MESSIER CATALOGUE included in "EYEPIECE" Program Copyright (c) 1991-2008, Stephen R. Waldee - All Rights Reserved The complete Messier Catalogue is included in "Eyepiece", with commentaries written by author Waldee, augmented on this webpage with selected quotes by Prof. John Sanford (included by his permission), author of the now unfortunately out of print viewing guide Observing the Constellations (published by Fireside / Simon & Schuster), plus links to the appropriate Deep Sky Browser page for creating your own finding charts. All items in Messier's original (and expanded) catalogue are shown below -- including many links to drawings by one of northern Europe's most skilled amateur observers, Jaakko Saloranta -- with a menu option to bring up a complete list with coordinates and other data. The drawings are particularly instructive, showing exactly how much detail may be perceived by an expert, using telescopes of only 3 to 8 inches aperture, compared to the photographs made by the comparatively huge 48 inch Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory. Since this webpage contains thumbnail pictures of all of the Messier objects, it will take a significant amount of time to load if you have a slow Net connection. Please note also that the thumbnail pictures are not referenced to a comparable standard size scale but are optimized to show up well in the 80 pixel square graphics.   The Messier Catalogue, included in EYEPIECE: M-1  |  M-2  |  M-3  |  M-4  |  M-5  |  M-6  |  M-7  |  M-8  |  M-9  |  M-10  |  M-11  |  M-12 M-13  |  M-14  |  M-15  |  M-16  |  M-17  |  M-18  |  M-19  |  M-20  |  M-21  |  M-22  |  M-23 M-24  |  M-25  |  M-26  |  M-27  |  M-28  |  M-29  |  M-30  |  M-31  |  M-32  |  M-33  |  M-34 M-35  |  M-36  |  M-37  |  M-38  |  M-39  |  M-40  |  M-41  |  M-42  |  M-43  |  M-44  |  M-45 M-46  |  M-47  |  M-48  |  M-49  |  M-50  |  M-51  |  M-52  |  M-53  |  M-54  |  M-55  |  M-56 M-57  |  M-58  |  M-59  |  M-60  |  M-61  |  M-62  |  M-63  |  M-64  |  M-65  |  M-66  |  M-67 M-68  |  M-69  |  M-70  |  M-71  |  M-72  |  M-73  |  M-74  |  M-75  |  M-76  |  M-77  |  M-78 M-79  |  M-80  |  M-81  |  M-82  |  M-83  |  M-84  |  M-85  |  M-86  |  M-87  |  M-88  |  M-89 M-90  |  M-91  |  M-92  |  M-93  |  M-94  |  M-95  |  M-96  |  M-97  |  M-98  |  M-99  |  M-100 M-101  |  M-102  |  M-103  |  M-104  |  M-105  |  M-106  |  M-107  |  M-108  |  M-109  |  M-110 References & Credits  |  Complete Messier List with data The Messier Catalogue M1 - NGC 1952: "Crab" Nebula in Winter Constellation TAURUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright and Very Large. Extended Along Position Angle 135 Degrees. Very Gradually Brightening a Little Toward the Middle; Mottled - Not Resolved. John Sanford Description: "An object which is important astrophysi- cally, as a supernova remnant whose age is precisely known [dating from] July 4, 1054...we see a 9th-magnitude oval, which reveals progressively more detail as optical power is increased...The filaments which are so prominent in red light photographs are dim but detectable with a large telescope...In smaller amateur telescopes, an oval glow with a few faint stars scattered around is all that may be seen." -- "Observing the Constellations" by John Sanford The original 1888 NGC descriptions often described some types of extended objects as 'r' : 'resolvable (mottled, not resolved)'. It was believed that these objects would probably or eventually be resolved into stellar components; we now realize that, in the case of the diffuse nebulae, they cannot be resolved into stars. Most current references use the RNGC descriptions, corrected in the 1970s. The filaments mentioned above are not likely to have been visible to the old NGC's observers, using inefficient speculum metal reflectors. The blue and green filaments (around 5000 angstroms) were seen by the author with a 17.5 inch f/4.5 scope, in skies near Santa Cruz with a magnitude limit of about 5, using a narrowband nebula filter. Even at the author's home in the Santa Clara valley's ghastly light pollution, the Crab was evident at 25X using an 80-mm refractor; any type of nebular filtering dramatically improves its clarity.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-1.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 60x. M2 - NGC 7089: Globular Cluster in Autumn Constellation AQUARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Very Large. Gradually Pretty Much Brighter Toward the Middle; Well Resolved, Extremely Small [faint] Stars. John Sanford description: "...one of the better globulars in the sky. M2's total integrated magnitude is 6.0, so it may be visible to a sharp-eyed observer on a really dark night. The cluster becomes a ball of faint and very evenly bright stars of 13th magnitude and fainter in a 10-inch (25-cm) telescope." When the spectacular summer Milky Way globulars M22 and M4 have sunk into the West, turn your binoculars or telescope to Aquarius to view M2 and M72. At 13 arcminutes diameter, M2 is only slightly smaller than the great Hercules cluster M13; were it high overhead, M2 would be given its due recognition by northern hemisphere observers. The author has resolved it into many sparkling points in scopes of 3.5 - 4 inch aperture.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-2.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M3 - NGC 5272: Globular Cluster in Spring Constellation CANES VENATICI Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Extremely Bright, Very Large. Very Suddenly Brightens Toward the Middle. Stars of 11th Magnitude. Much the same description of M2 may be said of M3. The cluster is so recognizable and breathtaking that it and M5 are near the head of the dynasty of globulars after the monarch of the northern sky, M13. The author's most astonishing glimpse of M3 came one early winter night in his driveway under the bath of photons from sodium- vapor streetlights. After testing the alignment of a small 5-inch richest-field scope with an anonymous bright star, he walked away from the instrument, and returned an hour later to peer into the eyepiece and behold M3 in its (attenuated) glory! Thus, any optical aid under the most adverse conditions may reveal M3 peeking out of the constellation Canes Venatici.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-3.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M4 - NGC 6121: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SCORPIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, With 8 or 10 Bright Stars in Line. Well Resolved Into Stars. John Sanford description: "There is a "bar" of 11th magnitude and fainter stars across the center running almost vertically. M4 is a showpiece for any telescope, and one of the better globulars for smaller instruments." M4 is an excellent test for the collimation and resolution of scope optics, as well as for the transparency of the northern sky, since the cluster generally lies so near the horizon for North American observers. A superb 80-mm refractor might possibly resolve some of the brighter stars of the cluster under optimal conditions.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-4.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M5 - NGC 5904: Globular Cluster in Spring Constellation SERPENS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large, Extremely Compressed in Middle. 11th to 15th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: "M5 is one of the premier globulars in the sky, and it is easily found near the star 5 Serpentis, only 22 arcminutes away." The author became aware of the enormous superiority of visual observing over long-exposure photography for delineating the aesthetic qualities of stellar objects, when observing M5 in a 22-inch Cassegrain telescope at Lick Observatory at Mount Hamilton. The experience was so shattering that he spent most of his precious borrowed time at the instrument on this one dramatic object, not fully comprehending the unfathomable quantity of pinpoint-sharp stars that filled the entire brilliant field of a wide-angle eyepiece!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-5.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M6 - NGC 6405: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SCORPIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Large, Irregularly Round. Loosely Compressed. Stars from 7th to 10th Magnitude. This naked-eye object may or may not seem like a butterfly, depending upon the imagination of the observer. An apparently-nebulous patch without optical aid, it resolves into a bright cluster of stars even with 3X opera glasses. M6 currently has the distinction of being the only Messier object yet viewed by the author from an airplane: it was dramatically obvious when riding over the Santa Clara valley one early summer evening, while scanning the skies with 8 X 42 binoculars for other aircraft. The cluster jumped into view as a welcome and very unexpected sight!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-6.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M7 - NGC 6475: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SCORPIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Very Bright, Pretty Rich. Loosely Compressed. Stars from 7th to 12th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "M7 is much the larger [than M6], appearing as a fuzzy spot to the eye, against the background of the bright Milky Way. The diameter is nearly double that of the full Moon..." Messier's catalog contains only 7 objects of -30 declination or lower, and M7 has the distinction of being the southernmost. It must have been "in the mud" of smoky Parisian nighttime skies!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-7.