The Messier catalog: all 110 objects
French astronomer Charles Messier compiled his list in the 1700s so comet hunters wouldn't mistake these fuzzy patches for comets. Today it's the classic tour of the best galaxies, nebulae and star clusters for small telescopes. Magnitudes are approximate; lower numbers are brighter.
| # | Common name | NGC/ID | Type | Constellation | Mag | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | M1 | Crab Nebula | NGC1952 | Supernova remnant | Taurus | 8.4 |
 | M2 | NGC7089 | Globular cluster | Aquarius | 6.25 | |
 | M3 | NGC5272 | Globular cluster | Canes Venatici | 6.39 | |
 | M4 | NGC6121 | Globular cluster | Scorpius | 5.4 | |
 | M5 | NGC5904 | Globular cluster | Se1 | 5.95 | |
 | M6 | Butterfly Cluster | NGC6405 | Open cluster | Scorpius | 4.2 |
 | M7 | Ptolemy's Cluster | NGC6475 | Open cluster | Scorpius | 3.3 |
 | M8 | Lagoon Nebula | NGC6523 | Nebula | Sagittarius | 5.8 |
 | M9 | NGC6333 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 8.42 | |
 | M10 | NGC6254 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 4.98 | |
 | M11 | Amas de l'Ecu de Sobieski | NGC6705 | Open cluster | Scutum | 5.8 |
| M12 | NGC6218 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 6.07 | ||
 | M13 | Hercules Globular Cluster | NGC6205 | Globular cluster | Hercules | 5.8 |
 | M14 | NGC6402 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 5.73 | |
 | M15 | NGC7078 | Globular cluster | Pegasus | 6.3 | |
 | M16 | Eagle Nebula | NGC6611 | Nebula | Se2 | 6.0 |
 | M17 | Checkmark Nebula | NGC6618 | Nebula | Sagittarius | 7.0 |
| M18 | NGC6613 | Open cluster | Sagittarius | 6.9 | ||
 | M19 | NGC6273 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 5.57 | |
 | M20 | Trifid Nebula | NGC6514 | Nebula | Sagittarius | 8.5 |
| M21 | NGC6531 | Open cluster | Sagittarius | 5.9 | ||
 | M22 | NGC6656 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 0.0 | |
 | M23 | NGC6494 | Open cluster | Sagittarius | 5.5 | |
 | M24 | Small Sgr Star Cloud | IC4715 | Star cloud | Sagittarius | 4.5 |
| M25 | IC4725 | Open cluster | Sagittarius | 4.6 | ||
 | M26 | NGC6694 | Open cluster | Scutum | 8.87 | |
 | M27 | Dumbbell Nebula | NGC6853 | Planetary nebula | Vulpecula | 7.4 |
 | M28 | NGC6626 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 6.9 | |
| M29 | NGC6913 | Open cluster | Cygnus | 6.6 | ||
 | M30 | NGC7099 | Globular cluster | Capricornus | 7.1 | |
 | M31 | Andromeda Galaxy | NGC0224 | Galaxy | Andromeda | 3.44 |
 | M32 | NGC0221 | Galaxy | Andromeda | 8.13 | |
 | M33 | Triangulum Galaxy | NGC0598 | Galaxy | Triangulum | 5.79 |
| M34 | NGC1039 | Open cluster | Perseus | 5.2 | ||
 | M35 | NGC2168 | Open cluster | Gemini | 0.0 | |
 | M36 | NGC1960 | Open cluster | Auriga | 6.0 | |
 | M37 | NGC2099 | Open cluster | Auriga | 5.6 | |
 | M38 | NGC1912 | Open cluster | Auriga | 6.4 | |
 | M39 | NGC7092 | Open cluster | Cygnus | 4.6 | |
| M40 | M040 | Double star | Ursa Major | 8.0 | ||
 | M41 | NGC2287 | Open cluster | Canis Major | 4.5 | |
 | M42 | Great Orion Nebula | NGC1976 | Cluster + nebula | Orion | 4.0 |
 | M43 | Mairan's Nebula | NGC1982 | Nebula | Orion | 9.0 |
 | M44 | Beehive | NGC2632 | Open cluster | Cancer | 3.1 |
 | M45 | Pleiades | Mel022 | Open cluster | Taurus | 1.2 |
 | M46 | NGC2437 | Open cluster | Puppis | 6.1 | |
 | M47 | NGC2422 | Open cluster | Puppis | 4.4 | |
 | M48 | NGC2548 | Open cluster | Hydra | 5.8 | |
| M49 | NGC4472 | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.28 | ||
 | M50 | NGC2323 | Open cluster | Monoceros | 5.9 | |
 | M51 | Whirlpool Galaxy | NGC5194 | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.36 |
 | M52 | NGC7654 | Open cluster | Cassiopeia | 6.9 | |
| M53 | NGC5024 | Globular cluster | Coma Berenices | 7.79 | ||
| M54 | NGC6715 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 7.7 | ||
