The Messier Objects Catalogue

MESSIER OBJECTS
CATALOGUE
December 2011

CONTRIBUTORS
BATCH OF 2009
Shaleen (sharmask7777@gmail.com), Saurabh (saurabhpb22@gmail.com)
BATCH OF 2010
Kalika, Sowmya, Deepthi, Nalin, Niranjan, Mohit, Karan
BATCH OF 2011
Amey, Chitrarth, Ashfaque, Sowmya, Gaurav, Ramya

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This compilation would have not been possible without the existence of the World
Wide Web. We are grateful to www.universetoday.com for their online collection on
Messier Objects.
And lastly and surely not the least, ‘Thank you God, for this beautiful universe
which includes these random 110 objects’.

INTRODUCTION
Charles Messier was born on June 26, 1730 in
Lorraine, France. In 1744 at age fourteen, he saw
the “Great Comet” appear in the skies above
Lorraine and four years later in 1748, witnessed an
annular solar eclipse. Perhaps it was these inspiring
events that led Charles to a lifelong love of
astronomy. In 1751, his excellence in handwriting
brought him a job as assistant to Navy
Astronomer, Joseph Delisle at the Paris
Observatory. It was there that Messier learned to
keep accurate records of astronomical
observations and the first known entry made by
Messier was the transit of Mercury across the Sun
in 1753.
At the time, discovering a comet made an astronomer not only noteworthy in the eyes
of their peers, but quite famous as well. In 1757 the big search was on for the Comet
Halley – predicted to return during that year. While Charles wasn’t the first to locate it,
he quickly came to realize during his “sweeps” that there were many objects which
could be mistaken as cometary – yet remained in fixed positions. Thus began the
Messier Catalogue, and its first entry in 1758 was M1, the “Crab Nebula”. While Messier
was compiling his catalogue of non-cometary objects, he also discovered a genuine
comet in 1763 and two more in 1764.
Charles’ catalogue was published in several
editions as it was amended and the first 45 entries
were printed in 1771. In its classic form, it
contained 103 entries. In later years, after careful
study of his notes, Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg and
Dr. Owen Gingerich would suggest that another
four to six objects should be added to bring the
total to 110 – the Messier Catalogue we know
today. Not all of the objects were his original
discovery – a fact which he made clear in his
notes – and it is rather ironic that what Messier
thought of to be “nuisance nebula” that might
confuse the comet hunter would later become
his major claim to fame. With his small

telescopes aimed towards the night sky, he would give future generations of astronomers
one of the finest sets of targets for mid-northern latitudes to enjoy.
It isn’t long before the novice astronomer becomes aware of the “Messier List” –
and rightly so. This wonderful collection of deep sky gems are easily accessible to a small
telescope and most can even be perceived in binoculars. A large majority of the objects
can be conquered easily with modest instruments under less than perfect sky conditions, a
few can be seen with the unaided eye and some are quite challenging. As a whole, they

make for great nights of study, piquing both interest and
intellect, as well as observing skills. They range from vague misty
patches to grand swaths of stellar landscape!
The Messier Objects (as presented here), contain proper sky
coordinates for setting circles or entry into Go-To systems. You’ll
also find included descriptions, scientific information and history.
Do not be disappointed if your observations don’t match the
grand photos that accompany each article. It is unfortunate that
photography can’t always depict what can be seen at the eyepiece,
but do rejoice that you are catching a smudge that’s such a huge distance away! Do not
give up if you don’t find a particular object easily… Conquering the Messier list takes time
and patience. There are also many fine organizations that offer awards for observing the
Messier List and instructions for participation can be easily found on the web. Most of all
enjoy your observations!
Source: http://www.universetoday.com/
Messier objects poster: SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space)

TYPES OF MESSIER OBJECTS
There are three main types of astronomical objects included in Messier's list – star clusters, galaxies and
nebulae.
CLUSTERS
There are two types: open and globular.
An open cluster is simply a grouping of stars in the sky. These stars often form from an associated cloud of
gas and dust and can be quite young in age.
A globular cluster is a gravitationally-bound concentration of approximately 10,000 to one million stars,
populating the halo or bulge of the Milky Way. Globular clusters are believed to be very old and formed
from an earlier generation of stars.
An open cluster has fewer stars, usually several hundred to several thousand stars in a group, and are mostly
located within the plane of the Milky Way galaxy. A globular cluster is a roughly spherically-shaped,
densely-packed cluster containing hundreds of thousands to millions of stars. They are found outside the
galactic plane, in a halo around the galaxy. Stars in globular clusters have been found to have low abundance
of any elements heavier than helium. This leads us to believe they are very old stars, having formed before
the interstellar medium was enriched by heavier elements produced in stars and scattered in supernovae.
GALAXIES
A galaxy is a huge mass of stars and dust with upwards of several million stars. They are further classified by
appearance, resulting in spiral galaxies which have a spiral structure; elliptical galaxies which are of ellipsoidal
shape; and irregular galaxies which have irregular shapes.
NEBULAE
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of gas and dust. There are three types in Messier's catalogue: diffuse
nebulae, which are clouds of interstellar gas and dust; planetary nebula, which are essentially shells of gas
expelled by a star as it shrinks from a red giant to white dwarf; and supernova remnant – which are the result
of violent death of large stars. Usually a pulsar, neutron star, or black hole is left behind as a remnant.

MONTH-WISE LIST OF MESSIERS
January
M33, M34, M52, M74, M76, M77, M103
February
M1, M35, M36, M37, M38, M42, M43, M45, M78, M79
March
M41, M44, M46, M47, M48, M50, M67, M81, M82, M93
April
M40, M65, M66, M95, M96, M97, M105, M106, M108, M109
May
M49, M51, M61, M63, M64, M85, M94, M101, M102, M104
June
M58, M59, M60, M84, M86, M87, M88, M89, M90, M91, M98, M99, M100
July
M3, M4, M5, M53, M68, M80, M83
August
M6, M7, M8, M9, M10, M12, M19, M20, M21, M23, M62, M107
September
M13, M14, M22, M28, M54, M69, M70, M92
October
M11, M16, M17, M18, M24, M25, M26, M55, M75
November
M27, M30, M56, M57, M71, M72, M73
December
M2, M15, M29, M31, M32, M39, M110

M1—the Crab Nebula
 The Crab Nebula (the first object that Messier catalogued in his search for “comet like objects” - Messier 1) is a
supernova remnant (SNR) observable in the constellation of Taurus. The bright supernova SN1054 that origi-
nated the remnant was recorded by Chinese, Japanese and Arab astronomers in 1054 A.D.
 In 1054, a star about 10 times the mass of our Sun reached the end of its life and exploded as a supernova. Su-
pernovas occur when stars no longer have enough fuel to keep from collapsing onto themselves and they ex-
plode in a violent burst of energy. It was the first such remnant found in our galaxy.
 In visible light, the Crab Nebula consists of a oval-shaped mass of filaments that are the remnants of the pro-
genitor star's atmosphere. At the center of the nebula lies the Crab Pulsar, a rotating neutron star (dense ball
of neutrons 12 miles in diameter that completes about 30 rev/sec), which emits pulses of radiation from
gamma rays to radio waves. However, how the pulsar's power gets into the Crab Nebula has long puzzled as-
tronomers.
 Historical records from 1054 described the supernova, that created the Crab Nebula, as a celestial event that
was so bright that it was seen for 23 days in broad daylight & for nearly 2 years in the night sky.
Object Type
(Other designations)
Supernova Remnant
(NGC 1952, Sharpless 244)
Distance & Size 6,500 light-years;
The nebula’s width is 8 light-years. Its length is 11 light-years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
5hrs 34.5mins RA & +22degrees 1min DEC
Taurus Constellation
8.4
How do I find it? Draw a line from Betelgeuse to Elnath. About two-thirds of the way from Betelgeuse
to Elnath is where you'll find the Crab Nebula.

M2
 Messier 2 is a globular cluster in the constellation of Aquarius. It is bright enough to be faintly visible under
dark conditions to the naked eye and just as easily visible through a pair of binoculars.
 This cluster owes it’s visibility to the fact that it is one of the largest globular cluster. It’s size and density make
it visible despite it’s huge distance.
 The brightest of it’s stars are red and yellow giants. It’s density however makes it difficult to resolve in to sepa-
rate stars, specially in the core of the cluster. The cluster is estimated to be almost 13 billion years old.
 When Jean-Dominique Maraldi first saw this object, he confused it for the comet he was looking for, because
most of the globular clusters had surrounding stars, but in their modest equipment, nearby stars were no-
where to be seen. Even Herschel, who resolved most other globular clusters, could only describe it as a lump
of fine sand.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 7089, GC 4678, Bode 70)
The cluster spreads over a very large area, being almost 175 light years wide.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
21hrs 33.5mins RA & -0degrees 49min DEC
Aquarius Constellation
6.5
How do I find it? About 5 degrees north of the second brightest star in Aquarius, lies M2

M3
 Messier 3 is a globular cluster located on the boundary of the constellation Canes Venatici. It is a bright and
large cluster at a large distance from us.
 The gravitational field of this cluster is to be envious of as it commands stars within 760 light years of itself. It
has a large number of Blue Straggler stars, main sequence stars that look very young, prompting scientists to
the conclusion that the stars lost their outer layers as they passed through the centre of the cluster. An as-
tounding 170 variable stars populate this cluster.
 M3 is historically significant, not only because it confused Messier and made it to his list of “Objects that are
not comets”, but it is this very deep sky object that prompted Messier to come up with this list.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 5272)
Another large globular cluster, this one is about 180 light years across.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
13hrs 42mins RA & +28degrees 23min DEC
Canes Venatici Constellation
6.2
How do I find it? Slightly towards Arcturus of the mid point of the line joining the stars Arcturus and
Cor Caroli

M4
 Messier 4 is an open cluster in the constellation of Scorpio. It was the first object that Messier was able to re-
solve into stars.
 Being very diffuse, not much optical aid is needed to resolve it into individual stars. Telescopes as small as 3
inches in diameter can be used to see the cluster resolve. With better telescopes, a bar can be seen dividing the
cluster( visible in the image, going vertically down). This cluster contains stars that are 14 billion years old, just
a billion years younger than the universe itself. It also contains the first millisecond pulsar, with a period of 3
milliseconds.
 As a regular occurrence, the cluster passes through the Milky Way in every 120 million years. The cluster
passes so close to the center of our galaxy’s nucleus, that it suffers a shock on every passage. This causes many
stars to be lost to our galaxy, suggesting that this cluster may have been much larger in the past.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6121)
The core is only 8 light years across. The entire cluster spans about 70 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
16hrs 24mins RA & -26degrees 32min DEC
Scorpio Constellation
5.6
How do I find it? Just point around Antares, the brightest star in Scorpio. M4 is 1.3 degrees to the west
of Antares.