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M8 - NGC 6523: "Lagoon" Bright Nebula in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Very Bright, Extremely Large, Extended Irregular Figure, With a Large Cluster [Cluster is NGC 6530: Bright, Large, Pretty Rich ] M8 may be second only to M42 as the most glorious nebular object in the sky that is visible from Northern latitudes. Doubters who do not believe that deep-sky observing is possible from modern light-polluted cities should try observing this stunning and richly-variegated cloud of hydrogen with a narrowband oxygen-line or general nebula-line filter. With an 80-mm refractor in downtown San Jose, M8's dark lane could be spotted with a 2mm exit pupil using the O-III filter; with a nebular filter, the shape if not the detail was evident, as was the fainter and smaller nearby M20. In a dark sky, with scopes from 5 inches of aperture, M8's immense range of luminosity, from tiny dark spots to brilliant bright outbursts in the central region, will be far more palpable than in photographs, which tend to overexpose and create a "poster-like" unreality. With almost any size aperture scope, filters may assist in increasing the contrast of the nebulosity.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-8.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M9 - NGC 6333: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Large, Round. Extremely Compressed Middle. Well Resolved Into Stars of 14th Magnitude. John Sanford's description: "...a heavily-obscured southern globular, which is on the edge of a dark lane in the Milky Way."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-9.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M10 - NGC 6254: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Very Large, Round. Gradually Brightening to Much Brighter Middle. Well Resolved Into Stars of 10th to 15th Magnitude. Globular clusters are far from similar to one another. A striking example of their disparity may be had by comparing M9 and M10. The latter is half again as large as M9, and is comparable in diameter to the giant Hercules cluster M13. Yet M10 is neither as rich as M13, nor is it as favorably located high in Northern skies. Diminutive M9, by contrast, is smallest of this summer constellation's globulars.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-10. M11 - NGC 6705: "The Wild Duck" Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SCUTUM Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Cluster, Very Bright, Large. Irregularly Round, Rich. 9th Magnitude Star Among 11th Mag. Stars. Few photographs make clear sense of 19th-century amateur observer Admiral William Smyth's apt description of this object as a "flight of wild ducks." Spotting the cluster with low power in a pair of 11 X 80 binoculars or in a richest-field scope providing the ultimate bright- ness and contrast, the viewer will see portrayed a wedge-shape of close stars against a fainter field of the Milky Way. Photos often reduce the dynamic contrasts of bright and faint stars, and thus diminish the striking effect. So dense is M11 that in his early observing days, the author mistook its rich field for the tight knot of a globular! The old NGC reference to a 9th magnitude star (" *9, st 11...'") in Dreyer's code may signify the multiple star J 107, whose A and B components are separated 5.8" at 8 and 12.4 magnitude, or slightly more distant Σ 2391, a wide 38" double of of 6.5 and 9.8 magnitude stars, some 3 or 4 arcminutes from M11 to the southeast.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-11. M12 - NGC 6218: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Very Large. Irregularly Round, Gradually Much Brighter Toward Middle, Well Resolved Stars of 10th Magnitude and Fainter. John Sanford description: "The globulars of Ophiuchus are too numerous to describe here, but some outstanding examples [include] M12 (NGC 6218), a 10th-arcminute-diameter ball of 11th-magnitude and fainter stars..."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-12.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor. M13 - NGC 6205: "Hercules Cluster" - Globular In Summer Constellation HERCULES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Extremely Bright, Very Rich. Very Gradually Increasing to Extremely Compressed Middle. 11th Magnitude Stars. M13 has the reputation of a sure-fire test object for public star parties, and is one of the few deep-sky objects that may be found by beginners with 60-mm refractors in urban sites. Yet, this regal aggregate of 30,000 suns, the brightest of which resolve into fine diamond-dust with a very good 80-mm refractor, will yield new pleasures at each observation. Many visual observers with scopes above about 6 inches aperture have noted the uneven distribution of bright stars across the face of M13, forming three apparent dark chains. Not a trace of this is evident in photographs, which "burn-out" the exposure of the brighter regions and flatten the contrast range. In a good telescopic view, M13 appears almost three-dimensional, and will bear high magnification.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-13.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M14 - NGC 6402: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Very Large, Round, Extremely Rich. Very Gradually Becoming Brighter Toward Middle. Well Resolved Into 15th Magnitude Stars. A smooth, bland sphere of undefined stars lacking resolution or a bright nuclear region unlike many other globulars. Very large aperture (and high-resolution) amateur telescopes may begin to hint at individual stellar components.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-14.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M15 - NGC 7078: Globular Cluster in Autumn Constellation PEGASUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large, Irregularly Round, Very Suddenly Much Brighter in Middle. Well Resolved Into Very Small Stars. John Sanford description: "...a showpiece for small telescopes... there may be a black hole at the center...M15 is also [one of only four globular clusters] known to contain a planetary nebula, Pease 1, which is beyond the range of most backyard telescopes (3 arc- seconds diameter, 15th magnitude)."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-15.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings.             Click here for Waldee's 2007 observation of Pease 1             planetary nebula in M-15. M16 - NGC 6611: "Eagle" Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SERPENS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, At Least 100 Large and Small Stars. The "Eagle" has been dubbed "The Star-Queen Nebula" by Lowell Observatory astronomer and author Robert Burnham, Jr., for the aristocratic glories visible in long-exposure photographs. The open cluster M16 is associated with an enveloping hydrogen cloud which records on film its dramatic red billowing curtains. Amateur telescopes of moderate aperture may reveal a trace of diffuse greenish-blue hydrogen-Beta nebulosity at the wavelength of 4861 angstroms with the help of a nebula-line filter, but the phenomenal ruddy patterns are mostly invisible to human eyesight. The bright stars of the cluster are nevertheless a majestic and soaring sight.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-16. M17 - NGC 6618: "Omega" or "Swan" Bright Nebula in SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Bright, Extremely Large. Extremely Irregular Figure, Hooked Like a Letter "2". The "Omega" is a delight to explore with telescopes of any aperture In the smallest instruments, it is a tight knot of bright luminosity against the unresolved Milky Way background; with telescopes of at least 6 - 8 inches, the former vague "checkmark" shape resolves into a stately waterfowl in a frothy celestial pond. In a 17.5" scope equipped with a nebula-line filter, a deep-black void under the head of the swan draws the observer into its profound depths, while the swirling patterns of glowing hydrogen around the bright foreground of the nebula stream sinuously like a smoky bonfire. The contrast of this object against the sky background -- especially the dark spot almost encircled by bright nebulosity -- will be enhanced by nebular filters.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-17.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with binoculars. M18 - NGC 6613: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Poor, Very Little Compressed. In the days before sensitive spectroscopes and the study of astro- physics, there was little for even a professional astronomer to know about such an object other than its position, the magnitude and quantity of its stellar components, and the aesthetic appearance of the object viewed in the eyepiece. The secondary meaning of J. L. E. Dreyer's NGC code letter "P" -- usually defined as 'poor' but really indicating 'sparse' -- may be more apt to describe this galactic cluster of about a dozen stars; poor it truly is when compared to other riches of the nearby Milky Way region.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-18.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M19 - NGC 6273: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large, Round. Very Compressed in Middle; Well Resolved Into Stars of 16th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...the westernmost of the southern globulars. It is a bright ball of faint stars with two brighter ones on either side of the nucleus, probably field stars."