70 • The Messier Catalog
THE MESSIER CATALOG
The Messier Catalog, compiled by Charles Messier, was the first extensive listing of star clusters and nebulae.
Messier’s primary observational purpose was to discover comets. He compiled this list so that others searching
for comets would not be confused by these objects. His list still remains popular today because all of these
objects are easily visible in amateur telescopes.
M#
NGC#
Const.
R.A.
DEC
Mag
Type
Proper Name
H M S
° ‘
M1
NGC 1952
Tau
5 34.5
22 01
8.4
P. Neb.
Crab Nebula
M2
NGC 7089
Aqr
21 33.5
-00 49
6.5
Gl. Cl.
M3
NGC 5272
CVn
13 42.2
28 23
6.4
Gl. Cl.
M4
NGC 6121
Sco
16 23.6
-26 32
5.9
Gl. Cl.
M5
NGC 5904
Ser
15 18.5
2 05
5.8
Gl. Cl.
M6
NGC 6405
Sco
17 40.0
-32 13
4.2
Op. Cl.
Butterfly Cluster
M7
NGC 6475
Sco
17 54.0
-34 49
3.3
Op. Cl.
M8
NGC 6523
Sgr
18 03.7
-24 23
5.8
D. Neb.
Lagoon Nebula
M9
NGC 6333
Oph
17 19.2
-18 31
7.9
Gl. Cl.
M10
NGC 6254
Oph
16 57.2
-4 06
6.6
Gl. Cl.
M11
NGC 6705
Sct
18 51.1
-6 16
5.8
Op. Cl.
Wild Duck Cluster
M12
NGC 6218
Oph
16 47.2
-1 57
6.6
Gl. Cl.
M13
NGC 6205
Her
16 41.7
36 28
5.9
Gl. Cl.
Hercules Cluster
M14
NGC 6402
Oph
17 37.6
-3 15
7.6
Gl. Cl.
M15
NGC 7078
Peg
21 30.0
12 10
6.4
Gl. Cl.
M16
NGC 6611
Ser
18 18.9
-13 47
6.0
D. Neb.
Eagle Nebula
M17
NGC 6618
Sgr
18 20.8
-16 11
7.0
D. Neb.
Omega Nebula
M18
NGC 6613
Sgr
18 19.9
-17 08
6.9
Op. Cl.
M19
NGC 6273
Oph
17 02.6
-26 16
7.2
Gl. Cl.
M20
NGC 6514
Sgr
18 02.4
-23 02
8.5
D. Neb.
Trifid Nebula
M21
NGC 6531
Sgr
18 04.7
-22 30
5.9
Op. Cl.
M22
NGC 6656
Sgr
18 36.4
-23 54
5.1
Gl. Cl.
M23
NGC 6494
Sgr
17 56.9
-19 01
5.5
Op. Cl.
M24
NGC 6603
Sgr
18 16.4
-18 29
4.5
Op. Cl.
M25
IC 4725
Sgr
18 31.7
-19 15
4.6
Op. Cl.
M26
NGC 6694
Sct
18 45.2
-9 24
8.0
Op. Cl.
M27
NGC 6853
Vul
19 59.6
22 43
8.1
P. Neb.
Dumbbell Nebula
M28
NGC 6626
Sgr
18 24.6
-24 52
6.9
Gl. Cl.
M29
NGC 6913
Cyg
20 23.0
38 32
6.6
Op. Cl.
M30
NGC 7099
Cap
21 40.4
-23 11
7.5
Gl. Cl.
M31
NGC 224
And
0 42.7
41 16
3.4
Sp. Gx.
Andromeda Galaxy
M32
NGC 221
And
0 42.7
40 52
8.2
El. Gx.
M33
NGC 598
Tri
1 33.8
30 39
5.7
Sp. Gx.
Pinwheel Galaxy
M34
NGC 1039
Per
2 42.0
42 47
5.2
Op. Cl.
M35
NGC 2168
Gem
6 08.8
24 20
5.1
Op. Cl.