M5
 Messier 5 is a globular cluster in the constellation Serpens. It is pretty bright and under dark conditions, seems
like a faint star.
 It contains many objects of interest, including numerous variable stars, two millisecond pulsars and even a
dwarf nova. It’s gravitational influence extends to over a 200 light year radius. It is easily visible as a cluster
through binoculars or small telescopes. Larger ones can easily resolve the cluster into stars. It contains a plane-
tary system in which a planet was found to orbit two stars simultaneously.
 It’s center is so dense that even Herschel, who was able to count 200 stars at the periphery of this cluster said
that the core of the cluster was too compressed to distinguish the components.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 5904)
The cluster stretches across 160 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
15hrs 18.5mins RA & +2degrees 5min DEC
Serpens Constellation
5.6
How do I find it? Since there are no nearby major stars, finding it is a chore. It can be found about
1/3rd the distance from Arcturus on the line between Arcturus and Antares

M6—The Butterfly Cluster
 The Butterfly Cluster, Messier 6, is so called because of the butterfly shape that can be seen when viewed
through a small telescope or binoculars. Larger telescopes, however, betray the name, as the cluster easily re-
solves into a loose bunch of stars. Slight haziness, however, will make spotting the pattern easier.
 It was often believed, that M6 and M7 were together reported by Ptolemy as a M7 or Ptoelmy’s cluster.
Angularly speaking, it is the closest Messier object to the centre of our Milky Way.
 It’s discovery has had just as many conflicts, as it’s measurements. It’s magnitude measurements seem to vary
from 4.2 to 5.5. Age estimates go from 51 million years to 100 million years. It’s distance is approximated at
values from 1300 light years to 2000 light years, which gives us a size estimate of 12.5 to 18.5 light years.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6405, Lac III.12)
It is a rather small cluster, only 16 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Scorpius Constellation
4.2
How do I find it? A third of the distance from Kaus Australis in Sagittarius on the line joining Kaus
Australis and Antares in Scorpius

M7-Ptolemy’s cluster
 Messier 7 is one of the closest Messier objects. As the name suggests, it was first seen by Ptolemy around 130
AD. Owing to it’s proximity, it is quite bright, and can often be easily seen with the naked eye. It is an open
cluster in Scorpius.
 This cluster was created almost 200 million years ago, and all the stars are roughly the same age. Despite this
fact, they have all evolved in very different manners.
 Ptolemy, who is credited for discovering this cluster described it as a nebulous cluster following the sting of
Scorpius.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6475, Lac II.14, Scorpion’s tail)
Distance & Size 800 light-years;
Somewhere between 18 to 25 light years of space is occupied by this cluster
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Scorpius Constellation
4.1
How do I find it? Join Shaula, the Scorpion’s stinger, to Kaus Media, a star in Sagittarius. Look at the
mid point of this line.

M8-The Lagoon Nebula
 The Lagoon Nebula is an intriguing object situated in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is the 8th object on
Messier’s list.
 The nebula houses a smaller, more active star nursery called the Hourglass nebula. It is lit up by a star called
Herschel 36. The star Sagittarii 9 also radiates the entire Lagoon nebula, contributing to it’s glow.
 The star cluster than can be seen near the bottom of the nebula is NGC 6530. It is slightly in front of the neb-
ula, yet so close so as to be shrouded by the dust, causing reddening of the star light. It is home to many Bok
Globules, clouds of dust that are collapsing upon themselves, which will lead to protostars.
Object Type
Emission Nebula
(NGC 6523, Sharpless 25, Gum 72)
The nebula is 140 light years long and 60 light years wide
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius Constellation
6.0
How do I find it? At about a quarter of the distance from Sagittarius and Scorpion when you join Sag-
ittarius’s teapot’s lid to Antares, you should be able to spot the Lagoon.

M9
 Messier 9 is a globular cluster, so close to our Milky Way’s galactic centre, that it has actually caused a slight
flattening in M9.
 Dark dust from the nearby nebula Barnard 64, reduces it’s apparent brightness as we view it from the Earth.
This makes it difficult to see with binoculars, and even in smaller telescopes, only appears as a faint blurry
patch. Even Herschel was led to believe that this cluster, was in fact a nebula with stars embedded in it.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6333)
It occupies 90 light years diametrically
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ophiuchus Constellation
7.7
How do I find it? Join Sabik to the outer star of Ophiuchus. About halfway along that line is M8

M10
 M10 is a globular cluster visible in the constellation of Ophiuchus. Its central region, according to Mallas, ap-
pears pear-shaped, with a grainy texture; the outer regions show brighter knots at medium magnification.
 It is one the brightest deep sky objects present in the constellation of Ophiuchus. A surprisingly low number
of variable stars have been recorded in this cluster(4).
 It passes through the Milky Way every 140 million years. It is easy to spot as a bright hazy patch, even with the
most modest instruments.
Object Type
Supernova Remnant
(NGC 6254)
The nebula’s width is 8 light-years. Its length is 11 light-years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
16hrs 57.5mins RA & -4degrees 6min DEC
6.6
How do I find it? Halfway between Marfik and Sabik is where you will find this cluster

M11-Wild Duck cluster
 M11, or the Wild Duck cluster as it is commonly called, is a fairly easy to spot open cluster in the constellation
of Scutum. It’s name comes from the prominent V shape that can be clearly seen, even through small tele-
scopes.
 It is one of the most densely populated open clusters in our knowledge, consisting of about 2900 stars, in-
cluding binaries, variables and pulsating stars.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6705)
It is a very dense and small cluster, being only 23 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Scutum Constellation
6.3
How do I find it? Near the end of the T shape of Aquila. Extend the line joining the bottom two stars
by the same distance and you should have M11

M12
 Messier 12 is a Globular Cluster visible in the constellation of Ophiuchus. It has quite a few variable stars within
it’s system.
 The cluster is very sparsely populated, once thought to be a tightly bound Open cluster, rather than a globular
cluster. It has a surprisingly low number of low mass stars. It is thought that most of them were stripped from
the cluster when it passed through the Milky Way during it’s orbit around the Galactic Centre.
 It is slightly dimmer and smaller than it’s identical neighbor M10. Even though it is not very dense, quite a few
X ray sources, from closely interacting stars have been identified here.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6218)
The photo here is of an 3 arc minute square in the sky. The entire cluster, in reality,
is 74.4 light years wide.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
6.7
How do I find it? A point at a quarter of the distance from Marfik on the Line between Sabik and Mar-
fik marks the location of this cluster.

M13—Hercules Cluster
 This 24 million year old beauty is one of the most impressive globular clusters for the northern hemisphere.
 Containing over a million stars packed into a 145 light year sphere, the center of this glorious object is 500X
more concentrated than its outer perimeters.
 And out of all of those stars there stands one stranger… Barnard Number 29. This star is very young com-
pared to the members of the cluster—it was collected field star, grabbed by the cluster on one of M13’s jour-
neys around our galaxy.
Object Type
Class V Globular Cluster
M13, NGC 6205, the “Great Hercules Cluster”
Distance & Size 25,100 light years
20 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
16hrs 41.7sec RA & +36degrees 28min DEC
Hercules
5.8
How do I find it? Approximately at 1/3rd the distance between Vega (Lyra) & Arcturus (Bootes)
towards Vega.

M14
 Cruising along through space some 30,000 light years away is a ball of stars that spans about 100 light years
across. Although it began its life some 13.5 billion years ago, it is far from being done changing.
 In 1938, a nova appeared in M14, which wasn’t registered until 1964.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6402)
11 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
17hrs 37.6min RA & -3degrees 15mins DEC
Ophiuchus
7.6
How do I find it? Because M14 is rather small and on the faint side for small optics, it isn’t easy to
find in binoculars or a finder scope. The best way to start is to identify Delta
Ophiuchi and begin about a handspan east. If you have difficulty, try about one
third the distance between Beta and Eta Ophiuchi.

M15
 Messier 15 is probably the most dense globular cluster in our entire Milky Way galaxy – having already under-
gone a process of contraction. This ball of stars measures about 210 light years across, yet more than half of
the stars you see are packed into the central area in a space just slightly more than ten light years in size.
 M15 was the first globular cluster in which a planetary nebula, Pease 1 or K 648 (“K” for “Kuster”), could be
identified – and can be see with larger aperture amateur telescopes.
 Messier 15 also contains 112 variable stars, and 9 known pulsars – neutron stars which are the leftovers of an-
cient supernovae – and one of these is a double neutron star system, M15 C.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 7078)
18 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Pegasus
6.2
How do I find it? Roughly halfway across Pegasus square’s south western and brightest Alpha & the
constellation Delphinus is a slightly reddish star Epsilon Peg (Enif) and also M15.