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-19. M20 - NGC 6514: "Trifid" Bright Nebula in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Very Large, Trifid. Double Star Involved. The brilliant astronomer Sir John Herschel evoked the now-obscure term derived from the Latin word "trifidus" -- split into three -- to describe the rifts of dark matter that appear to trisect the flower-like face of this beautiful nebula. Color photographs reveal the spectral signature of the predominantly red wavelengths of hydrogen in the larger circular structure, blending into the brilliant blue light of the reflection nebula adjoining at the north. In a small telescope, or under indifferent skies, M20's glow is barely visible at low powers. The magnification necessary to increase the image to appreciable sizes robs the surface brightness and may render the dark lanes invisible. In larger scopes, the lanes appear at moderate magnifications with exit pupils in the proper operating range of typical nebular filters. The author has found that to perceive the lanes, it is generally necessary to boost the power to the point where the triple star at the heart of M20 (HN 40, with two visual components of 7.6, 10.7 magnitude, separated 6") is clearly resolved; this may require 40 to 60X in an 8 inch aperture scope. The dark structures are elusive, and benefit from averted vision and the use of nebular filters. An interesting experiment is to compare the relative brightness of the red and blue components of M20 when employing in turn a narrowband nebula filter (primarily for enhancing the hydrogen beta wavelengths in the green region) with an oxygen-line filter (intended to improve the visibility of a band of doubly-ionized oxygen nebulosity at slightly shorter bluish wavelengths.) The eye cannot detect the faint red light of M20, but is sensitive to the hydrogen-Beta line at 4861 angstroms in the greenish-blue part of the spectrum. A nebular filter passes these colors while diminishing others, and will increase the apparent diameter of M20 by a few times, while slightly reducing the visibility of the blue region. The O-III filter increases the apparent amplitude of the blue by greatly reducing response at other frequencies. An LPR type filter will increase the apparent contrast on the reflection nebulosity. Alternating the filters with eyepieces providing differing exit pupils within the range recommended in this program will allow the visual observer to detect at least some of the glories of this superb nebula.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-20.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings.             Click here for a comparison of Waldee's and David             Knisely's observations with nebular filters M21 - NGC 6531: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Pretty Rich, Little Compressed. Stars from 9th to 12th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a cluster of bright stars northeast of the Trifid, with several dozen covering a diameter of 12 arcminutes."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-21.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M22 - NGC 6656: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Very Large. Round, Very Rich and Very Much Compressed. Stars From 11th to 15th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a fat ball of stars, slightly flattened, which resolves well in almost any telescope...In photographs there is an interesting dark spot visible in the cluster...This may be an interstellar dust cloud superimposed on the cluster stars..." The author of EYEPIECE and his colleagues agree that M22 is one of the finest half-dozen globular clusters in the sky visible from Northern latitudes, and is larger in angular diameter than mighty M13. However, the locale in the southern Milky Way region, relatively low in the sky for the northern hemisphere, diminishes the magnificence of this object. EYEPIECE's primary author (Waldee) is not an astrophotographer of the rank of Professor Sanford or associate author Ron Wood; yet Waldee's own photograph of M22 done years ago with his C-8 telescope demonstrated the amazing ease with which such a spectacular, bright object may be captured on film. However, it requires high- definition pictures of the quality of Sanford's to reveal the subtle details he describes above. M22 contains a planetary nebula, the very faint and small GJJC1, discovered by infrared imaging in 1985. It is visible by advanced techniques, generally in fairly large aperture scopes.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-22.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings.             Click here and here for Waldee's 2007 observations             of GJJC1. M23 - NGC 6494: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Bright, Very Large, Pretty Rich, Little Compressed. Stars of 10th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a large open cluster lying to the west of the Small Cloud [part of M24 in Sagittarius]. It is made up of about 100 stars clustered in a 25 arcminute diameter with attractive curves of stars of similar brightness."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-23. M24 - Milky Way Star Cloud in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Cluster, Very Rich, Very Much Compressed, Round. Milky Way, Stars of 15th Magnitude. (NGC-6603) A spectacular, detached segment of the Summer Milky Way, about a degree and a half in diameter, visible to the naked eye; formerly attributed to the small 5 arcminute open cluster NGC-6603, which Dreyer described above. Now Messier authorities attribute M24 NOT to the object described by Dreyer, but to the "Large" Star Cloud in Sagittarius, with NGC-6603 representing the "Small" Star Cloud. This exceptionally dense region also contains a superb example of a Barnard dark nebula, B92. John Sanford description: "The Small Sagittarius Star Cloud appears, with a little imagination, like a pilot with flying helmet, seen as the darker dusty areas surrounding the cloud and passing behind it...this Small Cloud is distinctively more blue-colored than the Large Sagittarius cloud to the south."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-24. M25 - IC 4725: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITARRIUS Dreyer Summary (Index Catalog): Cluster, Bright, Large, Little Compressed. A galactic cluster of about 50 stars brighter than 12th magnitude, containing the Cepheid variable star U Sagittarii. Not included in the New General Catalog, because it had been omitted in John Herschel's "General Catalog" compiled fourteen years earlier.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-25.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawing. M26 - NGC 6694: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation SCUTUM Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Considerably Large, Pretty Rich and Compressed. 12th to 15th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: "...not a strong object in an 8-inch (20-cm). It contains about 40 stars gathered into a 15 arcminute field."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-26.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M27 - NGC 6853: "Dumbbell" Bright Nebula in Summer Constellation VULPECULA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Very Bright and Large, Bi-Nuclear. Irregularly Extended, Dumbbell Shape. Considering the fame of this object, its brightness, and its relatively comfortable angular diameter of nearly 6 arcminutes, M27 is rather difficult to find. There are few very close bright "hopping" stars, and the Milky Way field near Cygnus is replete with innumerable faint eyepiece stars that may bewilder the observer. Sanford recommends: "...fix your telescope on the point of [Sagitta's] arrow, Gamma Sagittae, lock the RA axis, and move the telescope 3 degrees north in declination." Users of the famous Telrad (r) brand of reflex sight that projects red circles on a view of the sky may get very close to M27 by placing the outer 4-degree circle on Gamma, with the opposite side directed toward the central star of the Northern Cross, Gamma Cygni. Once there, M27 is a feast to the eyes, and is one of the few deep- sky objects that may show just a trace of color in the largest scopes. Photographs are rich with yellow, gold, blue, and reddish tendrils in the gases rushing outwards from the central explosion that produced this phenomenal planetary nebula. In fact, M27 is often catalogued not with the planetaries, but with the "Bright Nebulae." 19th century visual observers could not detect the faint extensions of the shock-wave of gases that close fully around the center, but discerned a figure-8 or dumb-bell shape. With modern filters that enhance the nebular lines, these dim extensions and the dusky greyness therein become visible, permitting the view through a telescope of 10-inch or larger aperture to be as detailed and rewarding as a long-exposure monochrome photograph. Telrad(r) is a registered trademark (c) Telrad, Inc.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-27.             Click here for author Waldee's updated 2006 observation.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M28 - NGC 6626: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large, Round. Gradually Increasing To Extremely Compressed Middle. Well Resolved Into Stars of 14th to 16th Magnitude. Robert Burnham, Jr. describes M28 as "not one of the more striking globulars for moderate telescopes;" to author Alan Dyer it is "compact;" to J. Mallas it is "intense" with an "oddly-shaped" center. The twenty-eighth of Messier's nebular discoveries is just one more of the panoply of noteworthy objects in the rich treasure trove of the southern Milky Way.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-28.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 20x. M29 - NGC 6913: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation CYGNUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Poor, Little Compressed. Large and Small [bright and faint] Stars. The Cygnus region possesses such a wealth of large-scale bright nebulae, dark Milky Way rifts, and challenging deep-sky objects that cluster Messier 29 seems truly poor in comparison. A homely arrangement of a dozen fairly bright stars of nearly 8th magnitude, the cluster might appear more brilliant were it not for the heavy interstellar absorbing matter present. Perhaps Messier would have never mistaken this gathering for a comet, but included it as a prudent warning to eager tyros!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-29.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M30 - NGC 7099: Globular Cluster in Autumn Constellation CAPRICORNUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Large, A Little Extended. Gradually Pretty Much Brightening Toward Middle. Stars of 12th to 16th Magnitude. In the sparse and rather faint constellation Capricornus there are few interesting deep-sky objects for amateur scopes. M30 is undistinguished in a small instrument; in a larger scope like the author's 17.5" aperture reflector, it resembles M13 seen in a lowly 80-mm refractor. Locating M30 without setting circles is relatively difficult; the Telrad (r) finder is quite helpful by centering on Zeta Capricorni; M30 will be found just outside the 4-degree circle toward the east.