MESSIER OBJECT LIST
ALPHABETICAL BY CONSTELLATION
by A.J. Crayon and Steve Coe
Version 1.0, dated Thu 01-04-1990
This list is used by members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club of Phoenix, Az. for the Messier achievement award. Based on the list in the Observer’s Handbook, with 2000 coordinates so that it is easy to use with Sky Atlas 2000 by Tirion.
Constellation abbreviations are the IAU standard.
Type abbreviations |
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| Cl | open cluster | Gb | globular cluster | Pl | planetary nebula | Di | diffuse nebula | MW | Milky Way starcloud | DS | double star |
Galaxy types |
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| Sp | spiral | El | elliptical | Ir | irregular | ||||||
| Messier # | RA_2000 | Dec | Mag | Con | Type | Size | Notes |
| 110 | 00 40.4 | 41 41 | 08 | And | El | 8x 3 | companion to M 31 |
| 31 | 00 41.8 | 41 16 | 04 | And | Sp | 160×40 | Great Andromeda Galaxy |
| 32 | 00 42.8 | 40 52 | 09 | And | El | 3x 2 | close companion to M31 |
| 72 | 20 53.5 | -12 32 | 09 | Aqr | Gb | 5 | 3 deg from NGC 7009 |
| 73 | 20 59.0 | -12 38 | 09 | Aqr | Cl | 2 | 4 stars; an asterism |
| 2 | 21 33.5 | -00 49 | 07 | Aqr | Gb | 12 | many faint stars |
| 38 | 05 28.7 | 35 50 | 07 | Aur | Cl | 18 | shaped like Greek Pi-ã |
| 36 | 05 36.1 | 34 08 | 06 | Aur | Cl | 16 | bright but scattered |
| 37 | 05 52.4 | 32 33 | 06 | Aur | Cl | 24 | very rich, about 500* |
| 30 | 21 40.4 | -23 11 | 08 | Cap | Gb | 9 | elliptical in shape |
| 103 | 01 33.2 | 60 42 | 07 | Cas | Cl | 6 | 40* mags 10… |
| 52 | 23 24.2 | 61 35 | 08 | Cas | Cl | 13 | 200* mags 9… |
| 77 | 02 42.7 | -00 02 | 10 | Cet | Sp | 2x 2 | brightest in group |
| 41 | 06 47.0 | -20 44 | 06 | CMa | Cl | 32 | 150*, orange * in centr |
| 44 | 08 40.1 | 19 59 | 04 | Cnc | Cl | 90 | Beehive, 200* to mag 14 |
| 67 | 08 50.4 | 11 49 | 07 | Cnc | Cl | 18 | dark spot near center |
| 98 | 12 13.9 | 14 55 | 10 | Com | Sp | 8x 2 | * 6 Comae 30′ west |
| 99 | 12 18.9 | 14 26 | 10 | Com | Sp | 4x 4 | face-on spiral |
| 100 | 12 23.0 | 15 50 | 10 | Com | Sp | 5x 5 | face-on, many supernovae |
| 85 | 12 25.5 | 18 12 | 10 | Com | El | 4x 2 | bright elliptical shape |
| 88 | 12 32.1 | 14 26 | 10 | Com | Sp | 6x 3 | multi-arm spiral |
| 91 | 12 35.5 | 14 30 | 11 | Com | Sp | 4x 3 | NGC 4571 @ 27′ |
| 64 | 12 56.7 | 21 41 | 08 | Com | Sp | 8x 4 | Blackeye, dark marking |
| 53 | 13 12.9 | 18 10 | 08 | Com | Gb | 14 | 1 deg NE of Alpha Comae |
| 106 | 12 18.9 | 47 19 | 09 | CVn | Sp | 20x 6 | large, bright spiral |
| 94 | 12 50.9 | 41 08 | 09 | CVn | Sp | 5x 4 | bright nucleus |
| 63 | 13 15.8 | 42 02 | 09 | CVn | Sp | 8x 3 | elongated in PA 105 deg |
| 51 | 13 30.0 | 47 11 | 09 | CVn | Sp | 12x 6 | Whirlpool, interacting |
