Messier Objects
The deep-sky objects of Charles Messier's catalogue.
- Nebula
Messier 1 (Crab Nebula)
A supernova remnant in Taurus, the expanding debris of a star that exploded in 1054 AD.
- Star cluster
Messier 10
A globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.
- Galaxy
Messier 100
A grand-design spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, one of the brightest in the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 101 (Pinwheel Galaxy)
A large face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major with sprawling spiral arms.
- Star cluster
Messier 103
An open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia.
- Galaxy
Messier 104 (Sombrero Galaxy)
A spiral galaxy in Virgo seen nearly edge-on, with a prominent dust lane and bright bulge.
- Galaxy
Messier 105
An elliptical galaxy in Leo and a member of the Leo I group.
- Galaxy
Messier 106
A spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici with an active galactic nucleus.
- Star cluster
Messier 107
A globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.
- Galaxy
Messier 108
An edge-on barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.
- Galaxy
Messier 109
A barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major.
- Star cluster
Messier 11 (Wild Duck Cluster)
A rich open cluster in Scutum whose stars form a V-shape resembling flying ducks.
- Galaxy
Messier 110
A dwarf elliptical galaxy in Andromeda, a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy.
- Star cluster
Messier 12
A loosely concentrated globular cluster in Ophiuchus.
- Star cluster
Messier 13 (Hercules Globular Cluster)
The brightest globular cluster in the northern sky, located in Hercules.
- Star cluster
Messier 14
A globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.
- Star cluster
Messier 15
A dense globular cluster in Pegasus, one of the most concentrated clusters known.
- Nebula
Messier 16 (Eagle Nebula)
An emission nebula in Serpens famous for the Pillars of Creation star-forming columns.
- Nebula
Messier 17 (Omega Nebula)
A bright emission nebula and star-forming region in Sagittarius, also called the Swan Nebula.
- Star cluster
Messier 18
A small open star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 19
A markedly oval-shaped globular cluster in Ophiuchus.
- Star cluster
Messier 2
A rich, compact globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius.
- Nebula
Messier 20 (Trifid Nebula)
A combination emission, reflection, and dark nebula in Sagittarius divided by dust lanes.
- Star cluster
Messier 21
A young open star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 22
A bright globular cluster in Sagittarius, one of the nearest to Earth.
- Star cluster
Messier 23
An open star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 25
An open star cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 26
An open star cluster in the constellation Scutum.
- Nebula
Messier 27 (Dumbbell Nebula)
A bright planetary nebula in Vulpecula, the ejected shell of a dying Sun-like star.
- Star cluster
Messier 28
A globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 29
A small open star cluster in the constellation Cygnus.
- Star cluster
Messier 3
A bright globular cluster in Canes Venatici containing hundreds of thousands of stars.
- Star cluster
Messier 30
A dense globular cluster in the constellation Capricornus.
- Galaxy
Messier 31 (Andromeda Galaxy)
The nearest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, located in Andromeda.
- Galaxy
Messier 32
A dwarf elliptical galaxy in Andromeda, a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy.
- Galaxy
Messier 33 (Triangulum Galaxy)
A spiral galaxy in Triangulum and the third-largest member of the Local Group.
- Star cluster
Messier 34
An open star cluster in the constellation Perseus.
- Star cluster
Messier 35
A large, bright open star cluster in the constellation Gemini.
- Star cluster
Messier 36
A young open star cluster in the constellation Auriga.
- Star cluster
Messier 37
The richest open star cluster in the constellation Auriga.
- Star cluster
Messier 38
An open star cluster in the constellation Auriga.
- Star cluster
Messier 39
A loose open star cluster in the constellation Cygnus.
- Star cluster
Messier 4
A nearby globular cluster in Scorpius, one of the closest such clusters to the Sun.
- Star cluster
Messier 41
An open star cluster in Canis Major, located just south of Sirius.
- Nebula
Messier 42 (Orion Nebula)
A bright diffuse nebula and active star-forming region in the sword of Orion.
- Nebula
Messier 43 (De Mairan's Nebula)
An emission nebula in Orion that forms part of the larger Orion Nebula complex.
- Star cluster
Messier 44 (Beehive Cluster)
A nearby open star cluster in Cancer, visible to the naked eye as a hazy patch.
- Star cluster
Messier 45 (Pleiades)
A bright, nearby open star cluster in Taurus, also known as the Seven Sisters.
- Star cluster
Messier 46
A rich open star cluster in the constellation Puppis.
- Star cluster
Messier 47
A bright open star cluster in the constellation Puppis.
- Star cluster
Messier 48
An open star cluster in the constellation Hydra.
- Galaxy
Messier 49
A giant elliptical galaxy in Virgo, a bright member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Star cluster
Messier 5
A large, bright globular cluster in the constellation Serpens.