M16
 The star cluster associated with M16 (NGC 6611) was first discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745-6,
but it was Charles Messier who was the very first to see nebulosity associated with it.
 Born around 5.5 million years ago, this glittering swarm marks an area about 15 light years wide that has cap-
tured our imaginations like no other area in the sky… the “Pillars of Creation”.
 Inside the pillars are evaporating gaseous globules called (EGGs) emerging from the womb and about to be-
come stars. The interstellar gas is dense enough to collapse under its own weight, forming young stars that
continue to grow as they accumulate more and more mass from their surroundings. As their place of birth
contracts gravitationally the interior gas reaches its end and the intense radiation of bright young stars causes
low density material to boil away.
Object Type
Open Cluster & Emission Nebula
NGC 6611, Eagle Nebula—IC 4703
Distance & Size 7000 light years
7.0 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Serpens
6.4
How do I find it? Roughly halfway between Antares (Scorpius) and Altair (Aquila) and a little to-
wards southwest.

M17—Lobster Nebula
 Because M17 is both large and quite bright, its distinctive “2″ shape isn’t hard to make out in optics of any
size.
 Like many nebulae, this giant complex of cosmic clouds of interstellar matter is a star forming region in the
Sagittarius or Sagittarius-Carina arm of our Milky Way galaxy.
Object Type
Open Star Cluster with Emission Nebula
NGC 6618, Omega, Swan, Horseshoe or Lobster
11 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
18hrs 20.8mins RA & -16degrees 11mins DEC
Sagittarius
6.0
wards southwest. (further than M16)

M18
 Located about 4,900 light years and spread over a 17 light year expanse of space, this group of around 20 stars
is only about 32 million years old. Its hottest members are spectral type B3, yet you will also see many yellow
and orange stars as well.
 M18 may very well be a binary cluster, paired with the open cluster – NGC 6618 – which is harbored inside
M17.
Object Type
Open Star Cluster
NGC 6613
9.0 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
7.5
wards southwest. (close to M17)

M19
 Speeding away from us at a rate of 146 kilometers per second, this gravitationally bound ball of stars measur-
ing 140 light years in diameter, is one of the Messier globular clusters that has the distinction of being closest
to the center of the Milky Way. At a little more than 5000 light-years from the intense gravitation of our
own galactic core, it has played havoc on M19′ s round shape, causing it to be one of the most oblate of all
globulars, with twice as many stars along the major axis as along the minor.
 And, although it is 28,000 light-years from Earth, it’s actually on the opposite side of the galactic core.
 It has some stellar branch properties that are difficult to pinpoint – even its age is indeterminate.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6273)
17 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ophiuchus
6.8
How do I find it? Between Vega and Rigil Kent, closer to Rigil Kent just below Antares.

M20—Trifid Nebula
 Almost everyone who is familiar with space images has seen this beautiful and color emission and reflection
nebula.
 Photographically, the red emission nebula contained within Messier 20 has a bright blue star cluster in it cen-
tral portion. It glows red because the ultraviolet light of the stars ionizes the hydrogen gas, which then recom-
bines and emits the characteristic red hydrogen-alpha light captured on film.
 The Trifid – or “three lobed” nebula has a distinctive set of dark dust lanes which divide it.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
NGC 6514, Trifid Nebula
28 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
9.0
How do I find it? Roughly halfway between Vega and Rigil Kent, a little towards south east.

M21
 At a distance of 4,250 light years from Earth, this group of 57 various magnitude stars all started life together
about 4.6 million years ago as part of the Sagittarius OB1 stellar association.
 What makes this fairly loose collection of stars rather prized is its youth as a cluster and variation of age in its
stellar members. Main sequence stars are easy enough to distinguish in a group, but low mass stars are a differ-
ent story when it comes to separating them from older cluster members.
Object Type
Planetary nebula
(NGC 6531)
13 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
6.5
How do I find it? Roughly halfway between Rigil Kent and Altair and a little closer to Altair.

M22—Sagittarius Cluster
 Drifting along in space some 10,400 light years from our solar system, M22 shares common ground with a
lot of other clusters of its type. It’s true that it is a gravitationally bound sphere of stars and that most of its
stars are all about the same age. It’s also true that it’s part of our galactic halo and may once have been part of
a galaxy that our Milky Way cannibalized… But it’s there that the similarities end. There’s a lot more to this
ball of stars that’s receding away from us at 149 kilometers per second than meets the eye.
 Messier 22 contains at least 70,000 individual stars – and out of those? Only 32 are variable stars. It spans an
incredible 200 light years in diameter and ranks 4th in brightness against all the known globular clusters in
our galaxy.
 Recent Hubble Space Telescope investigations of Messier 22 have led to the discovery of an astonishing dis-
covery. It would appear that there’s planet-sized objects floating around in there about 80 times the mass of
Earth! How did the HST find them? By the way gravity bends the light of the background stars – a phenomena
known as microlensing.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
NGC 6656
32 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
5.1
How do I find it? Roughly halfway between Rigil Kent and Altair and a little closer to Altair.

M23
 At an estimated 220 to 300 million years old, Messier 23 is on the “senior citizen” list of galactic open clus-
ters in our galaxy – its hottest stars reaching spectral type B9 and even contains blue straggler candidates.
 It’s actually one of those objects that’s better in binoculars and low power telescopes.
Object Type
Open Star Cluster
NGC 6494
27 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
6.9
How do I find it? Roughly one third the distance between Altair and Antares, closer to Antares and
a little towards the south.

M24
 Messier 24 is one of the most curious of the catalog entries because it really isn’t a star cluster – simply an
oddity.
 What we are looking at is thousands of stars that belong to the Sagittarius arm of the Milky Way galaxy seen
through a chance hole in the gas and dust… a clear “window” in space. And speaking of space… M24 fills a
space of significant volume to a depth of 10,000 to 16,000 light-years. This is the most dense concentration
of individual stars visible using binoculars, with around 1,000 stars visible within a single field of view!
Object Type
Star Cloud—contains several open clusters and a planetary nebula
IC 4715, Sagittarius Star Cloud, Delle Caustiche
90 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
4.6
How do I find it? Roughly halfway between Altair and Antares and a little towards the south.

M25
 Messier 25 was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1745 and included in Charles Messier's list in 1764.
 A Delta Cephei type variable star (a type of star with variable magnitude which shows pulsations) designated
U Sagittarii is a member of this cluster. The occurrence of the Delta Cephei star is consistent with the fact that
it is not a very young cluster, its age may be about 90 million years.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(IC 4725)
The spatial dimension of this cluster is about 19 light years across. Its angular
diameter is 32’
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
18hrs 31.6mins RA & −19 degrees 15mins DEC
Sagittarius
4.6
How do I find it? Draw a line from Arcturus to Formalhaut. It is located approximately at the mid-
point slightly shifted towards Formalhaut.
Picture of the object– coloured..
- good overall view of the object...

M26
 Messier 26 is not so impressive as its apparent neighbour, M11.
 Its discoverer Charles Messier, who catalogued it on June 20, 1764, even noted that it was "not distinguished
in a 3.5 foot (FL) telescope and needed a better instrument."
 Nevertheless, this is a tight, beautiful open cluster with brightest stars of magnitude 11.9.
 An interesting feature of M26 is a region of low star density near the nucleus, most likely caused by an ob-
scuring cloud of interstellar matter between us and the cluster.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6694)
M26 spans about 22 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
18hrs 45.2mins RA & −9degrees 24mins DEC
Scutum
8.0
How do I find it? It is located at 1/3rd the distance (slightly shifted towards the side of Fomalhaut)
as you go from Altair to Antares.

M27-the Dumbbell Nebula
 Messier 27 was the first planetary nebula to be discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.
 It is easily visible through binoculars, and a popular observing target in amateur telescopes.
 Like many nearby planetary nebulae, the Dumbbell contains knots. Its central region is marked by a pattern of
dark and bright cusped knots and their associated dark tails. The knots vary in appearance from symmetric ob-
jects with tails to rather irregular tail-less objects.
 The central star, a white dwarf, is estimated to have a size larger than any other known white dwarf.
Object Type
Planetary Nebula
(NGC 6853)
The nebula extends to 15 arc minutes in size at it's faintest extensions, half the
size of the full moon.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
19hrs 59.6mins RA & +22degrees 43minutes DEC
Vulpecula
7.4
How do I find it? Draw a line from Altair to Deneb. It is located approximately at the mid-point
slightly shifted towards Altair.

M28
 Messier 28 was discovered 1764 by Charles Messier,
 M28 is a bright condensed globular cluster in the rich constellation Sagittarius.
 M28 was the second globular clusters where a millisecond pulsar was discovered in 1987.
 It is slightly elliptical shaped.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6626)
M28 has a linear diameter of 60 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
18hrs 24.5mins RA -24degrees 52mins DEC
Sagittarius
6.8
How do I find it? Draw a line from Altair to Rigil Kent. It is located approximately at the mid-point
slightly shifted towards Altair.

M29
 Messier 29 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764, and can be seen from Earth by using binoculars.
 It is situated in a highly crowded area of the Milky Way.
 The four brightest stars form a quadrilateral, and another three, a triangle north of them. A few fainter stars
are around them, but the cluster appears quite isolated, especially in smaller telescopes.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 6913)
M29 has a linear diameter of about 11 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
20hrs 23.9mins RA +38degrees 31.4mins DEC
Cygnus
7.1
How do I find it? It is situated at 1/4th the distance as you go from Deneb to Altair slightly shifted
towards Deneb.