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M=30.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M31 - NGC 224: "Andromeda" Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Autumn Constellation ANDROMEDA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Most Extremely Bright, Extremely Large, Very Much Extended. This naked-eye galaxy is an inexhaustible source of pleasure and instruction. No surer demonstration of the viewer's ability to gain perceptive skill with time spent observing is to record one's earliest description of M31, and then to compare it with ones made some 5, 10, 20, or more years later. At first, M31 may appear a pale and fuzzy, featureless blob. With increasing skills, the viewer will be able to trace fine detail in the dark lane; the galaxy's outer globular clusters may be discerned, the fascinating galactic core will be explored at high magnifications where it appears almost stellar; and the outer boundaries of the galaxy will extend to several times the diameter noted at earliest observations! The author recalls five landmark sightings of M31: finding it in a dark sky with naked eyes as a youngster; the first "discovery" with 7 X 50 binoculars about 40 years ago; the inaugural view with a 17.5" telescope; tracing the extension to over 4 degrees in a dark desert sky with 11 X 80 binoculars; and the first view through a state-of-the-art diffraction-limited 8" instrument and a 16-mm wide field eyepiece, in a beautiful star-studded field complete with companion galaxies M32 (below) and NGC-205.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-31.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 10" Newtonian at 40x. M32 - NGC 221: Elliptical Galaxy (E2) in Autumn Constellation ANDROMEDA Dreyer Summary (NGC): VERY Bright, Large, Round. Pretty Suddenly Much Brighter in the Middle To a Nucleus. Were it not for the proximity of the overpowering M31, companion M32 would be given more attention, for it would rival the "faint fuzzies" of the Virgo galaxy cluster or such favorites as M63 (the "Sunflower" Galaxy) or M64 ("The Blackeye").             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-32.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 196x. M33 - NGC 598: "Triangulum" Spiral Galaxy (Sc) in Autumn Constellation TRIANGULUM Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Extremely Bright and Large, Round. Very Gradually Brightening in Middle To a Nucleus. The Triangulum Galaxy is a difficult object, despite its ostensible naked-eye brightness and size. It can be glimpsed without optical aid in a very dark, transparent sky, by following a line from M31 to Beta Andromedae, and extending it just about the same distance opposite the star as one found M31. Yet, due to the enormous angular diameter of more than a degree in M33's longer axis, the surface brightness is low, despite the conven- tional figure of 5.7 integrated visual magnitude. The late, famous "Sky and Telescope" columnist Walter Scott Houston, even in his eighties, delighted in pointing out M33 by means of the naked eye while observers many decades his junior failed to spot this mighty galaxy! In a telescope, M33 may be nearly as vague and pale as the large planetary nebula NGC-7293 ("The Helix") in Aquarius, which is rated on the same visual magnitude scale as 13! Use the "finder power" or "widest field" mode of your telescope; better yet, employ 7 X 50 to 11 X 80 binoculars. Once you have studied the dim oval face of the galaxy and are comfortable in recognizing any detail -- mottling, unevenness, or a trace of shape -- try to glimpse the bright knots of hydrogen gas in the spiral arms' H-II regions. In large telescopes, the author has been successful in discerning them with the specialized hydrogen-beta filter, which blocks virtually any trace of the galaxy other than the 4861-angstrom light from the small H-II spots.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-33.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M34 - NGC 1039: Open Cluster in Autumn Constellation PERSEUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Bright, Very Large, Little Compressed. Scattered Stars of 9th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a fine open cluster which can just be glimpsed with the naked eye. It lies on a line almost halfway between Algol and Gamma Andromedae, the easternmost bright star in the group. It contains about 80 stars in the half-degree diameter, including several pairs."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-34.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M35 - NGC 2168: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation GEMINI Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Very Large, Considerably Rich, Pretty Compressed. Stars from 9th to 16th Magnitude. M35 and the two large galactic clusters inside Auriga, M36 and M37, make up a wonderful winter trio for star parties. Sanford calls M35 "an outstanding and large object...just at the toe of the more northern Twin, 2.5 degrees northwest of Eta Geminorum. This glorious grouping of several hundred stars has many loops and lines of stellar points in a medium-sized telescope."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-35.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M36 - NGC 1960: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation AURIGA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Bright, Very Large and Very Rich, Little Compressed. Stars 9th to 11th Magnitude, Scattered. M36 and M37 in Auriga, along with M35 lying just outside Gemini, the constellation to the east, are excellent objects for study even in light-polluted city skies, for they are readily discernible in an 80-millimeter aperture instrument. In the same low to medium power eyepiece field of view, M36 will be accompanied by the larger yet dimmer M38.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-36.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M37 - NGC 2099: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation AURIGA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Rich, Pretty Compressed in the Middle, With Large and Small Stars. One of the author's joys to observe in the fall and winter! M37 is beautifully resolved as a broad expanse of faint stars in an 80 millimeter scope, but really shines in apertures of 5 inches or larger. Then, a red giant star near the center is bright enough to the eye to register its color in contrast to the pale white surrounding stars. In a superb instrument with perfect stellar resolution, the overworked cliche "diamond dust" seems the only apt description! "Gaze at it well and long" - Reverend T. W. Webb, cleric and astronomer.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-37.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 40x. M38 - NGC 1912: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation AURIGA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Bright, Very Large, Very Rich. With Irregular Figure, Large and Small Stars. John Sanford's description: "...a large open cluster which has streams of stars leading into a rather dark middle. This is a rich neighborhood, with the smaller galactic cluster NGC 1907 almost directly south."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-38.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M39 - NGC 7092: Open Cluster in Summer Constellation CYGNUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Very Large, Very Poor, Very Little Compressed. 7th Magnitude to 10th Magnitude Stars. A larger but equally mundane open cluster in comparison to the constellation Cygnus' other such Messier object, M29. 19th-century observers like Webb found it a "grand" sight, but they did not have the benefit of modern nebular filters and wide-field oculars for the perusal of the stunning but faint nebulae in the region.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-39.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M40 - Winnecke 4: Double Star in Spring Constellation URSA MAJOR The most likely candidate for Messier's fortieth catalog entry is the double star Wnc 4, cataloged by Winnecke in 1863, with a separation of 50 arcseconds and similar visual magnitudes of about 9th for each component. According to Robert Burnham, both Hevelius and Bode considered the object to be nebulous, as did Messier: perhaps their eras' inferior optics were to blame.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-40.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M41 - NGC 2287: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation CANES MAJOR Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Very Large, Bright, Little Compressed, 8th Magnitude and Fainter Stars. John Sanford's description: "...visible to the naked eye, located where you would find the Dog's heart. It contains several fairly bright stars and multiples. The cluster is almost half a degree in diameter, so is best seen with low powers."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-41.