RA Dec Max @ @ Rise Tran Sets Size M# Seq Type Cons mv Remarks Observed / Details 2000.0 2000.0 Alt° time Azm° @ @ @ (arcmin) A bright, compact Seyfert galaxy with a star-like nucleus - use high power. The closest Messier to the ecliptic (next is M78). Tough for northern M77 1 G-SABab Cet 2 hr 43m 0° 1' 28.51 17:54 220.65 xx:xx xx:xx 21:27 8.9 7x6 marathoners due to its low altitude at sunset in March. (There is a 64.3 minute RA gap between M77 and M45.) A large, face-on, faint, illusive spiral. One of the most difficult of the Messier objects especially in M74 2 G-SAc Psc 1 hr 37m 15° 47' 34.79 17:54 246.35 xx:xx xx:xx 21:53 10.2 10.2x9.5 small telescopes and for northern marathoners due to its low altitude at sunset in March. A large diffuse spiral - requires a dark sky. This face- on spiral can be difficult to see due to it's large size. M33 3 G-SAcd Tri 1 hr 34m 30° 39' 46.22 17:54 258.96 04:41 xx:xx 23:54 6.7 73x45 Use low power (may be easier to spot in finder or binoculars). !! The Andromeda Galaxy - the brightest galaxy in M31 4 G-SAb And 0 hr 43m 41° 16' 46.2 17:54 280.41 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 4.8 178 the sky, 4° wide. Look for dust lanes. (The smallest Messier RA gap is between M31 and M32.) The closest companion to M31 - located slightly S M32 5 G-E5pec And 0 hr 43m 40° 52' 45.94 17:54 279.97 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 8.7 8x6 of M31 and visible in the same low power field. (The smallest Messier RA gap is between M31 and M32.) A companion galaxy to M31, located NNE, with lower surface brightness than M32. (There is a 76.2 M110 6 G-E3pec And 0 hr 40m 41° 41' 46.14 17:54 281.27 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 9.4 17x10 minute RA gap between M110 and M52 and a 3.0 hour RA gap between M110 and M30.) A bright, young, rich cluster - faint Bubble Nebula nearby. (Although it has the highest RA, this object is N circumpolar for latitudes above -28° and can be seen at other times. There is a 103.8 minute RA gap between M52 and M30 and a 76.2 minute RA M52 7 OC Cas 23 hr 24m 61° 35' 47.84 17:54 315.1 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 7.3 13 gap between M52 and M110, or, if you observe M52 out of RA sequence - a total of a 3.0 hour RA gap between M30 and M110 - the largest Messier RA gap and the main reason there is a Messier Marathon at all.) Can be difficult from southern latitudes due to its high Declination. RA Dec Max @ @ Rise Tran Sets Size M# Seq Type Cons mv Remarks Observed / Details 2000.0 2000.0 Alt° time Azm° @ @ @ (arcmin) A smaller open cluster. Appears triangle-shaped. (3 M103 8 OC Cas 1 hr 33m 60° 42' 62.04 17:54 304.34 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 7.4 6 NGC clusters nearby). Can be difficult from southern latitudes due to its high Declination. 