M30
 Messier 30 is the only Messier in Capricornus, It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1764.
 The core of M30 exhibits an extremely dense stellar population, and has undergone a core collapse. Conse-
quently, M30's core is very small in extension. Half of this cluster's mass is concentrated in a spherical vol-
ume of a radius equal to the distance of Sirius from us.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 7099)
M30 is about 90 light years across, and appears to us under an angular diameter
of about 12.0 arc minutes.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
21hrs 40mins 22secs RA -23degrees 10mins DEC
Capricornus
7.2
How do I find it? It is located approximately midway between Altair and Achernar slightly shifted
towards Altair.

M31-the Andromeda Galaxy
 Messier 31 is the famous Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large neighbour galaxy, forming the Local Group of
galaxies together with its companions (including M32 and M110, two bright dwarf elliptical galaxies), our
Milky Way and its companions, M33, and others.
 It gets its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the Andromeda constellation, which was named
after the mythological princess Andromeda. Andromeda was formed out of the collision of two smaller galax-
ies between 5 and 9 billion years ago.
 It is the largest galaxy of the Local Group and is visible to the naked eye even under moderate conditions.
 It is of particular interest because it allows studies of all the features of a galaxy from outside which we also
find in the Milky Way, but cannot observe as the greatest part of our Galaxy is hidden by interstellar dust.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 224)
Distance & Size 2,540,000 light years
A vast, extended stellar disk in this galaxy makes it about 220,000 light-years in
diameter.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
00hrs 42.7mins RA & +41degrees 16mins DEC
Andromeda
3.4
How do I find it? Draw a line from the beta star of Cassiopeia (Schedir) to the closest start of
Pegasus square (Alpheratz), Andromeda is located slightly below the mid-point
of this line (on the side of Aldebaran)

M32
 Messier 32 is the small yet bright companion of the Andromeda Galaxy, M31, and as such a member of the
Local Group of galaxies. It was the first elliptical galaxy ever discovered, by Le Gentil on October 29, 1749.
 It can be easily found when observing the Andromeda Galaxy, as it is situated 22 arc minutes exactly south of
M31's central region, overlaid over the outskirts of the spiral arms. It appears as a remarkably bright round
patch, slightly elongated and is easily visible in small telescopes.
 Around its nucleus, about 100 million stars move rapidly about a central massive object thought possibly to
be a black hole.
Object Type
Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy
(NGC 221)
M32 has a diameter of 8,000 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Andromeda
8.1
How do I find it? It is almost at the same position as Andromeda (M31) over the outskirts of the
spiral arms.

M33-Triangulum Galaxy
 Messier 33 is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way Galaxy,
the Andromeda Galaxy and about 30 other smaller galaxies. It is one of the most distant permanent objects
that can be viewed with the naked eye.
 It is sometimes known under the name “Pinwheel Galaxy” since it is said to be slowly rotating in a clockwise
motion, making a complete turn every 200 million years.
 The inner part of the galaxy has two luminous spiral arms, along with multiple spurs that connect the inner to
the outer spiral features.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 598, Pinwheel galaxy)
M33 has a diameter is about 60,000 light-years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
1hr 33.8mins RA +30degrees 39.5mins DEC
Triangulum
5.7
How do I find it? It is located at about 2/3rd the distance as you go from Aldebaran to the closest
star of Pegasus square (Alpheratz)

M34
 Messier 34 has about 100 stars and is estimated to be about 180 million years old. It was first found by Gio-
vanni Batista Hodierna before 1654, and independently rediscovered by Charles Messier in on August 25, 1764.
 Its appearance is influenced by a nearby non-member of magnitude 7.3, while the brightest member star is of
magnitude 7.9. It can be resolved into stars by 10x50 binoculars and is best at low magnification in telescopes.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 1039)
It spans about 35 minutes on the sky which translates to a true radius of 7 light
years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
2hrs 42.1mins RA & +42degrees 46minutes DEC
Perseus
5.5
How do I find it? It is located approximately midway between Capella and the star closest to it from
Pegasus Square (Alpheratz)

M35
 Messier 35 consists of several hundred stars scattered over an area equal to that covered by the full Moon.
 The slightest optical instrument will resolve the brighter stars and make it a splendid view at low magnifica-
tions, a nearly circular cluster with rather uniform stellar distribution.
 In telescopes, low powers and wide-field eye pieces show M35 at its best.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2168)
It has a linear diameter of about 24 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
6hrs 9.1mins RA +24degrees 21minutes DEC
Gemini
5.3
How do I find it? It is located at about 1/3rd the distance as you go from Elnath to Procyon
slightly upwards (towards the side of Pollux)

M36
 Messier 36 was discovered by Giovanni Batista Hodierna in the 1600s.
 This cluster has at least 60 member stars and is thought to be about 25 million years old. Many of these bright
stars are rapidly rotating, as shown by their broadened spectral lines.
 As it is quite young, it contains no red giants, in contrast to its neighbors M37 and M38, which lie roughly at
the same distance.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 1960)
M36 has an angular diameter of 12 minutes which corresponds to about 14 light
years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Auriga
6.3
How do I find it? It is located at about 1/4th the distance as you go from Capella to Sirius.

M37
 Messier 37 can probably be called the highlight of the constellation Auriga, as it is the brightest, as well as rich-
est cluster in this constellation. Oddly enough, Le Gentil, who discovered M36 and M38 missed this one, even
though it outshines both it’s contemporaries.
 A peculiar member of this cluster’s inhabitants, a variable called KV10, is not just a variable star in the sense
that it’s brightness varies with time. But also in the sense that the time it takes to change it’s magnitude also
varies, from 0.044 days to 0.417 days.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2099)
The cluster is somewhere between 45 to 50 light years wide.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Auriga Constellation
6.2
How do I find it? Identify Capella, the brightest star in Auriga. Join the two stars opposite to it in
Auriga’s pentagon. Move slightly outside the pentagon from the mid point of these
stars to find M37

M38
 Messier 38 is the dimmest messier object in the constellation of Auriga. Many observers who saw it through
small telescopes saw the shape to resemble that of a cross. As technology developed and resolution increased,
we can now see that it actually resembles the Greek letter π rather than the cross.
 A possible binary system exists in this region. Of what you may ask? Not stars, as you may have thought, but
clusters themselves. M38, it seems, has a binary cluster, NGC 1907 in it’s vicinity.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 1912)
The cluster is about 50 light years wide.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Auriga Constellation
7.4
How do I find it? Almost 1/3rd the distance between Elnath and Capella is where you’ll find it, nearer
to Elnath.

M39
 Messier 39 is an open cluster located in the constellation of Cygnus. It is difficult to be certain about it, but it
may be just a few bright stars superposed over a background of dimmer red giants, posing as a single cluster,
while in fact, they ay not be so.
 It is a very loose cluster, so scattered in fact that William Herschel refused to call it a cluster, saying that it was
impossible to tell where the cluster was starting an where it would end.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 7092)
It is quite small, with a diameter of about 7 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Cygnus Constellation
4.6
How do I find it? Extend the longer, vertical part of the Cygnus cross to twice it's length. You should
find M39

M40
 Messier 40, is probably the weirdest member of the Messier catalog. It is not a nebula, neither is it a cluster
that would seem fuzzy. It is a double star. One that required quite a bit of power to resolve clearly. How,
then, was it interfering with Messier’s search for comets?
 The answer may lie in Johann Hevelius’s reports. It seems he found a nebula at the coordinates of M40. Mess-
ier, being the keen astronomer he was, decided to note it down, lest it interfere with his comet hunting.
 But to his dismay, he only found a double star at that position. Feeling that Hevelius must have been mistaken
he added it to his catalog for future records.
 The separation between these stars was 49 arc seconds but has gradually increased to 52 arc seconds
Object Type
Optical Binary
(WNC 4)
The distance between the two stars is about 1/10th of a light year
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ursa Major Constellation
8.4
How do I find it? Just above the star that is the joint of the handle and the spoon of the big dipper, is
this double star.

M41
 Messier 41 is an open cluster in the constellation of Canis Major. A majority of it’s members are red giants. It
is thought that a few 100 million years ago, this cluster was a globular cluster, but repeated interactions with
our Milky Way have worn it out and within 300 or 400 million years, this cluster will have dispersed com-
pletely.
 Aristotle, it seems, had discovered this cluster in 325 BC. The very bright star, seen in the bottom left of the
picture, though the brightest in this picture, is actually not a part of the cluster. It is in fact 1000 light years
away from the cluster.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2287)
The cluster stretches across 25 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Canis Major Constellation
4.5
How do I find it? About 4 degrees below Sirius, this cluster is easily visible through binoculars.