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M42 - NGC 1976: "Great Orion" Bright Nebula in Winter Constellation ORION Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Theta Orionis [multiple star system called "The Trapezium"] and the Great Nebula. Whether viewing the intensely-bright central region with its fascinating multiple star system Theta in a small scope, or tracing the full bowl of faint extended nebulosity in the "Herschel loop" with a large instrument, the observer of M42 will be rewarded with a full evening's enjoyment that may be inexhaustibly repeated for a lifetime. The author made a study of the monumental pre-photographic research paper on the central region of the Great Orion Nebula by the first Lick Observatory director, Professor Holden. It contained woodcuts reproducing the most famous drawings of the nebula from its earliest depictions in the 1600s up to the time of the first photograph in 1880. Despite the glaring errors made by Holden in attempting to prove that the nebula was variable, the enduring merit of the work was the dramatic confirmation that even the most skilled of visual observers will perceive utterly differing views of a celestial object if they are not prejudiced by having studied a photograph. The author made attempts to duplicate the observing conditions of some of these early sightings, and could replicate certain aspects of the odd shapes of the drawings by employing very small aperture instruments or very imperfect optics. Some early astronomers saw the Great Nebula as a grotesque elephant head with mouth jutting open and trunk erect; others drew it with razor-sharp angularity; still others saw a milky, resinous, shapeless mass. Messier's drawing was quite good, though he represented the bright stars in very incorrect spatial relationships. M42 is a veritable catalog of different object types, including multiple stars and reflection plus emission nebulosity. Try to view Orion's "Great Nebula" on every possible occasion with any kind of optical instrument as well as naked eye: it is truly a "chameleon- like" object, for it can seem to take on a variety of shapes and contrasts that truly will surprise you! All nebular filters -- LPR; narrowband hydrogen; H-beta; and OIII -- will emphasize contrast on varying parts of the object.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-42.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M43 - NGC 1982: Bright Nebula in Winter Constellation ORION Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Very Bright, Very Large. Round With a Tail, Much Brighter in the Middle. Contains a Star of Magnitude 8. In small, long-focus refractors of the type used often in the 19th-century, M43 may have seemed more conspicuous as a distinct object than it does to modern viewers, who may consider it to be simply an extension of the Great Nebula in Orion. An 8th magnitude star excites the hydrogen cloud of M43, which is approximately opposite the "fish mouth" central region of M42 and the Trapezium.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-43. M44 - NGC 2632: "Beehive" Open Cluster in Spring Constellation CANCER Dreyer Summary (NGC): Praesepe Cancri [originally attributed to M14 and not M44 in error in original edition.] Named derived from the Latin term for stall, crib or manger. Ancient observers universally recognized it as a nebulous patch in the sky; Galileo discovered its stellar identity and counted three dozen stars, which have been expanded tenfold by modern techniques. Since Praesepe is a naked-eye object, it is one of the easiest Messier objects to locate with a telescope, but -- sadly -- beginners with inexpensive refractors will find that its 95-arcminute-diameter will not fit into the available field of view: use binoculars or richest-field scopes. Diligent observers may be able to perceive several faint galaxies within the boundary of M44 by using fairly large scopes and accurate charts.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-44.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings.             Click here for Waldee's article about viewing galaxies             near M44. M45 - Melotte 22: "The Pleiades" Open Cluster in Winter Constellation TAURUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Not Included Not an object cataloged by Dreyer in the NGC or IC, the ancient name for this group -- The Seven Sisters -- was not a particularly accurate description, for almost twice this number of stars may be glimpsed by keen naked-eye observers in a dark sky. Percival Lowell claimed he could see 18; young Ryan Wood, son of EYEPIECE co-author Ron Wood, counted 16. The renowned nebulosity of the Pleiades, discovered visually by comet-hunter Wilhelm Tempel in 1859, and confirmed by the Henry Brothers in 1885 with photography, may be spotted on nights of exceptional atmospheric clarity by using high-resolution optics and employing a typical broadband LPR filter, to accentuate the reflection nebulosity around the stars Merope, Alcyone, and some of the other bright stars in the cluster. Do not be mistaken by reflections, flaring, and light scattering around the bright stars in average-quality telescopes. Small beginners' refractors will not provide the field of view necessary for appreciating the entire group. Binoculars, a richest-field scope, or even a good finderscope will give the proper perspective to this beautiful aggregation. M45 is so bright that it is possible to obtain a sufficiently wide field by using an ocular that produces an exit pupil of 10 to 12 mm, reducing the apparent scope aperture and light gathering but permitting the full two degrees of the cluster to be accommodated. Of course, users of reflector scopes will have to "dodge" the dark spot in the center of the field that appears when employing an exit pupil larger than the pupil of the viewer's eye.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-45.             Click here for Waldee's article about viewing the Pleiades.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M46 - NGC 2437: Open Cluster (With Planetary Nebula NGC 2438) in Winter Constellation PUPPIS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Cluster, Very Bright, Very Rich, Very Large, Involving a Planetary Nebula John Sanford description: "If you look closely at M46 you'll see a 50-arcsecond-diameter planetary nebula among the stars in its northeast quadrant. With 8-inch (20-cm) telescopic apertures and above you can see that it is a round nebula, with the three stars projected upon it. In fact, the nebula is about twice as far away as the cluster, and they just happen to be in our line of sight together."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-46.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M47 - NGC 2422: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation PUPPIS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Bright, Very Large, Pretty Rich, With Large and Small Stars. John Sanford description: "M46 (NGC 2437) lies just following M47, and is a cloud of small stars. The two clusters make a nice contrast, with M47 a coarse, sparser grouping and M46 a richer, but fainter cluster." On 5 December 2007, S. Waldee observed M47 with his C-11 scope: "Huge cluster features three blindingly bright stars in a large triangle, with 5th and 7th magnitude stars to the east and south, and a 6.9 magnitude multiple system (STF 1121) slightly to the north of the center. Three widely spaced apparent doubles in a semi-circle are positioned to the southeast of the center, striking features at low to medium magnification."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-47.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M48 - NGC 2548: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation HYDRA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Very Large, Pretty Rich, Pretty Much Compressed Toward Middle. 9th to 13th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: "M48 is a fine open cluster situated on the outskirts of the Galaxy, at the western boarder of the constellation. It makes an equilateral triangle with Procyon and the small asterism at the head of Hydra. This group of about 50 stars can be seen as a tiny spot with the naked eye, and presents a lovely field in a low-power eyepiece. There are several yellowish stars seen together with mostly white ones, making a beautiful impression."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-48.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M49 - NGC 4472: Elliptical Galaxy (E4) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Large, Round, Much Brighter Toward the Middle, Mottled - Not Resolved. This bright elliptical galaxy is classified as "E4" which refers to how oblate, or flattened, is the shape. An E0 galaxy would be perfectly round, while an E7 is very flat with a small central bulge.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-49.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 122x. M50 - NGC 2323: Open Cluster in Winter Constellation MONOCEROS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Cluster, Very Large, Rich, Pretty Compressed, Extended. 12th to 16th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: "...a large star cluster in southern Monoceros, with an integrated magnitude of 6.3. It consists of about fifty stars in an area about 10 arcminutes in diameter...a good cluster for small instruments, and is located halfway between Sirius and Procyon in the night skies." On 6 December 2007, author Waldee looked at M50 with his C-11 telescope, reporting "very large. Sparse, about 2 dozen very bright stars, with more inside and out of the main oval arrangement of about 10 bright ones. There is a striking triangle of stars near the middle. The star HIP 33959 (7.8 magnitude, about 4 minutes south of the cluster's center) seems distinctly yellow-orange at 88x."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-50.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M51 - NGC 5194/5: "The Whirlpool" Galaxy (Sc) in CANES VENATICI Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Great Spiral Nebula Galaxies were often described as "nebulae" before the work of astronomers Slipher, Curtis, and Hubble incontrovertibly established such objects as being distinct "island universes" distant from our own galaxy. The wealthy English amateur astronomer Lord Rosse was first to detect the spiral shape of such 'nebulae' with his newly-built 72-inch reflector telescope in the spring of 1845. His drawing showed an image considerably more jumbled and complex than modern photographs reveal the spiral arms to be. The author has occasionally detected a trace of the spiral nature in moderately light-polluted skies of 4 - 5 (naked eye) stellar magnitude with 5 to 6 inch aperture scopes; it is much easier with apertures above 10 inches. An amateur observer reported to the author that he had the opportunity to view M51 with the great 82-inch telescope at MacDonald Observatory in Texas: he swept awestruck across the billowing gas clouds of the H-II regions in the arms of the galaxy! M51 is a very easy object to find with binoculars: just star-hop to the east about a field-of-view's width from Alkaid, the tip of the Great Bear's tail. It companion galaxy NGC-5195 should show up in apertures of 80 millimeters and larger.