxy 27,000 Ursa Major 7.9
 M102 (Not conclusively identified)          
 M103 NGC 581   Open cluster 8 Cassiopeia 7.0
 M104 NGC 4594 Sombrero Galaxy M104 Spiral galaxy 50,000 Virgo 9.5
 M105 NGC 3379   Elliptical galaxy 38,000 Leo 11.0
 M106 NGC 4258   Spiral galaxy 25,000 Canes Venatici 9.5
 M107 NGC 6171   M107 Globular cluster 20 Ophiuchus 10.0
 M108 NGC 3556   Spiral galaxy 45,000 Ursa Major 11.0
 M109 NGC 3992   Barred Spiral galaxy 55,000 Ursa Major 11.0
 M110 NGC 205   M110 Dwarf elliptical galaxy 2,200 Andromeda 10.0
Messier number NGC Number Common name Image Object type Distance (kly) Constellation App. mag.

Last object imaged: M11, 5th August 2013.

Last Updated: 22nd September 2013.

 

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