| 3 | 13 42.2 | 28 23 | 07 | CVn | Gb | 19 | excellant globular |
| 29 | 20 23.9 | 38 32 | 07 | Cyg | Cl | 7 | small and poor |
| 39 | 21 32.2 | 48 26 | 05 | Cyg | Cl | 32 | scattered, use low power |
| 102 | 15 06.5 | 55 46 | 12 | Dra | Gb | 2x 1 | M102=M101, NGC 5866 used |
| 35 | 06 08.9 | 24 20 | 06 | Gem | Cl | 29 | NGC 2158 1/2 deg SW |
| 13 | 16 41.7 | 36 28 | 06 | Her | Gb | 23 | Hercules Cl |
| 92 | 17 17.1 | 43 08 | 07 | Her | Gb | 12 | nice glob, overlooked |
| 48 | 08 13.8 | -05 48 | 06 | Hya | Cl | 30 | scattered group |
| 68 | 12 39.5 | -26 45 | 09 | Hya | Gb | 9 | 6″ needed to resolve |
| 83 | 13 37.0 | -29 52 | 08 | Hya | Sp | 10x 8 | large and diffuse |
| 95 | 10 44.0 | 11 42 | 10 | Leo | Sp | 3x 3 | bright barred spiral |
| 96 | 10 46.8 | 11 49 | 10 | Leo | Sp | 7x 4 | M95 in same field |
| 105 | 10 47.8 | 12 35 | 10 | Leo | El | 2x 2 | near M95 and M96 |
| 65 | 11 18.9 | 13 05 | 10 | Leo | Sp | 8x 2 | elongated in PA 174 deg |
| 66 | 11 20.2 | 12 59 | 09 | Leo | Sp | 8x 2 | M66 + NGC 3628 nearby |
| 79 | 05 24.5 | -24 33 | 08 | Lep | Gb | 8 | 6″ needed to resolve |
| 57 | 18 53.6 | 33 02 | 09 | Lyr | Pl | 1x 1 | Ring, 15 mag central* |
| 56 | 19 16.6 | 30 11 | 09 | Lyr | Gb | 5 | in very rich star field |
| 50 | 07 03.2 | -08 20 | 06 | Mon | Cl | 16 | between Sirius-Procyon |
| 107 | 16 32.5 | -13 03 | 09 | Oph | Gb | 8 | small glob |
| 12 | 16 47.2 | -01 57 | 07 | Oph | Gb | 12 | loose for a globular |
| 10 | 16 57.1 | -04 06 | 07 | Oph | Gb | 12 | rich, M12 3 deg NW |
| 62 | 17 01.2 | -30 07 | 07 | Oph | Gb | 6 | in rich field |
| 19 | 17 02.6 | -26 16 | 08 | Oph | Gb | 5 | oblate |
| 9 | 17 19.2 | -18 31 | 08 | Oph | Gb | 6 | compact |
| 14 | 17 37.6 | -03 15 | 09 | Oph | Gb | 7 | 6″ needed to resolve |
| 43 | 05 35.6 | -05 16 | 09 | Ori | Di | 19×30 | detached part of M42 |
| 42 | 05 35.4 | -05 27 | 06 | Ori | Di | 66×60 | Orion Neb, magnificent |
| 78 | 05 46.7 | 00 03 | 08 | Ori | Di | 8x 6 | reflection neb |
| 15 | 21 30.0 | 12 10 | 07 | Peg | Gb | 12 | rich, compact |
| 76 | 01 42.4 | 51 34 | 11 | Per | Pl | 2x 1 | Little Dumbbell, tough |
| 34 | 02 42.0 | 42 47 | 06 | Per | Cl | 30 | best at low power |
| 74 | 01 36.7 | 15 47 | 10 | Psc | Sp | 8x 8 | low surface brightness |
| 47 | 07 36.6 | -14 30 | 05 | Pup | Cl | 25 | coarse cluster |
| 46 | 07 41.8 | -14 49 | 07 | Pup | Cl | 27 | Pl neb NGC 2438 at edge |
| 93 | 07 44.6 | -23 52 | 06 | Pup | Cl | 18 | bright and rich |
| 80 | 16 17.0 | -22 59 | 08 | Sco | Gb | 5 | very compressed |
| 4 | 16 23.6 | -26 32 | 06 | Sco | Gb | 23 | beautiful star chains |
| 6 | 17 40.1 | -32 13 | 06 | Sco | Cl | 26 | best at low power |
| 7 | 17 53.9 | -34 49 | 05 | Sco | Cl | 50 | good in binocs or finder |
| 26 | 18 45.2 | -09 24 | 08 | Sct | Cl | 9 | bright, coarse cluster |