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-51.             Click here for Waldee's updated 2007 observation of M-51.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M52 - NGC 7654: Open Cluster in Autumn Constellation CASSIOPEIA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Large, Rich, Much Compressed in the Middle, Round. Stars from 9th to 13th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a large (13-arcminute diameter) scattered but rich cluster of the Pleiades type. Nearby, some 36 arcminutes to the southwest, is the Bubble Nebula, NGC 7635...See what you can see after you find M52!"             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-52.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M53 - NGC 5024: Globular Cluster in Spring Constellation COMA BERENICES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Very Compressed, Irregularly Round. VERY Much Brighter Stars Toward Middle. Stars of 12th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "A globular cluster worth finding... about a degree northeast of Alpha. It is a compact, rich object in a 10-inch (25-cm) telescope."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-53. M54 - NGC 6715: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large, Round. Gradually Increasing Brightness, then Suddenly Much Brighter Towards the Middle; Well Resolved Into Stars of 15th Magnitude. This very compact globular may remain a fuzzy and unresolved object in most telescopes. Located in the lower left region of Sagittarius' "Teapot" asterism, M54 is easy to find by star-hopping a degree and a half west of Zeta Sagittarii, or by centering the Telrad (r) finder on that bright star and looking near the perimeter of second red ring.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-54. M55 - NGC 6809: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Pretty Bright, Large, Round, Very Rich, Very Gradually Brightening Towards Middle. Stars of 12th to 15th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "Of the many other globular clusters in Sagittarius, M55 (NGC 6809) stands out. It is a loose aggre- gation of thousands of faint stars spread over a 10 arcminute area."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-55. M56 - NGC 6779: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation LYRA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Large, Irregularly Round. Gradually Very Much Compressed Toward Middle. Well Resolved Into Stars of 11th to 14th Magnitude. The "other" Messier object in Lyra, M56 is overshadowed by the famous "Ring" Nebula described below. This dense globular may perhaps be within a wide-angle binocular field with the bright star Gamma Lyrae at or near the edge; follow a line projected along the Gamma and Beta Lyrae toward the southwest. M56 stands out from a rich and beautiful star field of the Milky Way. The author and his colleague Richard Page once volunteeered to produce the narration for Lick Observatory's Shane telescope visitor's center, and in exchange were privileged to select and have a private viewing of a few items with the historic 36-inch Clark refractor at Mt. Hamilton. Rich chose M56 which at the time was precisely overhead. One of the least-observed Messier objects, it is well-suited for viewing by a giant f/19 observatory instrument. We recall the pleasure of seeing a slightly shimmering M52 at almost 500 power, with brilliance in the starpoints of a small globular which otherwise is rather uninteresting in small amateur telescopes.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-56.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M57 - NGC 6720: "The Ring" Bright Nebula in Summer Constellation LYRA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Magnificent. Ring Nebula, Bright, Planetary Nebula, Considerably Extended, in Lyra. A wonderful object for the smallest to largest of telescopes, M57 was recognized as an 'annular' (ring) nebula from William Herschel's time onward, though the great late 18th-century observer suspected that it might eventually be resolved into stars! However, we now know that it consists not of faint stars but of a thick shell of nebulosity with very high surface brightness: M57 appears as a hollow ring because we see through the shell, revealing the edges of the envelope of gases. The late Walter Scott Houston reported seeing a peppering of faint stars inside the Ring; the author has spotted one or two of them with an 8- inch scope at about 500 power. The faint 15th magnitude central star is easily photographed, but eludes most visual observers. The internal region of the Ring is filled with milky nebulosity in a large scope's view: the central star appears only slightly brighter than the background illumination, and may (as in the author's experience) wink in and out with averted-vision glances across the field, using a scope with at least 16 - 17 inches aperture under a dark sky. Here is one of the few non-stellar deep-sky objects that can be enjoyed with a typical beginner's 60-mm refractor: M57 jumps out of the field when sweeping in a straight line from Beta to Gamma Lyrae. Almost any magnifying power that can reveal the non-stellar nature of this fuzzy spot may be useful for some type of observation. With narrowband nebula and oxygen filters, one may begin to study the details in the faint fluffy extensions along M57's lengthier axis.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-57.             Click here for author Waldee's updated 2006 observation.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawing. M58 - NGC 4579: Barred Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Large, Irregularly Round, Very Much Brighter in Middle, Mottled - Not Resolved. Messier's fifty-eighth object is a "barred" spiral galaxy, one of the two major classifications of galaxies with spiral arms. In the galaxy classification system, "S" refers to the spiral structure, and "b" denotes spiral arms whose mass appears about equivalent to that of the nucleus of the galaxy. Other Messier galaxies that share this characteristic include M31, the great Andromeda galaxy, plus the pairs M65/M66 and M95/96 in Leo, and the mighty M81 and M101 in Ursa Major.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-58.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 122x. M59 - NGC 4621: Elliptical Galaxy (E5) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Pretty Large, Little Extended, Very Suddenly Very Much Brighter in the Middle, Two Stars Preceding. M59 is an elliptical galaxy of 10.6 magnitude (5.4' x 3.7'), one of the larger of such in the Virgo cluster, about 60 million light-years away. Even bigger and brighter M60 is found nearby, approximately 24 arcminutes to the east, and slightly south.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-59. M60 - NGC 4649: Elliptical Galaxy (E1) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Pretty Large, Round, the Following Part of a Double Nebula This observation refers to M60's pairing with the galaxy M59, some 25 arcminutes to the west, visible in the same low- to moderate- power eyepiece field of view. John Sanford description: "M60 [9.6 mag.., 7.4 x 6.0 arcminutes] is directly north of Sigma [Virginis] and is among another group of galaxies [including the elliptical M59, above]. It is a round diffuse ball rising in brightness toward the center." The smaller galaxy seen in the picture, slightly above and to the right (NW) of M-60 is NGC-4647, an 11.3 magnitude, 3'x2.5' elliptical, slighly more than 2.5 arcminutes from the center of M-60, which should show up nicely in perhaps scopes of 8 inches and larger aperture, and maybe dimly in smaller ones, in a dark sky.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-60.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian. M61 - NGC 4303: Spiral Galaxy (Sc) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Very Large, Very Suddenly Brightening Towards a Middle Like a Star, Bi-Nuclear. Seen face on, this galaxy is revealed by long-exposure photographs to have two very dense arms, which were undoubtedly detected visually by the contributors to the NGC but interpreted as "bi- nuclear". Look for these details with large scopes.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-61.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian. M62 - NGC 6266: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation OPHIUCHUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large. Gradually Much Brighter Toward Middle, Well Resolved Into Stars of 14th to 16th Magnitude. Globular M62, along with another such object in Ophiuchus (M19) is not a perfect sphere of stars, though it is not as oblate as M19.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-62. M63 - NGC 5055: "Sunflower" Barred Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in CANES VENATICI Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Large, and Pretty Much Extended in Position Angle 120 Degrees. Very Suddenly Much Brighter in the Middle Towards a Bright Nucleus. John Sanford description: "...another island universe in Canes Venatici. It is a large, bright oval surrounding a strong nucleus. Then many spiral arms are only perceived in a soft glow...[with a 16-inch scope] one begins to discern the "break-up" into condensations that are apparent on photographs."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-63.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 120x. M64 - NGC 4826: "Blackeye" Barred Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in COMA BERENICES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Very Bright, Very Large. Very Much Extended in Position Angle 120 Degrees. Brighter Middle With Small, Bright Nucleus. A very easy object for small telescopes, which the author of EYEPIECE first found years ago, standing in his front yard and observing under a streetlight with a 4-inch aperture richest- field scope! Under better conditions and moderate magnification, the distinguishing "black eye" resulting from the asymmetrical cloud of dark matter on the north and east side of the bright nucleus. Find M64 by scanning along a straight line bisecting Alpha and Gamma at the ends of the arms of the Coma Berenices' triangle.