 | M55 | NGC6809 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 6.49 | |
 | M56 | NGC6779 | Globular cluster | Lyra | 8.4 | |
| M57 | Ring Nebula | NGC6720 | Planetary nebula | Lyra | 8.8 | |
 | M58 | NGC4579 | Galaxy | Virgo | 10.3 | |
 | M59 | NGC4621 | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.56 | |
 | M60 | NGC4649 | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.79 | |
| M61 | NGC4303 | Galaxy | Virgo | 10.25 | ||
 | M62 | NGC6266 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 0.0 | |
 | M63 | Sunflower Galaxy | NGC5055 | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.61 |
 | M64 | Black Eye Galaxy | NGC4826 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 8.52 |
 | M65 | NGC3623 | Galaxy | Leo | 9.32 | |
| M66 | NGC3627 | Galaxy | Leo | 8.92 | ||
 | M67 | NGC2682 | Open cluster | Cancer | 6.9 | |
 | M68 | NGC4590 | Globular cluster | Hydra | 7.96 | |
| M69 | NGC6637 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 0.0 | ||
| M70 | NGC6681 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 0.0 | ||
| M71 | NGC6838 | Globular cluster | Sagitta | 0.0 | ||
 | M72 | NGC6981 | Globular cluster | Aquarius | 8.96 | |
| M73 | NGC6994 | Asterism | Aquarius | 8.9 | ||
 | M74 | NGC0628 | Galaxy | Pisces | 9.31 | |
 | M75 | NGC6864 | Globular cluster | Sagittarius | 8.26 | |
 | M76 | Barbell Nebula | NGC0650 | Planetary nebula | Perseus | 10.1 |
 | M77 | NGC1068 | Galaxy | Cetus | 9.29 | |
 | M78 | NGC2068 | Nebula | Orion | 8.0 | |
 | M79 | NGC1904 | Globular cluster | Lepus | 8.16 | |
 | M80 | NGC6093 | Globular cluster | Scorpius | 7.3 | |
 | M81 | Bode's Galaxy | NGC3031 | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 6.92 |
 | M82 | Cigar Galaxy | NGC3034 | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 8.3 |
 | M83 | Southern Pinwheel Galaxy | NGC5236 | Galaxy | Hydra | 7.21 |
 | M84 | NGC4374 | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.79 | |
 | M85 | NGC4382 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.05 | |
 | M86 | NGC4406 | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.86 | |
 | M87 | Virgo Galaxy | NGC4486 | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.0 |
 | M88 | NGC4501 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 10.33 | |
 | M89 | NGC4552 | Galaxy | Virgo | 10.08 | |
| M90 | NGC4569 | Galaxy | Virgo | 9.54 | ||
 | M91 | NGC4548 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 10.96 | |
 | M92 | NGC6341 | Globular cluster | Hercules | 6.52 | |
| M93 | NGC2447 | Open cluster | Puppis | 6.2 | ||
 | M94 | NGC4736 | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 8.24 | |
 | M95 | NGC3351 | Galaxy | Leo | 9.77 | |
| M96 | NGC3368 | Galaxy | Leo | 9.21 | ||
| M97 | Owl Nebula | NGC3587 | Planetary nebula | Ursa Major | 9.9 | |
 | M98 | NGC4192 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 10.84 | |
| M99 | Coma Pinwheel | NGC4254 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.84 | |
 | M100 | NGC4321 | Galaxy | Coma Berenices | 9.47 | |
 | M101 | NGC5457 | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 7.9 | |
 | M102 | Spindle Galaxy | NGC5866 | Galaxy | Draco | 9.9 |
| M103 | NGC0581 | Open cluster | Cassiopeia | 7.4 | ||
 | M104 | Sombrero Galaxy | NGC4594 | Galaxy | Virgo | 8.59 |
 | M105 | NGC3379 | Galaxy | Leo | 9.27 | |
 | M106 | NGC4258 | Galaxy | Canes Venatici | 9.29 | |
 | M107 | NGC6171 | Globular cluster | Ophiuchus | 0.0 | |
 | M108 | NGC3556 | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 10.05 | |
 | M109 | NGC3992 | Galaxy | Ursa Major | 9.88 | |
 | M110 | NGC0205 | Galaxy | Andromeda | 8.15 |
Data from the MessierGenius app catalog. Thumbnails are public-domain or CC0 images (mostly NASA/ESA Hubble); full credits are in the app and on the credits page.