M42-Orion Nebula
 The Great Orion Nebula, or Messier 42, is undoubtedly the most well known and most extensively photo-
graphed and studied object in the entire sky. It is located in the constellation Orion, slightly below the
hunter’s belt.
 The nebula gives off a variety of wavelengths, also populating the infra red part of the spectrum. Red, blue-
violet and green glows are clearly seen in many photos. The red color was due to the Hα spectrum and the
blue due to the massive O class stars in the nebula. The green color however, puzzled scientists till the 20th
century. They even coined a new element called nebulium to explain the green glow on it’s spectrum. But it
was later discovered that it was due to a classically forbidden electron transition in doubly ionized oxygen that
caused this mysterious phenomenon.
 The Orion nebula is a huge stellar nursery, where many new stars are in the process of being born. The Orion
nebula was the first deep space object to be photographed with a long exposure, which put forward the fact
that stars invisible to the naked eye could be seen through such measures.
Object Type
Emission and Reflection Nebula along with an Open Cluster
(NGC 1976, Sharpless 281, Home of the Trapezium)
The Nebula is approximately 40 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Orion Constellation
4.0
How do I find it? In the centre of the lower half of Orion are three faint stars, in a line. The middle star
points us to M42

M43-De Mairan’s nebula
 Messier 43 is a part of the Orion nebula. It is separated from the main M42 by a dark dust lane. The centre of
this nebula is home to a protostar, and the light coming from it to us is actually coming through a tunnel of
dust.
 The entire nebula, however is home to a huge number of protostars. As Herschel observed this nebula
through years, he noticed that the central bright star was initially white clouded, but as the years rolled by, the
nebulosity began to move and fade slightly, making the star brighter.
Object Type
Emission Nebula
(NGC 1982, De Mairan’s nebula, Companion of the Orion nebula)
The nebula is about 7.5 light years wide.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Orion Constellation
9.0
How do I find it? Look in the centre of the lower half of Orion, you should spot three almost collinear
stars. Behind the second star, you’ll find M43

M44–The Beehive cluster
 Messier 44, an open cluster in Cancer, is also called the Beehive cluster commonly. It was called the little cloud
by Hipparchus. It was eventually revealed to a star cluster in the 1600s.
 There are quite a few stars in this cluster that can support solar systems. There are 3 sun like stars, which also
have debris disks around them. This cluster seems very similar to Hyades, it’s composition, age and even ve-
locities.
 Historically, this cluster was visible very easily and was used as a warning to predict coming storms in case this
cluster was not visible during the night.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2632, Praesepe, The Manger)
The cluster spans across 23 light years in space.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Cancer Constellation
3.7
How do I find it? Just slightly off the line joining the middle stars of Cancer is this cluster. It is pretty
much in the middle of Cancer

M45-Pleiades
 The Pleiades cluster is the easiest Messier object to spot. Even with the naked eyes, it is easily seen as a small
patch of stars. It can easily be resolved into stars with the naked eyes and doesn’t require more than a pair of
binoculars if you want to see the entire object in one field of view.
 Quite obviously, this cluster is easily visible to the naked eye, and seems like a weird thing to add to list of ob-
jects that could have been confused for comets. People have come to surmise that the reason for it’s inclusion
was his rivalry with Lacaille, who had a similar list containing 42 objects. The most clearly visible stars have
been named after Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygeta, Celaeno
and Alcyone.
 The reflection nebula is due to a dust cloud that the star cluster is currently passing through. The cluster is
moving through space, and though it is currently in Taurus , it will eventually drift through Orion, and in due
time, be dispersed and destroyed. Currently, it is the closest Messier object to the Earth.
Object Type
Open Cluster with Reflection Nebula
(NGC 1432, Pleiades, Seven Sisters, Subaru, Maia Nebula)
The cluster occupies an area 13 light years wide
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Taurus Constellation
1.6
How do I find it? Join Bellatrix to Aldebaran. Extend this line past Aldebaran. Almost at twice the dis-
tance between Aldebaran and Bellatrix is a clearly visible bunch of stars. This is
Pleiades.

M46
 Messier 46 is a globular cluster in the constellation of Puppis. It is one of the original discoveries of Charles
Messier.
 It is a beautiful thing to look at through either binoculars (giving us M47 in the same field of view) or
through a good telescope (to observe the nebula in the cluster). The planetary nebula on the upper edge of
the cluster is just a superposition. It is not a member of the cluster and is actually closer to us than the actual
cluster.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 2437)
The cluster is 30 light years wide, while the planetary nebula is barely 1 light year
across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Puppis Constellation
6.0
How do I find it? Extend the line between Mirzam and Sirius to about thrice it’s length towards Sirius.
You should find M46

M47
 Messier 47 is an open cluster in the constellation Puppis. It is very similar to Pleiades, both in terms of popula-
tion and constituents. The stars in this cluster are chemically very similar to those found in M45.
 At the centre of the cluster is a binary star. A star P1121 in this system has a large debris disk around it, which is
a telltale sign of a developing planet system.
 M47 is an example of Messier making a mistake in recording locations, as it was later rediscovered by many
people such as Herschel and Dreyer. The dilemma was finally solved late in 1960.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2422)
The cluster is a mere 12 light years across.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Puppis Constellation
5.2
How do I find it? Join Sirius and Mirzam, and extend the line in the direction of Sirius to about thrice
it’s length. You’re approximately where M47 is.

M48
 Messier 48 is an open cluster in the constellation of Hydra. It is just bright enough to be visible to naked eye
under good conditions.
 Even though it is a member of Messier’s catalog, who seemed to have discovered it in 1771, it was lost due to a
recording error by messier, who gave the declination off by about 5 degrees. It was discovered by Caroline
Herschel in 1783. William Herschel added it to his catalog and later. Since there was no other candidate to jus-
tify the observation of M48 in the nearby field, Herschel’s discovery was revised as M48 and the coordinates
were modified suitably.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2548)
The cluster is about 25 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Hydra Constellation
5.5
How do I find it? Extend the line between Gomeisa and Procyon to about four times it’s length. This is
where M48 will be

M49
 Messier 49 is a huge system of globular clusters. It was the first member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies to be
discovered, by Charles Messier, who catalogued it on February 19, 1771.
 It is the brightest of the Virgo Cluster member galaxies. It is also the second galaxy discovered beyond the Local
Group after Lacaille's discovery of M83.
 It is a bright elliptical found between two six magnitude stars.
 Its estimated mass is 200 billion solar masses.
Object Type
Elliptical Galaxy
(NGC 4472)
Distance & Size 60 million light years
The galaxy is an ellipsoid with a projected major axis of nearly 160,000 light
years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
12hrs 29.8sec RA & +8degrees DEC
Virgo
8.4
How do I find it? Draw a line from Vega and Arcturus. M49 is at about one-fourth of the way on
the other side of Acturus on the extended line.

M50
 Messier 50 contains about 200 stars even though it isn't spread over a large area.
 M50 was possibly discovered by G. D. Cassini 1711, it was independently recovered by Charles Messier on the
night of April 5, 1772. He describes its as a cluster of small stars, more or less brilliant, above the right loins of
the Unicorn, above the star Theta of the ear of Canis Major, & near a star of 7th magnitude. It was while ob-
serving the Comet of 1772 that Messier observed this cluster. He has reported it on the chart of that comet, on
which its trace has been drawn.
 It’s visual appearance is also described as a heart-shaped figure.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2323)
This stellar gathering is about 20 light years across, but the central concentration
is believed to only span across 10 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Monoceros
5.9
How do I find it? Draw a line from Sirius to Procyon. M50 is at about one-thirds of the way from
Sirius to Procyon

M51-The Whirlpool Galaxy
 Messier 51 is the largest member of a small group of galaxies, which also houses M63 and a number of fainter
galaxies.
 First observed by Charles Messier in October 1773, the spiral structure was not noted until 1845 by Lord Rosse.
At the time of the discovery of the spiral structure, it was thought that Messier 51 was an example of a new solar
system in formation within our Milky Way Galaxy. It was not until 1923 with the construction of larger, more
powerful telescopes that Messier 51 was recognized as a distinct galaxy with its own stars and nebulae.
 Also shown in the above image is Messier 51's companion galaxy, NGC 5195. Although some have theorized
that the two galaxies are connected. It is now generally recognized that they are two separate and distinct galax-
ies. However, it is believed that the prominent spiral structure of Messier 51 is due to its gravitational interac-
tion with NGC 5195.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 5194)
Distance & Size To this time, its exact distance is not known. Some say it is 15 million light years
and some others say it is about 37 million light years .
It is estimated to be about 124,000 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
13hrs 29.9mins RA & +47degrees 12 minutes DEC
Canes Venatici
8.1
How do I find it? M51, is off the tail end of the big dipper, in the direction that the dipper is
"cupping”

M52
 Messier 52 is a fine open cluster of condensed stars of different sizes, located in a rich Milky Way field. It is one
of the rich clusters for which amateur Jeff Bondono has proposed the name "salt and pepper" clusters. It is 35
million years old cluster of stars & has around 200 members .
 M52 was an original discovery of Charles Messier, captured on the night of September 7, 1774. He describes it as
Cluster of very small stars, mingled with nebulosity, which can be seen only with an achromatic telescope. It
was when he observed the comet which appeared in this year that Messier saw this cluster, which was close to
the comet on 7th Sep.
 It is below Ruchbah (delta Cassiopeia): That star was used to determine both the cluster of stars and the comet.
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 7654)
The cluster's apparent diameter of 13 arc min which corresponds to a linear ex-
tension of 19 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Cassiopeia
7.3
How do I find it? Draw a line between Alpha Cassiopeia (Schedir), and Beta Cassiopeia (Caph).
Extend that line into space about the same distance

M53
 Messier 53 was first discovered by Johann Elert Bode, on February 3, 1775, who described it as a "rather vivid
and round" nebula. Charles Messier, who independently rediscovered and catalogued it 2 years later, on Febru-
ary 26, 1777, found it "round and conspicuous" and that it resembles M79. William Herschel was the first to
resolve it into stars, and found it similar to M10.
 Heading towards us at a speed of 112 km/s, globular cluster M53 is one of the furthest distant globular clusters
in our Milky Way halo and lay almost equally distant between our solar system and the galactic center.
 As in all globular clusters, the stars of M53 are apparently “metal-poor", which means that they contain only
little quantities of elements heavier than helium (actually mainly elements like carbon and oxygen); those of
M53 are even below the average globular cluster members in "metallicity".
 M53 has a bright compact central nucleus of about 2' in diameter, although its stars are not very concentrated
toward the centre as compared to other globulars, and a gradually decreasing density profile to the outer edges.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 5024)
This star cluster has a diameter of 220 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Coma Berenices
7.6
How do I find it? M53 can be easily found just about a degree northeast of Alpha Coma Berenices,
a visual binary star. To located Alpha, draw a mental line from Arcturus via Eta
Bootis where you’ll see it about a fist width west.