- Star cluster
Messier 50
An open star cluster in the constellation Monoceros.
- Galaxy
Messier 51 (Whirlpool Galaxy)
A grand-design spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici interacting with a smaller companion.
- Star cluster
Messier 52
A rich open star cluster in the constellation Cassiopeia.
- Star cluster
Messier 53
A globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices.
- Star cluster
Messier 54
A globular cluster in Sagittarius belonging to the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy.
- Star cluster
Messier 55
A large, loosely concentrated globular cluster in Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 56
A globular cluster in the constellation Lyra.
- Nebula
Messier 57 (Ring Nebula)
A planetary nebula in Lyra appearing as a glowing ring of gas around a dying star.
- Galaxy
Messier 58
A barred spiral galaxy in Virgo, a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 59
An elliptical galaxy in the Virgo Cluster within the constellation Virgo.
- Star cluster
Messier 6 (Butterfly Cluster)
An open star cluster in Scorpius whose brightest stars suggest the shape of a butterfly.
- Galaxy
Messier 60
A large elliptical galaxy in Virgo, part of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 61
A barred spiral galaxy in Virgo and a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Star cluster
Messier 62
A globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus.
- Galaxy
Messier 63 (Sunflower Galaxy)
A spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici with bright, patchy spiral arms.
- Galaxy
Messier 64 (Black Eye Galaxy)
A spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices with a prominent dark dust band across its core.
- Galaxy
Messier 65
A spiral galaxy in Leo, one of the members of the Leo Triplet.
- Galaxy
Messier 66
A spiral galaxy in Leo and the largest member of the Leo Triplet.
- Star cluster
Messier 67
One of the oldest known open star clusters, located in Cancer.
- Star cluster
Messier 68
A globular cluster in the constellation Hydra.
- Star cluster
Messier 69
A globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 7 (Ptolemy Cluster)
A bright open cluster in Scorpius noted by the ancient astronomer Ptolemy.
- Star cluster
Messier 70
A globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 71
A loosely concentrated globular cluster in the constellation Sagitta.
- Star cluster
Messier 72
A faint, distant globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius.
- Galaxy
Messier 74
A face-on grand-design spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces.
- Star cluster
Messier 75
A dense, distant globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius.
- Nebula
Messier 76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula)
A planetary nebula in Perseus, one of the faintest objects in the Messier catalogue.
- Galaxy
Messier 77
A barred spiral galaxy in Cetus with an active galactic nucleus, a prototypical Seyfert galaxy.
- Nebula
Messier 78
A reflection nebula in Orion, the brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky.
- Star cluster
Messier 79
A globular cluster in the constellation Lepus, unusual for its location away from the galactic center.
- Nebula
Messier 8 (Lagoon Nebula)
A giant emission nebula and star-forming region in Sagittarius.
- Star cluster
Messier 80
A dense globular cluster in the constellation Scorpius.
- Galaxy
Messier 81 (Bode's Galaxy)
A grand-design spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, one of the brightest galaxies in the sky.
- Galaxy
Messier 82 (Cigar Galaxy)
An edge-on starburst galaxy in Ursa Major undergoing intense star formation.
- Galaxy
Messier 83 (Southern Pinwheel Galaxy)
A barred spiral galaxy in Hydra noted for its bright, well-defined spiral arms.
- Galaxy
Messier 84
A lenticular galaxy in Virgo within the heart of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 85
A lenticular galaxy in Coma Berenices, a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 86
A lenticular galaxy in Virgo near the center of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 87
A supergiant elliptical galaxy in Virgo hosting a supermassive black hole and a relativistic jet.
- Galaxy
Messier 88
A spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 89
An elliptical galaxy in Virgo within the Virgo Cluster.
- Star cluster
Messier 9
A globular cluster in Ophiuchus located near the center of the Milky Way.
- Galaxy
Messier 90
A spiral galaxy in Virgo and a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 91
A barred spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Star cluster
Messier 92
A bright globular cluster in the constellation Hercules.
- Star cluster
Messier 93
An open star cluster in the constellation Puppis.
- Galaxy
Messier 94
A spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici with a bright inner ring of star formation.
- Galaxy
Messier 95
A barred spiral galaxy in Leo, part of the Leo I group of galaxies.
- Galaxy
Messier 96
A spiral galaxy in Leo and the brightest member of the Leo I group.
- Nebula
Messier 97 (Owl Nebula)
A planetary nebula in Ursa Major whose two dark patches resemble an owl's eyes.
- Galaxy
Messier 98
An edge-on spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, a member of the Virgo Cluster.
- Galaxy
Messier 99
A nearly face-on grand-design spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices.