Messier Targets

The Messier list consists of 110 objects that Charles Messier compiled.

Name
 Opposition Size Type Catalog ConstellationAcquisitions
Crab2025-12-147' x 5'NebulaM 1Taurus2024-02-04
M 2 Globular Cluster2025-08-1413' x 13'StarsM 2Aquarius
M 3 Globular Cluster2025-04-1716' x 16'StarsM 3Canes Venatici2025-04-16
M 42025-05-2826' x 26'StarsM 4Scorpius2024-07-11
M 52025-05-1217' x 17'StarsM 5Serpens2025-03-25
Butterfly Cluster2025-06-1620' x 20'StarsM 6Scorpius
Ptolemy Cluster2025-06-191° 42' x 1° 42'StarsM 7Scorpius
Lagoon2025-06-2145' x 30'NebulaM 8Sagittarius2024-06-18
M 9 Globular Cluster2025-06-118' 42" x 8' 42"StarsM 9Ophiuchus2025-05-26
M 102025-06-0515' x 15'StarsM 10Ophiuchus2025-05-24
Wild Duck Cluster2025-07-038' 54" x 8' 54"StarsM 11Scutum
Gumball Cluster2025-06-0315' x 15'StarsM 12Ophiuchus2025-05-24
Hercules2025-06-0133' x 33'StarsM 13Hercules2024-04-12
M 14 Globular Cluster2025-06-1514' x 14'StarsM 14Ophiuchus2025-05-26
Pegasus Cluster2025-08-1312' x 12'StarsM 15Pegasus
Eagle2025-06-255' 6" x 5' 6"NebulaM 16Serpens2024-06-13
Swan2025-06-251° 36' x 1° 36'NebulaM 17Sagittarius2024-06-29
M 18 Open Cluster2025-06-255' x 5'StarsM 18Sagittarius
M 19 Globular Cluster2025-06-079' 36" x 9' 36"StarsM 19Ophiuchus2025-05-25
Trifid2025-06-2128' x 28'NebulaM 20Sagittarius2024-07-06
M 21 Open Cluster2025-06-2214' x 14'StarsM 21Sagittarius
M 22 Globular Cluster2025-12-0224' x 24'StarsM 22Sagittarius
M 23 Open Cluster2025-06-2035' x 35'StarsM 23Sagittarius
Small Sagittarius Star Cloud2025-06-242° x 1°StarsM 24Sagittarius
M 25 Open Cluster2025-06-2831' x 31'StarsM 25Sagittarius
M 26 Open Cluster2025-07-017' 6" x 7' 6"StarsM 26Scutum
Dumbbell2025-07-206' 42" x 6' 42"NebulaM 27Vulpecula2023-06-21
M 28 Globular Cluster2025-06-2611' x 11'StarsM 28Sagittarius
Cooling Tower2025-07-2613' x 13'StarsM 29Cygnus
M 30 Globular Cluster2025-08-1511' x 11'StarsM 30Capricornus
Andromeda2025-10-043° 36' x 1° 12'GalaxyM 31Andromeda2024-09-29 2024-09-29
Le Gentil2025-10-048' 30" x 8' 30"GalaxyM 32Andromeda2024-09-29
Triangulum2025-10-181° x 35'GalaxyM 33Triangulum2023-11-12
M 34 Spiral Cluster2025-11-0448' x 48'StarsM 34Perseus
M 35 Open Cluster2025-12-2238' x 38'StarsM 35Gemini
Pinwheel Cluster2025-12-1510' x 10'StarsM 36Auriga
Salt and Pepper Cluster2025-12-1819' x 19'StarsM 37Auriga2025-03-26
Starfish Cluster2025-12-1320' x 20'StarsM 38Auriga
M 39 Open Cluster2025-08-132° x 2°StarsM 39Cygnus
Winnecke 4 Double Star2025-03-276" x 6"StarsM 40Ursa Major2025-04-01
M 41 Open Cluster2025-12-3040' x 40'StarsM 41Canis Major
Orion2025-12-141° 6' x 1° 6'NebulaM 42Orion2023-10-05
De Mairan\'s Nebula2025-12-1520' x 15'NebulaM 43Orion
Beehive2025-01-262° x 2°StarsM 44Cancer2024-02-11
Pleiades2025-11-191° 18' x 1° 18'StarsM 45Taurus2023-09-17
M 46 Open Cluster2025-01-1225' x 25'StarsM 46Puppis2025-04-01
M 47 Open Cluster2025-01-1131' x 31'StarsM 47Puppis2025-04-01
M 482025-01-2044' x 44'StarsM 48Hydra2025-03-25
M 49 Elliptical Galaxy2025-03-2911' x 8' 54"GalaxyM 49Virgo2025-04-28
Heart-Shaped Cluster2025-01-0332' x 32'StarsM 50Monoceros
Whirlpool2025-04-1310' x 7' 36"GalaxyM 51Canes Venatici2024-02-29 2025-04-23 2025-05-11
Cassiopeia Salt-and-Pepper2025-09-1216' x 16'StarsM 52Cassiopeia
M 53 Globular Cluster2025-04-1013' x 13'StarsM 53Coma Berenices2025-04-01
M 54 Globular Cluster2025-07-049' 6" x 9' 6"StarsM 54Sagittarius
M 55 Globular Cluster2025-07-1519' x 19'StarsM 55Sagittarius