M54
 Messier 54 is a quite conspicuous globular cluster, discovered by Charles Messier, on July 24, 1778, and is very
difficult to resolve. It is receding from us at about 142 km/s.
 Its distance, for years, was estimated to be about 50-65,000 light years. However, in 1994, the exciting discov-
ery was made that M54 was probably not a member of our Milky Way at all, but of a newly discovered dwarf
galaxy! This galaxy is now called SagDEG, for Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, and one of the most recently
discovered Local Group galaxies. M54 coincides with one of two major concentrations of the SagDEG galaxy,
and is receding from us at a very similar velocity (about 130 km/s). This makes it probable that M54 is within
this galaxy, which was estimated at a distance of 80-90,000 light years. At this distance, M54 would be one of
the most luminous known globular clusters with an absolute visual magnitude of -10.01, a brilliance of about
850,000 suns like ours, and outshined only by spectacular Omega Centauri in our Milky Way.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6715)
Distance & Size 87,400 light years (a recent estimate)
This compact globe of stars could be as wide as 150 light years in diameter
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
7.6
How do I find it? M54 is close to Zeta Sagittarii, the southernmost star of Sagittarius’
"dipper" asterism of 4 or 5 stars (also called the "Milky Dipper", and part of
the "Teapot"), namely 0.5 degrees south and 1.5 degrees west.

M55
 Messier 55, was originally discovered by Nicholas Louis de Lacaille on June 16, 1752, when he was observing in
South Africa, and catalogued by him as Lac I.14. Charles Messier finally found it and catalogued it on July 24,
1778, after having looked in vain as early as 1764: This is a consequence of this object's southern declination.
 Sir William Herschel was the first to glimpse the resolvability of this great globular cluster. He described it as-
“A rich cluster of very compressed stars, irregularly round, about 8 minutes long.“
 This is a loose appearing ball of stellar points may not seem concentrated – but its home to tens of thousands
stars.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6809)
This globular cluster of stars is 100 light years wide in diameter; & roughly 2/3 of
the Moon's apparent diameter
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
19hrs 40mins RA & -30 degrees 58mins DEC
Sagittarius
6.3
How do I find it? M55 is by no means easy to find. It lies between zeta Sagittarius and theta Sagitta-
rius, seven degrees east of zeta and one degree south.

M56
 Messier 56 was one of Charles Messier's original discoveries; he saw it first on January 23, 1779 and describes
it as a "nebula without stars," like most globular clusters. It was first resolved into stars by William
Herschel around 1784.
 It is one of the less bright Messier globulars, especially lacking the bright core which most globulars have. Nev-
ertheless it is not too difficult to resolve, even at its rather large distance.
 This incredible ball of stars is moving towards planet Earth at a speed of 145 kilometers per second, yet still re-
mains about 32,900 light-years away.
 As one of the less dense of the Milky Way’s halo globulars, it is also less dense in variable stars – containing
only perhaps a dozen.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6779)
This globe of stars spans a diameter of 85 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Lyra
8.3
How do I find it? It is located about half-way between Albireo (Beta Cygni) and Sulafat
(Gamma Lyrae)

M57 - The Ring Nebula
 Messier 57 is the finest planetary nebula in the skies. The ring (sometimes called braiding, but scientifically
known as “knots” in the gaseous structure) itself should be clearly visible in medium scopes.
 It was first discovered in early January 1779 by Antoine Darquier. Although Darquier did not post a date, it is
believed his observation preceded Messier’s independent recovery made on January 31, 1779 when he states that
Darquier picked it up before him: “A cluster of light between Gamma and Beta Lyrae, discovered when looking
for the Comet of 1779, which has passed it very close: it seems that this patch of light, which is round, must be
composed of very small stars.”
 At one time in its life, it may have had twice the mass of Sol (our sun), but now all that’s left is a white dwarf
that burns over 100,000 degrees. Surrounding it is an envelope about 2 to 3 light years in size of what once
was its outer layers – blown away in a cylindrical shape some 6000 to 8000 years ago.
 It is called a planetary nebula, because once upon a time before telescopes could resolve them, they appeared
almost planet-like. But, as for M57, the central star itself is no larger than a terrestrial planet! The tiny white
dwarf star, although it could be as much as 2300 light years away, has an intrinsic brightness of about 50 to
100 times that of our Sun.
Object Type
Planetary nebula
(NGC 6720)
It is an envelope about 2 to 3 light years in size
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Lyra
8.8
How do I find it? It is situated between Beta and Gamma Lyrae, at about one-third the distance
from Beta to Gamma

M58
 Messier 58 was first discovered by Messier, along with the apparently nearby elliptical galaxies M59 & M60, on
the occasion of following the Comet of 1779. It is one of the earliest recognized spiral galaxies.
 It is one of the four barred spiral galaxies in Messier's catalog (the others are M91, M95,and M109), although it
is sometimes classified as intermediate between normal and barred spirals (e.g. in R. Brent Tully's Nearby Galax-
ies Catalog). M58 is a telescopic object and requires patience to find, because the Virgo Cluster contains so
many galaxies which can easily be misidentified.
 M58 is one of the brightest galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. From 1779 it was arguably (though unknown at that
time) the farthest known astronomical object until the release of the New General Catalogue (NGC) in the
1880s and even more so the publishing of red-shift values in the 1920s.
 Although it might appear pretty plain, it has some great things going for it ,namely an active galactic nucleus.
Two supernovae have been observed in M58: the type II supernova 1988A, found by Ikeya on January 18, 1988,
40" south of the nucleus at mag 13.5, and the type I supernova 1989M, discovered by Kimeridze on June 28,
1989 at mag 12.2 and 33"N, 44"W of M58's center.
Object Type
Spiral galaxy
(NGC 4579)
Its angular diameter is 5.5x4.5 arc minutes
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Virgo
9.7
How do I find it? First, locate Vindemiatrix (epsilon Virgo) and Denebola (beta Leo). It is situated
between Vindemiatrix and Denebola, at about one-third the distance from
Vindemiatrix to Denebola

M59
 Messier 59 is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, and one of the larger elliptical galaxies there, although it
is considerably less luminous and massive than the greatest ellipticals in this cluster, M49, M60 and, above
all, M87. It is quite flattened: Various sources give values of its ellipticity as E3-E5
 M59 was discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler on April 11, 1779, together with nearby M60, on the occasion
of observing the comet of that year. Charles Messier, also when observing that comet, found both galaxies four
days later, on April 15 of that year, and in addition nearby M58 which Koehler missed. Messier described M59 as
equally faint as M58, and fainter than M60.
 It has a counter-rotating core. This unusual behavior is accounted to the possible presence of a black hole at its
centre. Although not biggest or brightest of the group, it is home to nearly 2000 globular clusters.
Object Type
Elliptical Galaxy
(NGC 4621)
Its longer axis of 5 arc minutes corresponds to almost 90,000 light years linear
extension.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
12hrs 42mins RA & +11degrees 39mins DEC
Virgo
9.6
How do I find it? Locate M58. M59 is closer to Vindemiatrix as compared to M58 and father as
compared to M60

M60
 Messier 60, the most following (eastern) Messier galaxy in the Virgo cluster, is the last in a row of the three
(M58, M59, and M60). At lower magnifications, it lies in the same field of view as M59 (25 arc min away).
 M60 was discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler on April 11, 1779, when he was following the comet of that
year, together with neighbouring M59. It was independently found one day later by Barnabus Oriani, who
missed M59, and four days later, on April 15, 1779, by Charles Messier, who also found it near M58. Mess-
ier describes M60 as "a little more distinct" than M58 and M59.
 Photographs obtained with larger instruments show a large system of faint globular clusters; M60 has a re-
spectable number of about 5100 of these objects in its halo. The Hubble Space telescope has investigated M60's
core and found evidence that it contans a massive central object of about 2 billion solar masses.
 A supernova, SN 2004W, was found in M60 as it had already faded to magnitude 18.8; this supernova was
found to be of a sub luminous type Ia. It had probably flashed up about half a year before, but remained unno-
ticed because M60 was close to its solar conjunction.
Object Type
Elliptical Galaxy
(NGC 4649)
It has a linear diameter of 120,000 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Virgo
8.8
How do I find it? Locate M58 & M59. It is closer to Vindemiatrix as compared to M58 and M59

M61
 Messier 61 is located in the constellation of Virgo, amidst the cluster of galaxies know as the Virgo cluster. This
is one of the larger galaxies in the cluster.
 It is a Seyfert galaxy, a type of galaxy with nuclei that produce spectral line emission from highly ionized gases.
This galaxy's low luminosity, about magnitude 10, makes it appear as nothing more than a fuzzy spot in small
optic instruments.
 Six supernovae have been observed in this galaxy.
Object Type
Spiral (Seyfert) Galaxy
(NGC 4303)
Measures about 100,000 light years in diameter.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Virgo
9.7
How do I find it? Locate Spica, the brightest star present in the constellation Virgo. From this star,
draw a straight line towards the star Denebola, the last star in the tail of Leo con-
stellation. M61 lies at a distance of one third of the length from Denebola.

