The MVAS Messsier Project

The Messier objects are a set of astronomical objects catalogued by the French astronomer Charles Messier in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses et des Amas d'Étoiles" ("Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters"), originally published in 1771.

What we are setting out to do here is for our Members to Image the entire list, which will be posted here. Only those objects sucessfully imaged by our members (beginning on February 1st, 2011) will be posted here. Blocks in RED are objects remaining to be imaged. Click on the Messier Object Picture for the objects' sub-page to display.
Messier number
NGC Number
Common Name
 Picture
Object Type
Distance (kly)
Constellation

Apparent Magnitude
M1
NGC 1952
Crab Nebula
Supernova remnant
6.3
Taurus
9.0
M2
NGC 7089
 
  
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
 
  
Globular cluster
23
Serpens
7.0
M6
NGC 6405
Butterfly Cluster
  
Open cluster
2
Scorpius
4.5
M7
NGC 6475
Ptolemy Cluster
  
Open cluster
1
Scorpius
3.5
M8
NGC 6523
Lagoon Nebula
  
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
  
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
Cúmulo de Pegaso
  
Globular cluster
33
Pegasus
7.5
M16
NGC 6611
Eagle Nebula
  
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
  
Cluster with H II region
5.2
Sagittarius
6.3
M21
NGC 6531
 
  
Open cluster
3
Sagittarius
7.0
M22
NGC 6656
Sagittarius Cluster
  
Globular cluster
10
Sagittarius
5.1
M23
NGC 6494
 
  
Open cluster
4.5
Sagittarius
6.0
M24
NGC 6603
Sagittarius Star Cloud
  
Milky Way star cloud
10.0
Sagittarius
4.6
M25
IC 4725
 
  
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
 
  
Globular cluster
25
Capricornus
8.5
M31
NGC 224
Andromeda Galaxy
  
Spiral galaxy
2,500
Andromeda
3.4
M32
NGC 221
 
  
Dwarf elliptical galaxy
2,900
Andromeda
10.0
M33
NGC 598
Triangulum Galaxy
  
Spiral galaxy
2,810
Triangulum
5.7
M34
NGC 1039
 
  
Open cluster
1.4
Perseus
6.0
M35
NGC 2168
 
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
H II region
1.6
Orion
4.0
M43
NGC 1982
De Mairan's Nebula
  
H II region
(part of the Orion Nebula)
1.6
Orion
7.0
M44
NGC 2632
Beehive Cluster
Open cluster
0.6
Cancer
3.7
M45
 
Pleiades
Open cluster
0.4
Taurus
1.6
M46
NGC 2437
 
  
Open cluster
5.4
Puppis
6.5
M47
NGC 2422
 
  
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
  
Spiral galaxy
37,000
Canes Venatici
8.4
M52
NGC 7654
 
  
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
 
  
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
 
  
Barred spiral galaxy
35,000
Leo
10.5
M66
NGC 3627
 
  
Barred spiral galaxy
35,000
Leo
10.0
M67
NGC 2682
 
  
Open cluster
2.25
Cancer
7.5
M68
NGC 4590
 
  
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
 
  
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
 
  
Spiral galaxy
60,000
Cetus
10.5
M78
NGC 2068
 
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
  
Barred spiral galaxy
10,000
Hydra
8.5
M84
NGC 4374
 
  
Lenticular galaxy
60,000
Virgo
11.0
M85
NGC 4382
 
  
Lenticular galaxy
60,000
Coma Berenices
10.5
M86
NGC 4406
 
  
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
 
  
Open cluster
4.5
Puppis
6.5
M94
NGC 4736
 
  
Spiral galaxy
14,500
Canes Venatici
9.5
M95
NGC 3351
 
  
Barred Spiral galaxy
38,000
Leo
11.0
M96
NGC 3368
 
  
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
  
Spiral galaxy
27,000
Ursa Major
7.9
M102
(Not conclusively identified)[105]
 
 
 
 
 
M103
NGC 581
 
  
Open cluster
8
Cassiopeia
7.0
M104
NGC 4594
Sombrero Galaxy
  
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
 
  
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
 
  
Dwarf elliptical galaxy
2,200
Andromeda
10.0