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-64.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 122x. M65 - NGC 3623: Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Spring Constellation LEO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Very Large. Much Extended in Position Angle 165 Degrees, Gradually Brightening to a Much Brighter Nucleus. Galaxies M65 and M66 will be seen in the same low- to medium- power field with galaxy NGC-3628 in scopes above about 3" aperture in a reasonably-dark sky. M65 is the more oblate of the two galaxies and has a visual magnitude of 10.1 and a diameter of 9.7 x 2.8 arcminutes, while the brighter M66 may show more than a trace of its spiral nature in moderate-aperture scopes. The beautiful sight of this lovely pair with the larger-diameter galaxy NGC-3628 opposite them in the same eyepiece field is certainly a justification for owning a wide-field ocular!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-65.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 38x. M66 - NGC 3627: Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Spring Constellation LEO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Very Large, Much Extended in Position Angle 150 Degrees, Much Brighter Middle. Two Stars North Preceding. Galaxies M65 and M66 will be seen in the same low- to medium- power field with galaxy NGC-3628 in scopes above about 3" aperture in a reasonably-dark sky. M65 is the more oblate of the two galaxies, while the brighter M66 -- 9.6 magnitude, at a diameter of 9.2 x 4.2 arcminutes -- may show more than a trace of its spiral nature in moderate apertures. The beautiful sight of this lovely pair of galaxies, in a wide field ocular, forms a long, narrow triangle with the larger-diameter galaxy NGC-3628 opposite, almost 36 arcminutes to the north.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-66. M67 - NGC 2682: Open Cluster in the Spring Constellation CANCER Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Cluster, Very Bright, Very Large, Extremely Rich, Little Compressed, 10th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: M67 has "...a total magnitude of 6.9, and is just beyond naked-eye visibility. To be resolved it requires binoculars, but to appreciate its magnificence, a 6- or 8- inch (15- or 20-cm) aperture telescope is needed. It is elongated in an east-west direction and there is a prominent dark space in the middle near the eastern end."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-67.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M68 - NGC 4590: Globular Cluster in Spring Constellation HYDRA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Large, Extremely Rich, Very Compressed, Irregularly Round. Stars of 12th Magnitude. John Sanford description: "...a globular cluster which resolves in a good 6-inch (15-cm) telescope. There are many faint stars of about the same brightness in swirling patterns in this rich cluster."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-68.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M69 - NGC 6637: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Large, Round, Well Resolved Into Stars of 14th to 16 Magnitude. Alan Dyer describes M69 as "a small poor globular," for indeed it is dwarfed in interest by other glorious objects in the southern Milky Way. M69 is one of the smaller globular clusters in the Messier catalog, sharing its approximate angular diameter with M56, M70 - 72, and M75, though each one in turn appears a slightly different size in the eyepiece due to varying densities and surface brightness.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-69.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M70 - NGC 6681: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Pretty Large, Round, Gradually Brightening Toward Middle, Stars From 14th to 17th Magnitude. One of the most loose globulars, which at first glimpse may may resemble an open cluster due to nearby field stars that were noted by Messier. Remains an unresolved fuzzy patch in all but the largest telescopes.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-70. M71 - NGC 6838: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster [sic], Very Large, Very Rich, Pretty Much Compressed. 11th to 16th Magnitude Stars. Like many other globulars and condensed open clusters, M71 was first noted during the late eighteenth century by comet-hunters, including Messier's colleague Pierre Mechain. There is some disagreement between astronomers as to its precise nature: it may be considered a galactic cluster and not a globular by some. Many field stars and a Herschel open cluster a half-degree away make the region worth exploring. Locate M71 by sweeping the short angle from the "feather" of Sagitta's arrow to its "tip."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-71. M72 - NGC 6981: Globular Cluster in Autumn Constellation AQUARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster, Pretty Bright, Pretty Large. Round, Greatly Compressed in Middle, Well Resolved Into Stars. In his CELESTIAL HANDBOOK, astronomer Robert Burnham, Jr. reports detecting a noticeable "mottling" around the edges of this otherwise routine globular. He recommends averted vision to attempt visual resolution of its stellar components. Spectacular M2 is by far the more impressive globular in the constellation Aquarius.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-72.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M73 - NGC 6994: Asterism in Autumn Constellation AQUARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Cluster, Extremely Poor, Very Little Compressed, No Nebulosity. A group of only 4 stars of 10th to 12th magnitude, possibly not a related cluster, that Messier mistook for a nebulous patch in his low-resolution telescope optics.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-73.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 130x. M74 - NGC 628: Spiral Galaxy (Sc) in Autumn Constellation PISCES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars[sic], Faint, Very Large, Round. Pretty Suddenly Much Brighter Toward the Middle. Partially Resolved Into Stars [sic]. You may be puzzled by the contradiction between J. L. E. Dreyer's NGC description of the object as a "globular" and the accurate modern classification of it as a galaxy. Incorrectly termed by the otherwise sharp-eyed John Herschel as a 'globular' and not a 'nebula' -- the term then used for some objects now known as galaxies -- this spiral galaxy was mistakenly carried forth by Dreyer to the NGC as a globular and not a 'nebula.' John Sanford description: "...the best galaxy in Pisces and is easily found a degree east, and slight north, of Eta...It is not, however, a bright object, and in an 8-inch (20-cm) instrument appears as a featureless disk with a bright core... [a 22-inch telescope] shows the brighter arms quite well, however, demonstrating the power of aperture in observing galaxies."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-74.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 60x. M75 - NGC 6864: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SAGITTARIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Bright, Pretty Large, Round. Very Much Brighter Toward the Middle to a Much Brighter Nucleus, Partially Resolved Into Stars. Extremely distant from us, M75 is one of the farthest of galactic objects, whose distance is estimated from over 50,000 to nearly 100,000 light years. Burnham quotes one of Admiral Smyth's concise and elegant comments: "a lucid white mass among some glimpse stars."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-75.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M76 - NGC 650 & 651: "Little Dumbbell" Planetary Nebula in PERSEUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Preceding and Following Parts of a Double Nebula. A remarkable object, and one of the author's favorites. Not quite a miniature replica of M27, the "little dumbbell" of M76 is quite tight and dense, and has a very high surface brightness. It bears high magnification very well, and maintains its bifurcated pattern at very small exit pupils. With a general nebular-line filter, the object should easily be discerned under adverse conditions or with small apertures. Large instruments may show traces of the turbulent swirling faint gas clouds, but in the author's telescopes up to 8-inch aperture, M76 perfectly resembles the "hourglass" symbol so often seen while waiting for files to load in Microsoft Windows™!             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-76.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M77 - NGC 1068: Galaxy (Seyfert-Type, Sbp) in Autumn Constellation CETUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Pretty Large, Irregularly Round. Suddenly Brighter Toward the Middle of a Partially Resolved Nucleus, With Some Stars Seen. John Sanford description: "A much brighter and easier object [than other faint galaxies in Cetus] is the face-on spiral M77. It is simply found about 1 degree southeast of Delta Ceti. This is a 'Seyfert' galaxy, one of a class with an active nucleus that is brighter than normal. Current thinking is that there may be a massive black hole at the center...M77 shines at 9th magnitude and has a fainter set of arms outside the fairly bright ones visible in a 10-inch (25-cm) 'scope."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-77.