M 56 Globular Cluster2025-07-097' 6" x 7' 6"StarsM 56Lyra
Ring Nebula2025-07-031' 12" x 1' 12"NebulaM 57Lyra
M 582025-03-315' 36" x 5' 36"GalaxyM 58Virgo2025-04-28
M 592025-04-015' 30" x 4'GalaxyM 59Virgo2025-04-30
M 602025-04-027' 54" x 6' 36"GalaxyM 60Virgo2025-04-30
Swelling Spiral2025-03-276' 12" x 5' 30"GalaxyM 61Virgo2025-04-22
Flickering Globular Cluster2025-06-0614' x 14'StarsM 62Ophiuchus2025-05-24
Sunflower2025-04-0913' x 7' 54"GalaxyM 63Canes Venatici2024-04-06
Black Eye2025-04-059' 48" x 4' 54"GalaxyM 64Coma Berenices2024-04-12
M 652025-03-108' 18" x 2' 6"GalaxyM 65Leo2024-03-09
Leo Triplet2025-03-1050' x 40'GalaxyM 66Leo2023-03-29 2024-03-09
King Cobra Cluster2025-12-2925' x 25'StarsM 67Cancer2025-03-26
M 68 Globular Cluster2025-04-0112' x 12'StarsM 68Hydra2025-04-01
M 69 Globular Cluster2025-06-287' 6" x 7' 6"StarsM 69Sagittarius
M 70 Globular Cluster2025-07-017' 48" x 7' 48"StarsM 70Sagittarius
M 71 Globular Cluster2025-07-187' 12" x 7' 12"StarsM 71Sagitta
M 72 Globular Cluster2025-08-035' 54" x 5' 54"StarsM 72Aquarius
M 73 Star Cluster2025-08-042' 48" x 2' 48"StarsM 73Aquarius
Phantom Galaxy2025-10-199' 18" x 8' 42"GalaxyM 74Pisces
M 75 Globular Cluster2025-07-222' 24" x 2' 6"StarsM 75Sagittarius
Little Dumbbell Nebula2025-10-202' 18" x 2' 18"NebulaM 76Perseus
Cetus A2025-11-046' 54" x 6'GalaxyM 77Cetus
M 782025-12-178' x 6'NebulaM 78Orion
M 79 Globular Cluster2025-12-128' 42" x 8' 42"StarsM 79Lepus
M 80 Globular Cluster2025-05-278' 54" x 8' 54"StarsM 80Scorpius2025-05-24
Bodes2025-02-1521' x 10'GalaxyM 81Ursa Major2023-12-14 2025-03-25
Cigar2025-02-1511' x 4' 18"GalaxyM 82Ursa Major2023-12-14
Southern Pinwheel2025-04-1514' x 13'GalaxyM 83Hydra2023-06-11
M 842025-03-286' 30" x 5' 48"GalaxyM 84Virgo2024-04-09
M 852025-03-287' 48" x 6'GalaxyM 85Coma Berenices2025-04-28
M 862025-03-2810' x 7' 36"GalaxyM 86Virgo2024-04-09
M 872025-03-299' 6" x 7' 54"GalaxyM 87Virgo2024-04-09 2024-04-09
M 882025-03-307' 48" x 4' 36"GalaxyM 88Coma Berenices2025-04-28
M 892025-03-316' 54" x 6' 30"GalaxyM 89Virgo2025-04-28
M 902025-03-319' 48" x 4' 24"GalaxyM 90Virgo2025-04-28
M 912025-03-305' 24" x 4' 30"GalaxyM 91Coma Berenices2025-04-30
M 922025-06-1011' x 11'StarsM 92Hercules2025-03-26
M 93 Open Cluster2026-01-1324' x 24'StarsM 93Puppis2025-04-01
Croc\'s Eye Galaxy2025-04-0411' x 10'GalaxyM 94Canes Venatici2025-04-30 2025-06-02
M 952026-02-287' 6" x 4' 18"GalaxyM 95Leo2025-04-01
M 962026-03-017' 12" x 4' 48"GalaxyM 96Leo2025-04-01
Owl2025-03-083' 18" x 3' 18"NebulaM 97Ursa Major2025-04-08
M 982026-03-259' 36" x 2' 18"GalaxyM 98Coma Berenices2025-04-16
St. Katherine\'s Wheel2026-03-265' 6" x 4' 30"GalaxyM 99Coma Berenices2025-04-16
Mirror2026-03-277' 36" x 6' 48"GalaxyM 100Coma Berenices2025-04-22
Pinwheel2025-04-2222' x 21'GalaxyM 101Ursa Major2024-04-15 2025-04-28 2025-05-25
Spindle Galaxy2025-05-096' 18" x 2' 42"GalaxyM 102Draco2025-05-04
M 103 Open Cluster2025-10-187' 24" x 7' 24"StarsM 103Cassiopeia
Sombrero2025-03-318' 30" x 5'GalaxyM 104Virgo2024-04-09
M 1052026-03-015' 6" x 4' 42"GalaxyM 105Leo2025-04-01
M 1062025-03-0518' x 6' 54"GalaxyM 106Canes Venatici2024-03-05
Crucifix Cluster2025-05-3010' x 10'StarsM 107Ophiuchus2025-05-24
Surfboard2026-03-087' 48" x 2' 42"GalaxyM 108Ursa Major2025-04-20
Vacuum Cleaner2026-03-207' 12" x 4' 48"GalaxyM 109Ursa Major2025-04-20
M 1102025-10-0319' x 10'GalaxyM 110Andromeda2024-09-29