M62
 Messier 62, an unusual globular cluster, is known for its highly irregular shape. This deformation is believed to
have been caused by gravitational tidal forces acting on the cluster due to its close proximity to the galactic
center.
 M62 contains the high number of 89 variable stars. It also contains several X-Ray sources, thought to be
close binary star systems, as well as millisecond pulsars in binary systems.
 Charles Messier found this cluster on June 7, 1771, but took an accurate position only on June 4, 1779 .From
its apparent size and magnitude, M62 is very similar to its neighbor, M19.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6266 )
100 light years wide
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ophiuchus
6.5
How do I find it? Locate Altair present in the constellation Aquila which is also a part of the Sum-
mer triangle. Locate Antares, the red star present in the constellation Scorpius.
Join the 2 stars with a straight line. M62 can found very close to Antares by
moving from the line towards the tail of the Scorpius.

M63—Sunflower Galaxy
 Messier 63 earned this name due to its sunflower-like appearance. It was originally discovered in 1779 by Mess-
ier's friend, Pierre Mechain.
 This galaxy is part of a group of galaxies that includes M51. In the mid-19th century, Lord Rosse identified spi-
ral structure within the galaxy, making this one of the first galaxies in which such structure was identified.
 In 1971, a supernova with a magnitude of 11.8 appeared in one of the arms of M63.
 Colour photos of this galaxy show star-forming regions throughout its spiral arms. M63 has faint extensions
of its arms which could be the result of the gravitational forces of the nearby galaxies.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 5055)
100,000 light years across, about the same as Milky way Galaxy
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
13hrs 15mins RA & 42degrees 1min DEC
Canes Venatici
8.6
How do I find it? Locate Arcturus present in the constellation Bootes. Join this star to the first of
the stars of Ursa major, Alkaid. From this line, move towards the side opposite to
Vega (present in the summer triangle). M63 is roughly located on the line join-
ing Arcturus and the third star of Ursa Major.
Picture of the object– colored..

M64—Black Eye Galaxy
 The Black Eye Galaxy was discovered by Edward Pigott in March 1779.
 The name black eye comes from a dark dust lane that obscures the light near the center of this galaxy. This
dust lane is believed to be a site of active star formation. This dust lane is visible even in small telescopes.
 Recent detailed studies have led to the remarkable discovery that the interstellar gas in the outer regions of
M64 rotates in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in the inner regions. This pattern is believed to
trigger the creation of many new stars around the boundary separating the two regions.
 Astronomers believe that the oppositely rotating gas arose when M64 absorbed a satellite galaxy that collided
with it, perhaps more than one billion years ago. The small galaxy that impinged on its neighbour has now
been almost completely destroyed, its stars either merged with the main galaxy or scattered into space, but
signs of the collision persist in the backward motion of gas at the outer edge of the galaxy.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 4826, Sleeping Beauty Galaxy, Evil Eye Galaxy)
The inner region has a radius of approximately 3,000 light-years, while the
outer section extends another 40,000 light-years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
12hrs 56mins RA & 21degrees 41mins DEC
Coma Berenices
8.5
How do I find it? Extend lines from Arcturus (present in Bootes) and third star of Ursa major such
that they meet at a right angle. The orientation of the triangle should be such
that the line from Arcturus should be smaller in length. The intersection of these
two lines gives a very good approximation of the location of M64.

M65
 Messier 65, an intermediate spiral galaxy, is low in dust and gas, and there is little star formation in it. The ratio
of old stars to new stars is correspondingly quite high.
 To the eye, M65's disk appears slightly warped, and its relatively recent burst of star formation is also sugges-
tive of some external disturbance. Rots (1978) suggests that the two other galaxies in the Leo Triplet inter-
acted with each other about 800 million years ago. Recent research by Zhiyu Duan suggests that M65 may
also have interacted, though much less strongly. He also notes that M65 may have a central bar—it is difficult
to tell because the galaxy is seen from an oblique angle—a feature which is suggestive of tidal disruption.
Object Type
Intermediate spiral galaxy (elliptical in view)
(NGC 3623)
Apparent dimension 8x1.5 arc minutes
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Leo
9.3
How do I find it? Draw lines from Arcturus (present in Bootes) and Merak (present in Ursa major)
such that they intersect at right angle in the constellation Leo. M65 lies very
close to this intersection.

M66
 Messier 66 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780.
 It has striking dust lanes and bright star clusters along sweeping spiral arms.
 M66 is part of the famous Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies that also includes M65 and NGC 3628.
 Gravitational interaction from its past encounter with neighboring NGC 3628 has resulted in an extremely
high central mass concentration and a high molecular to atomic mass ratio.
Object Type
Intermediate Spiral Galaxy
(NGC 3627)
95,000 light years across
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Leo
8.9
How do I find it? Follow the procedure described for M65 since M66 & M65 are very close.

M67
 Messier 67 was discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler in 1779.
 Age estimates for the cluster range between 3.2 and 5 billion years. It contains around 500 stars, some 200 of
which are believed to be white dwarfs. It has about 100 stars similar to Sun.
 M67 is the nearest old open cluster, and thus has become a standard example for studying stellar evolution. It
is probably the second best observed open cluster after the Hyades cluster, which is amongst the nearest open
clusters and younger than M67.
 In spite of being one of the most-studied open clusters, estimates of its physical parameters such as age, mass,
and number of stars of a given type, vary substantially.
 M67 does not contain an unbiased sample of stars. One cause of this is mass segregation, the process by which
lighter stars (actually, systems) gain speed at the expense of more massive stars during close encounters, which
causes the lighter stars to be at a greater average distance from the cluster’s center or to escape altogether .
Object Type
Open Cluster
(NGC 2682)
20 light years in diameter
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Cancer
6.1
How do I find it? Locate Regulus, the second most brightest star ,the second most brightest star
present in the constellation Leo. Also, locate Procyon, a bright star present in the
constellation Canis Minor. Join the two stars and one can find M67 very close to
the midpoint of this line.

M68
 Messier 68 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780.
 It has at least 42 known variables. It contains about 250 giant stars of absolute magnitude greater than zero,
about half as much as M3 or M13. Its brightest star is of magnitude 12.6, while the horizontal branch level of
this cluster is at magnitude 15.6.
 Helen Sawyer Hogg has found 25 stars being brighter than magnitude 14.8. The nearby mark in the lower
right shows the non-member Mira-type variable FI Hydrae, which has a period of about 324 days and can be-
come as bright as 9th magnitude.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 4590)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
12hrs 39mins RA & -26degrees 45mins DEC
Hydra
7.8
How do I find it? Draw lines from Antares (present in Scorpius) and Spica( present in Virgo) to
make a right angle such that the line from Antares is longer in length. M68 is
present very close to this intersection towards the right lower side, taking Antares
as reference.

M69
 Messier 69 was added to his catalog on August 31, 1780, the same night he found M70. The discovery oc-
curred when Messier was looking for a nebulous object catalogued by Lacaille in 1751-52 as Lac I.11; he had
already looked for that object in vain in 1764. Messier thought he had recovered Lacaille's object and identi-
fied M69 with , but this is probably a misidentification. It is a close neighbour of globular cluster M70, with
1,800 light-years separating the two objects; both of these clusters lie close to the galactic center.
 It is one of the most metal-rich globular clusters known. Nevertheless, this value is still significantly lower
than that for the younger (Population I) stars like our Sun, indicating that even this globular was formed at
early cosmic times when the universe contained less heavier elements, as these elements still had to be formed
in the stars.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6637)
Spatial radius of 42 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
7.6
How do I find it? Join the stars Altair & Deneb present in the summer triangle . Draw a line from
the star Antares present in Scorpius to meet the previously drawn line (extended)
perpendicularly. M69 lies near this intersection towards the side of Antares.

M70
 Messier 70 is nearly identical to its close neighbour in size and brightness, although it is just a bit larger. Both
are quite close to the galactic center, so they are both subject to quite strong tidal gravitational forces.
 Charles Messier discovered this globular on August 31, 1780, and described it as a "nebula without star."
 William Herschel was the first to resolve this globular cluster into stars and describes it as "a miniature of M3."
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6681)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Sagittarius
7.9
How do I find it? Join the stars Altair & Deneb present in the summer triangle . Draw a line from
the star Antares present in Scorpius to meet the previously drawn line (extended)
perpendicularly. M70 lies very near to this intersection.

M71
 Messier 71 was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux in 1746 and included by Charles Messier in his cata-
logue of comet-like objects in 1780. It was also noted by Koehler at Dresden around 1775.
 M71 was long thought (until the 1970s) to be a dense light years packed open cluster and was classified as such
by leading astronomers in the field of star cluster research due to its lacking a dense central compression, and
its stars having more "metals" than is usual for an ancient globular cluster.
 Today, M71 is designated as a very loose light years concentrated globular cluster, much like M68 in Hydra.
M71 has a luminosity of around 13,200 suns.
 In average binoculars it will show as a fair light years large fuzzy patch that almost seems to come to resolu-
tion, and begin to reveal individual stars to a small aperture telescope. Larger telescopes can and will full re-
solve this unusual globular cluster.
Object Type
Cluster, globular
(NGC 6838 GCI 115)
The M71 cluster spans across about 27 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
19hrs 53.8mins RA & +18degrees 46.7mins DEC
Sagittarius
8.5
How do I find it? Sagittarius is an arrow shaped constellation. About halfway between gamma and
delta Saggita is the sixth magnitude cluster M71.

M72
 Messier 72 was discovered by Pierre Méchain on August 29, 1780.
 M72 is a pale nebulous patch of light, very small and of grainy texture in a 4-inch, which shows only the 2'
diameter core region.
 This globular is of notable even brightness, fainting very gradually to the edges. It is hard to resolve in amateur
telescopes; in the 8-inch, only the extreme edges show suspicions of resolved stars. A close pair of stars is situ-
ated to the south of this cluster.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6891, GCI 118)
The diameter of M72 is about 72 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
20hrs 53.5mins RA & -12degrees 32.2mins DEC
Aquarius
10.0
How do I find it? M72 lies in the far southeast corner of Aquarius, just over the border from
Capricornus. It is easy to find the right general section of the sky starting at Alpha
and Beta Capricorni, the brightest stars for a long way around, and a very striking
pair. From there, locate Epsilon Aquarii (mag 3.8) and Theta Capricorni (mag
4.1). If you can see both stars naked-eye, you may well be able to locate 2/5 of
the way from Epsilon Aqr to Theta Cap.

M73
 Messier 73 is an asterism of four stars in the constellation of Aquarius. An asterism is composed of physically
unconnected stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth. M73 is one of the best-known
asterisms in the sky.
 M73 was discovered by Charles Messier on October 4, 1780, who originally described the object as a cluster of
four stars with some nebulosity.
 M73 was once treated as a potential sparsely populated open cluster, which consists of stars that are physically
associated in space as well as on the sky. The question of whether the stars were an asterism or an open cluster
generated a small, interesting debate.
 Although M73 was determined to be only a chance alignment of stars, further analysis of asterisms is still im-
portant for the identification of sparsely populated open clusters. Such clusters can be important for demon-
strating how open clusters are ripped apart by the gravitational forces in the Milky Way.
Object Type
Asterism
NGC 6994
2.8 arc min
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
20hrs 58.9min RA & -12degree 38min DEC
Aquarius
9.0
How do I find it? It is easy to find the right general section of the sky starting at Alpha and Beta
Capricorni, the brightest stars for a long way around, and a very striking pair.
From there, locate Epsilon Aquarii (mag 3.8) and Theta Capricorni (mag 4.1). to
locate M72 and M73 2/5 of the way from Epsilon Aqr to Theta Cap.

M74
 The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a Grand
Design Spiral Galaxy.
 It is estimated that M74 is home to about 100 billion stars.[4]
 M74 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780. Méchain then communicated his discovery to Charles Messier,
who listed the galaxy in his catalog
 Two supernovae have been identified in M74: SN 2002ap and SN 2003gd.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
NGC 628 UGC 1149 PGC 5974
Distance & Size 35,000 k-light years
Apparent dimensions 10.2x9.5 (arc min)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
1hr 36min 48sec RA & +15degree 47min DEC
Pisces
10.5
How do I find it? Start by locating Alpha Arietis (Hamal) and make a mental line between it and
Beta – then on to Eta Piscium. Center your finders cope at Eta and shift the view
about 1.5 degrees northeast.

M75
 It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects
that same year.
 This globular cluster has since been named The Jasmine Onyx Star (Intergalactic Star Database Number: ISD
0116739), in recognition of Jasmine Onyx Watson, born 18/08/2011.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
NGC 6864 GCI 116
Radius of M75 is about 67ly.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
20hrs 6min 4.75sec RA & -21degree 55min 16.2sec DEC
Sagittarius
9.5
How do I find it? Extend a line from the star pair of Alpha and Beta Capricorni to locate the Rhio
and Pi cap.
A pair of mag 5 stars Rho and Pi Capricorni, close enough to fit easily in a wide
telescopic field, point almost directly at M75. Take a line from Rho to Pi, bending
slightly N, and you pass through mag 5 Sigma Cap.

M76-Little Dumbbell Nebula
 Also discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780, it was first recognized as a planetary nebula in 1918 by
the astronomer Heber Doust Curtis.
 The structure is now classed as a bipolar planetary nebula (BPNe).
 The Little Dumbbell Nebula derives its common name from its resemblance to the Dumbbell Nebula (M27)
in Vulpecula. It was originally thought to consist of two separate emission nebulae and was thus given two
catalog numbers in the NGC 650 and 651. Some consider this object to be one of the faintest and hardest to
see objects in Messier's list.
Object Type
Planetary Nebula
NGC 650,NGC 651 Barbbell Nebula Cork Nebula
The across distance f M76 is about 1.23ly. The radius is about 0.617ly.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
1hr 42.2min RA & +51 degree 34.5min DEC
Perseus
10.1
How do I find it? The easiest way to find the M76 is to start from the 3.5 magnitude star 51 Andro-
medae and make you way about a finger width (2 degrees) north-northeast until
you come to 4th- magnitude Phi Persei, a variable star. From here aim your tele-
scope less than a degree northwest of the star, and you will have M76 in the eye-
piece field of view.

M77
 Messier 77 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780, who originally described it as a nebula.
 Both Messier and William Herschel described this galaxy as a star cluster.
 Today, however, the object is known to be a galaxy.
 Messier 77 is an active galaxy with an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), which is obscured from view by astro-
nomical dust at visible wavelengths.
Object Type
Spiral Galaxy
NGC 1068
Distance & Size 60,000 k-light years
M 77 has a diameter of about 1,70,000 light years.
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
2hrs 42min 40.7sec RA & -00 degrees 6min DEC
Cetus
10.5
How do I find it? M77 can be easily found less than a degree east/southeast from the 4th magni-
tude Delta Ceti. This magnificent face-on spiral galaxy can be spotted with smaller
binoculars from a dark sky location as a round contrast change and is easily seen
in small telescopes.

M78
 Messier 78 is the brightest diffuse reflection nebula of a group of nebulae that include NGC 2064, NGC 2067
and NGC 2071. This group belongs to the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex.
 Messier 78 can be spotted as a small, faint, hazy patch in binoculars as small as 5X30 – but turns nebular with
larger aperture binoculars and small telescopes.
Object Type
Diffused Nebula
(NGC 2068 ,Ced55u)
M78 is 8×6 (arc min)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
5hrs 46.7mins RA & 3mins DEC
Orion
8.0
How do I find it? Locate Orion’s “Belt” – the famous asterism of three stars. Simply identify Zeta
Orionis (Alnitak) the easternmost of the trio and you’ll find M78 about 2 de-
grees (less than a thumb length) north and 1 1/2 degrees (less two finger widths)
east.

M79
 Messier 79 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780..
 It is thought that M79 is not native to the Milky Way galaxy at all, but instead to the Canis Major Dwarf Gal-
axy which is currently experiencing a very close encounter with the Milky Way—one it is unlikely to survive
intact.
 This is, however, a contentious subject as astronomers are still debating the nature of the Canis Major dwarf
galaxy itself.
 Most of the stars in this cluster are red giants.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 1904,GCI 10)
8.7 arc-minutes (apparent magnitude)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
5hrs 24.2mins RA & -24degrees 31.2mins DEC
Lepus
8.5
How do I find it? M79 isn’t hard to find once you’ve identified the four primary stars of Lepus
which resemble a lopsided rectangle. Next, locate Gamma and Beta Lepus. From
Beta Lepus look approximately 4 degrees (3 finger widths) south for 5.5 magni-
tude ADS 3954. This star will show easily in binoculars and reveal itself as a nice
binary in a telescope. M79 is 1/2 a degree northeast of ADS 3954 and will show
in the same binocular field as almost an “echo star” reflection.

M80
 Messier 80 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781
 M80 contains a relatively large number of blue stragglers, stars that appear to be much younger than the clus-
ter itself.
 On May 21, 1860, a nova was discovered in M80 that attained a magnitude of +7.0. The nova, variable
star designation T Scorpii, reached an absolute magnitude of -8.5, briefly outshining the entire cluster.
Object Type
Globular Cluster
(NGC 6093,GCI 39)
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
16hrs 27mins RA & –22degrees 58.5mins DEC
Scorpius
8.5
How do I find it? Located midway in between alpha Scorpii (Antares) and beta Scorpii.

M81—Bode’s Galaxy
 Due to its proximity to Earth, large size and active galactic nucleus (which harbours a supermassive black
hole—70 million times our Sun), Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The
galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness also make it a popular target for amateur astronomers.
 Messier 81 was first discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1774. Consequently, the galaxy is sometimes referred
to as "Bode's Galaxy". In 1779, Pierre Méchain and Charles Messier re-identified Bode's object, which was sub-
sequently listed in the Messier Catalogue.
 Only one supernova has been detected in Messier 81.
Object Type
Spiral galaxy
(NGC 3031)
The diameter is thought to be 95,000 light years
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ursa Major
6.9
How do I find it? Follow a line between Gamma and Alpha Ursae Majoris for about the same dis-
tance.

M82—Cigar Galaxy
 This starburst galaxy, Messier 82, is five times as bright as the whole Milky Way and one hundred times as
bright as our galaxy's center.
 In 2005, the Hubble Space Telescope revealed 197 young massive clusters in the starburst core. The average
mass of these clusters is around 2×105M⊙, hence the starburst core is a very energetic and high-density envi-
ronment. Throughout the galaxy's center, young stars are being born 10 times faster than they are inside our
entire Milky Way Galaxy.
 Forming a striking pair in small telescopes with nearby spiral M81, M82 is being physically affected by its larger
neighbour. Tidal forces caused by gravity have deformed this galaxy, a process that started about 100 million
years ago. This interaction has caused star formation to increase tenfold compared to "normal" galaxies.
Object Type
Starburst galaxy
(NGC 3034)
About 40,000 light years in diameter
RA & DEC;
Constellation;
Visual Magnitude
Ursa Major
9.5
How do I find it? M82 is extremely close to M81 (only about 150,000 light years away) and lies at
about its north-west corner
Picture of the object– coloured..

The Messier Objects Catalogue

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The Messier Objects Catalogue