| 11 | 18 51.1 | -06 16 | 06 | Sct | Cl | 12 | very rich and compressed |
| 5 | 15 18.6 | 02 05 | 07 | Ser | Gb | 20 | fine cluster |
| 16 | 18 18.8 | -13 47 | 07 | Ser | Cl | 8 | Eagle Neb + cluster |
| 71 | 19 53.8 | 18 47 | 08 | Sge | Gb | 6 | loose globular |
| 23 | 17 56.8 | -19 01 | 07 | Sgr | Cl | 27 | bright, loose |
| 20 | 18 02.6 | -23 02 | 05 | Sgr | Di | 29×27 | Trifid, dark lanes |
| 8 | 18 03.8 | -24 23 | 06 | Sgr | Di | 90×40 | Lagoon, neb + cluster |
| 21 | 18 04.6 | -22 30 | 07 | Sgr | Cl | 12 | sparse cluster |
| 24 | 18 16.9 | -18 30 | 05 | Sgr | MW | 90 | Small Star Cloud |
| 18 | 18 19.9 | -17 08 | 07 | Sgr | Cl | 7 | sparse cluster |
| 17 | 18 20.8 | -16 11 | 07 | Sgr | Di | 46×37 | Swan, use UHC filter |
| 28 | 18 24.5 | -24 52 | 08 | Sgr | Gb | 15 | compact globular |
| 69 | 18 31.4 | -32 21 | 08 | Sgr | Gb | 4 | small, poor |
| 25 | 18 31.6 | -19 15 | 06 | Sgr | Cl | 35 | bright but sparse |
| 22 | 18 36.4 | -23 54 | 06 | Sgr | Gb | 17 | spectacular |
| 70 | 18 43.2 | -32 18 | 08 | Sgr | Gb | 4 | small, 2 deg E of M69 |
| 54 | 18 55.1 | -30 29 | 08 | Sgr | Gb | 6 | not easily resolved |
| 55 | 19 40.0 | -30 58 | 06 | Sgr | Gb | 15 | bright, loose globular |
| 75 | 20 06.1 | -21 55 | 09 | Sgr | Gb | 5 | small |
| 45 | 03 47.0 | 24 07 | 02 | Tau | Cl | 120 | Pleiades, look for neby |
| 1 | 05 34.5 | 22 01 | 09 | Tau | Di | 6x 4 | Crab, supernova remnant |
| 33 | 01 33.9 | 30 39 | 06 | Tri | Sp | 60×40 | large, diffuse |
| 81 | 09 55.6 | 69 04 | 07 | UMa | Sp | 16×10 | M82 1/2 deg N |
| 82 | 09 55.8 | 69 41 | 09 | UMa | Ir | 7x 2 | high power for detail |
| 108 | 11 11.5 | 55 40 | 10 | UMa | Sp | 8x 2 | edge-on, near M97 |
| 97 | 11 14.8 | 55 01 | 11 | UMa | Pl | 3x 3 | Owl, look for “eyes” |
| 109 | 11 57.6 | 53 23 | 10 | UMa | Sp | 7 | barred spiral |
| 40 | 12 22.4 | 58 05 | 09 | UMa | DS | 1 | DS Winnecke 4, sep 50″ |
| 101 | 14 03.2 | 54 21 | 08 | UMa | Sp | 22×22 | excellant in dark skies |
| 61 | 12 21.9 | 04 28 | 10 | Vir | Sp | 6x 6 | two-armed spiral |
| 84 | 12 25.1 | 12 53 | 10 | Vir | El | 3x 3 | M86 + many NGC’s nearby |
| 86 | 12 26.2 | 12 57 | 10 | Vir | El | 4x 3 | center of Virgo Cluster |
| 49 | 12 29.8 | 08 00 | 09 | Vir | El | 4x 4 | bright elliptical |
| 87 | 12 30.8 | 12 24 | 10 | Vir | El | 3x 3 | bright elliptical |
| 89 | 12 35.7 | 12 33 | 11 | Vir | El | 2x 2 | resembles M87 |
| 90 | 12 36.8 | 13 10 | 10 | Vir | Sp | 6x 3 | bright spiral |
| 58 | 12 37.7 | 11 49 | 10 | Vir | Sp | 4x 3 | barred spiral |
| 104 | 12 40.0 | -11 37 | 08 | Vir | Sp | 7x 2 | Sombrero, dust lane |
| 59 | 12 42.0 | 11 39 | 10 | Vir | El | 3x 2 | pair with M60 |
| 60 | 12 43.7 | 11 33 | 10 | Vir | El | 4x 3 | bright elliptical |
| 27 | 19 59.6 | 22 43 | 08 | Vul | Pl | 8x 4 | Dumbbell, many * invl |