Messier Objects

Some globular clusters and open clusters are Messier objects. These are named in honor of Charles Messier (right panel), an eighteenth century astronomer who compiled a table of fuzzy patches of light in the sky to avoid mistaking them for comets. Today, many of the fuzzy objects in Messier's catalog are of more interest than the comets that he sought originally. The objects in the Messier catalog are designated by the letter "M" followed by a number. The present Messier catalog includes the designations M1 - M113, but entries after M103 are later additions to Messier's original list.

Messier Designations

An open cluster or globular cluster in the Messier list will have an "M" number associated with it, and that is often used for its name. For example, there is a large globular cluster in the constellation Hercules that has the designation M13. A list of Messier objects complete with images and descriptions may be found at the SEDS Messier Catalog.

Examples of Messier Objects

The above right image displays the Messier objects found near the Milky Way in the constellations of Serpens Cauda, Scutum, Sagittarius, and Scorpius. The Messier objects displayed in this image include open clusters, globular clusters, and nebulae (great clouds of gas and dust). You may obtain images of these Messier objects by first clicking "Show Labels" and then mousing down over a particular label. Although none are shown in this example, galaxies are also common in the Messier list.