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 190x. M78 - NGC 2068: Bright Nebula in Winter Constellation ORION Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Large Wisp, Gradually Much Brighter Towards Nucleus, With Three Stars Involved With Partially Resolved Nucleus. Work up to the Great Nebula M42 by FIRST observing the lesser M78; the other way around, you may be disappointed by this interesting but small object that is about as far north of Zeta Orionis (Alnitak) as M42 is located south of it. While preparing a research paper on the nearby "Horsehead" nebula, the author had the pleasure of perusing the Lick Observatory archives, and found one of the very first photographs ever taken of M78, done by Professor Keeler in the earliest years of operation of the 36-inch Crossley telescope just before the turn of the century. In his beautiful image, the outer edges of the bright nebula were seen to be obscured by streaming dark matter; at one interesting spot there was a remarkable miniature 'horsehead' notch -- barely seen in the image above -- about one-tenth the size of the famous equine nebula a few degrees away! Sadly, visual observations by the author have not yet yielded a palpable trace of this tiny 'creature'.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-78.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 64x. M79 - NGC 1904: Globular Cluster in Winter Constellation LEPUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Globular Cluster of Stars, Pretty Large, Extremely Rich, Extremely Compressed, Well Resolved Into Stars. John Sanford description: "M79 was actually discovered by Messier's colleague Mechain in 1780, and is a globular cluster about 50,000 light years distant. In small telescopes it remains unresolved, but shows a few stars around the edges in an 8-inch (20-cm) aperture. A 12-inch (30-cm) or larger instrument will show the object richly resolved into a tight ball of faint stars."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-79.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian. M80 - NGC 6093: Globular Cluster in Summer Constellation SCORPIUS Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Globular Cluster of Stars, Very Bright, Large. Very Much Brighter in the Middle (with a variable star). Well Resolved Into 14th Magnitude Stars. John Sanford description: "...a compact-type globular located almost exactly halfway between Antares and Beta. It is some- what difficult to resolve even in an 8-inch (20-cm) telescope, as the stars are magnitude 14 and fainter, but the cluster as a whole is relatively bright." The old NGC description of a variable star at the nucleus refers to the nova of 1860 in which a star was widely observed erupting to a brightness of 7th magnitude; though an unconfirmed recurrence in 1864 was later reported, it has not reappeared. Astronomers have suggested that this may have illustrated the possibility of stellar collisions in dense globulars such as M80, which could have caused the event.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-80.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observations             and drawings. M81 - NGC 3031: Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Spring Constellation URSA MAJOR Dreyer Summary (NGC): Remarkable. Extremely Bright, Extremely Large. Extended in Position Angle 156 Degrees. Gradually, Then Suddenly, Very Much Brighter Toward a Bright Nucleus. One of the most exciting astronomical events of 1993 (the year that most of these descriptions were first written) was the March outburst of the supernova now identified as SN 1993J in the great spiral M81. Thousands of amateurs leaped to their telescopes to behold the phenomenon of a single star that for a brief while may have outshone the energy of its entire galaxy. The author spied M81's supernova in a 5-inch reflector and the superb 7-inch apochromat refractor of his colleague Richard Page. With an integrated magnitude of 6.9, M81 is one of the most luminous galaxies in Messier's collection and may be found with almost any binocular or telescope in dark skies. We see it nearly face on, so that long-exposure photographs display narrow, gracefully-wound arms that just begin to be apparent visually with large amateur optics; its thick, rich central region and tight nucleus stand out in a sparse field of 8th to 12th magnitude stars in a region not crowded with competing objects. M81 is paired with M82 (below) on a line bisecting Phecda (Gamma) and Dubhe (Alpha), opposite stars along the larger diagonal of Big Dipper's bowl. Extend this line northeast about as far as the distance inside the bowl, and you will quickly reach M81.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-81.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M82 - NGC 3034: Irregular Galaxy (Irr) in Spring Constellation URSA MAJOR Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Very Large, Very Much Extended (Ray). John Sanford description: "M83, 38 arcminutes northward [from M81], is one of the enigmas of modern astronomy...the galaxy [may be] exploding...In a telescope, we see a fairly bright cigar-shaped object with several dark lanes running through it, especially across the middle." EYEPIECE's author has always found that M82 is one of the few galaxies that looks very recognizably like its photographs with a telescope of at least a 5 or 6-inch aperture, so dense and bright are its turbulent star- and gas-clouds.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-82.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's observation             and drawing. M83 - NGC 5236: Galaxy (Sc) in Spring Constellation HYDRA Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Remarkable, Very Bright, Very Large. Extended in Position Angle 55 Degrees, Extended Suddenly Brighter Toward Nucleus, 3-Branched Spiral. John Sanford description: "...a fine example of a nearby face-on spiral galaxy, which is sometimes classified as a barred spiral. It is one of the few in which the arms and the bar can be seen in amateur-sized telescopes. A 12-inch (30-cm) aperture will show a bright nucleus with a roundish glow, upon which two arms are superimposed."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-83.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 3" refractor at 40x. M84 - NGC 4374: Elliptical Galaxy (E1) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Pretty Large, Round, Pretty Suddenly Bright Nucleus; Mottled - Not Resolved. John Sanford description: "M84 and M86 are almost twin elliptical galaxies located at the heart or nucleus of the Virgo Cluster [the great cluster of galaxies in Virgo known by Hubble's term "The Realm of the Nebulae" -- today, galaxies -- for its rich assortment of such objects]. M84 is the westernmost of the two, and is a round, bright diffuse object, rising strongly to the center."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-84.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian. M85 - NGC 4382: Elliptical Galaxy (Ep) in Spring Constellation COMA BERENICES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Pretty Large, Round, Bright Middle, Star North Preceding. John Sanford reports in "OBSERVING THE CONSTELLATIONS" that about 30 galaxies in the Coma cluster (adjoining the Virgo galactic realm) may be seen in an 8-inch telescope. M85 is a bright elliptical which telescopically outshines M88, M99, M91, and M100 in the same region.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-85.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 196x. M86 - NGC 4406: Elliptical Galaxy (E3) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Large, Round, Gradually Brighter in the Middle Toward Nucleus; Mottled - Not Resolved. John Sanford description: "...slightly elliptical, but also has the smooth brightening towards the center typical of ellipticals. M86 has another elliptical companion within its halo, which I estimate to be about 15th magnitude, on the northern side. " The picture above shows a tiny, faint galaxy to the NE of the center of M86 (slightly above and to the left, superimposed on M86's halo): it is 16.7 magnitude VCC882 (PGC 40659), which won't be visible in most amateur-sized telescopes.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-86. M87 - NGC 4486: Elliptical Galaxy (E1) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Very Bright, Very Large, Round, Much Brighter in Middle, 3rd of Three [objects, now known to be galaxies, in the field]. John Sanford description from 1989: "The huge ball of stars M87 possesses many more stars than the Andromeda Galaxy, of the Milky Way...Something very strange is going on in the nucleus of M87. It emits strong radio signals (Virgo A). There is a very blue jet of unusual matter emerging from the center...Owners of 16-inch (40-cm) and larger telescopes might want to look for the jet, which is on the northwest side and is 20 arcseconds long and 2 arcseconds wide. A nebular filter might help you see it by suppressing the continuum from the galaxy's stars." The jet, which was discovered photographically in 1918, is theorized to be the evidence of a supermassive black hole energizing a powerful stream of high-energy particles from the galaxy's center. In small instruments the galaxy is bright but featureless, and will likely show up even in binoculars or finderscope.             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-87.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing of             M87 and other Virgo cluster galaxies. M88 - NGC 4501: Spiral Galaxy (Sb) in Spring Constellation COMA BERENICES Dreyer Summary (NGC): Bright, Very Large, Very Much Extended. John Sanford description: "...another compact spiral similar in structure to the Great Galaxy in Andromeda, M31. It appears as a grey-coloured ellipse with no structure apparent until it is seen in very large telescopes. There is a wide double star just to the south and also a closer pair seen against the southern part of the galaxy with larger telescopes."             Click for Deep-Sky Browser Page for M-88.             Click here for Jaakko Saloranta's drawing             with 8" Newtonian at 122x. M89 - NGC 4552: Elliptical Galaxy (E0) in Spring Constellation VIRGO Dreyer Summary (NGC): Pretty Bright, Pretty Small, Round, Gradually Much Brighter Toward Middle. The authoritative Alan Dyer reports that M89 resembles M87, but is smaller in diameter. Robert Burnham finds it about 1 magnitude fai