Messier Catalogue 1 to 20
The Messier Catalogue is perhaps the most famous astronomy catalogue there is, detailing deep-sky objects such as galaxies, globular clusters and nebulae. It’s a ‘what’s what’ of some of the best objects to see in the night sky with a telescope.
M1, The Crab Nebula
- Supernova remnant in Taurus
- RA 05h 34.5m, dec. +22º 01’
- Mag. +8.4
M2
- Globular cluster in Aquarius
- RA 21h 33.5m, dec. –00º 49’
- Mag. +6.5
M3
- Globular cluster in Canes Venatici
- RA 13h 42.2m, dec. +28º 23’
- Mag. +6.2
M4
- Globular cluster in Scorpius
- RA 16h 23.6m, dec. –26º 32’
- Mag. +5.6
M5
- Globular cluster in Serpens Caput
- RA 15h 18.6m, dec. +02º 05’
- Mag. +5.6
M6, The Butterfly Cluster
- Open cluster in Scorpius
- RA 17h 40.1m, dec. –32º 13’
- Mag. +5.3
M7, Ptolemy’s Cluster
- Open cluster in Scorpius
- RA 17h 53.9m, dec. –34º 49’
- Mag. +4.1
M8, The Lagoon Nebula
- Diffuse nebula in Sagittarius
- RA 18h 03.8m, dec. –24º 23’
- Mag. +6.0
M9
- Globular cluster in Ophiuchus
- RA 17h 19.2m, dec. –18º 31’
- Mag. +7.7
M10
- Globular cluster in Ophiuchus
- RA 16h 57.1m, dec. –04º 06’
- Mag. +6.6
M11, The Wild Duck Cluster
- Open cluster in Scutum
- RA 18h 51.1m, dec. –06º 16’
- Mag. +6.3
M12
- Globular cluster in Ophiuchus
- RA 16h 47.2m, dec. –01º 57’
- Mag. +6.7
M13, The Hercules Globular Cluster
- Globular cluster in Hercules
- RA 16h 41.7m, dec. +36º 28’
- Mag. +5.8
M14
- Globular cluster in Ophiuchus
- RA 17h 37.6m, dec. –03º 15’
- Mag. +7.6
M15
- Globular cluster in Pegasus
- RA 21h 30.0m; dec. +12º 10’
- Mag. +6.2
M16, The Eagle Nebula
- Open cluster plus nebula in Serpens Cauda
- RA 18h 18.8m, dec. –13º 47’
- Mag. +6.4
M17, The Omega Nebula
- Diffuse nebula in Sagittarius
- RA 18h 20.8m, dec. –16º 11’
- Mag. +7.0
M18
- Open cluster in Sagittarius
- RA 18h 19.9m, dec. –17º 08’
- Mag. +7.5
M19
- Globular cluster in Ophiuchus
- RA 17h 02.6m, dec. –26º 16’
- Mag. +6.8
M20, The Trifid Nebula
- Diffuse nebula in Sagittarius
- RA 18h 02.6m, dec. –23º 02’
- Mag. +9.0