1:42:17ra? The Little Dumbbell Nebula - an 11th magnitude planetary nebula. A smaller version of M76 9 PN Per 1 hr 42m 51° 34' 60.4 17:54 285.42 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 10.1 2.7x1.8 The 'Dumbbell Nebula' in Vulpecula. One of the toughest, faintest Messier objects. A bright, rich open cluster, easily visible in M34 10 OC Per 2 hr 42m 42° 47' 64.41 17:54 257.62 xx:xx xx:xx xx:xx 5.5 35 binoculars - best at very low power. !! The 'Pleiades' or 'Seven Sisters' star cluster. Very bright and large. Use low power and look for nebulosity. The closest Messier. (There is a 64.3 minute RA gap between M77 and M45 and a 97.5 M45 11 OC Tau 3 hr 47m 24° 7' 56.64 17:54 212.42 xx:xx xx:xx 01:03 1.6 110 minute RA gap between M45 and M79, or, if you observe bright M45 out of RA sequence, a total of a 161.8 minute RA gap between M77 and M79 - the second largest Messier RA gap.) A 20-cm telescope is needed to resolve the stars. Tough for northern marathoners due to its low M79 12 GC Lep 5 hr 25m -24° 33' 11.07 18:16 179.99 xx:xx 18:16 21:27 8.4 8.7 altitude at sunset in March. (There is a 97.5 minute RA gap between M45 and M79) !! The famous 'Orion Nebula' - the brightest and easiest to find emission nebula in the winter sky - a M42 13 E/RN Ori 5 hr 35m -5° 27' 30.17 18:27 180.02 xx:xx 18:27 23:49 4 85x60 magnificent object - this nebula will fill a low power eyepiece field of view. A fainter, detached part of Orion Nebula resembling M43 14 E/RN Ori 5 hr 36m -5° 16' 30.35 18:27 179.96 xx:xx 18:27 23:50 9.1 20x15 a bloated coma. In the same field as M42. A featureless reflection nebula - one of the easiest reflection nebulas to observe. Use medium M78 15 RN Ori 5 hr 47m 0° 3' 35.67 18:38 180.04 xx:xx 18:38 00:31 10.3 8x6 magnification, without filters. (The 2nd closest Messier to the ecliptic (closest is M77). !! The famous Crab Nebula - the brightest example M1 16 SNR Tau 5 hr 35m 22° 1' 57.63 18:26 179.98 xx:xx 18:26 02:33 8.2 6x4 of a supernova remnant, formed in 1054 and still expanding. The only SNR Messier object. !! Gemini's finest open cluster, visible to the naked M35 17 OC Gem 6 hr 9m 24° 20' 59.95 19:00 180 xx:xx 19:01 03:26 5.3 28 eye under good conditions. (Look for small cluster NGC 2158 1/4° SW.) RA Dec Max @ @ Rise Tran Sets Size M# Seq Type Cons mv Remarks Observed / Details 2000.0 2000.0 Alt° time Azm° @ @ @ (arcmin) M37 18 OC Aur 5 hr 52m 32° 33' 68.17 18:44 180.06 xx:xx 18:44 04:38 6.2 24 !! The finest of the 3 Auriga clusters - very rich. A bright, easy, scattered open cluster. Naked eye M36 19 OC Aur 5 hr 36m 34° 8' 69.75 18:28 180.02 xx:xx 18:28 04:48 6.3 12 from a dark location. Best at low power. 28.4ram? The faintest of Auriga's Messier clusters. M38 20 OC Aur 5 hr 29m 35° 50' 71.45 18:20 180.05 06:28 18:20 xx:xx 7.4 21 Many bright stars, arranged in pairs. (Look for the small cluster NGC 1907 1/2° S.) 46ram? 4° The finest open cluster in Canis Major - bright but coarse, about 4° south of Sirius. Easily M41 21 OC CMa 6 hr 47m -20° 44' 14.88 19:38 180 xx:xx 19:39 23:22 4.6 38 visible in binoculars, or to the naked eye from a dark site. M93 22 OC Pup 7 hr 45m -23° 52' 11.75 20:36 179.97 xx:xx 20:36 23:53 6 22 A compact bright cluster, fairly rich. M47 23 OC Pup 7 hr 37m -14° 30' 21.12 20:28 179.96 xx:xx 20:28 00:55 4.5 30 A coarse cluster, 1.5° W of M46. M46 24 OC Pup 7 hr 42m -14° 49' 20.8 20:33 180 xx:xx 20:33 00:58 6 27 !! Contains planetary nebula NGC 2438. A bright open cluster between Sirius and Procyon, naked eye under ideal conditions. Look for several M50 25 OC Mon 7 hr 3m -8° 20' 27.28 19:54 179.96 xx:xx 19:55 01:00 6.3 16 arcs of stars, and a single red star 7 arc minutes south of the cluster's centre. Use low power. A large, sparse cluster. A former 'lost' Messier M48 26 OC Hya 8 hr 14m -5° 48' 29.82 21:05 180.03 xx:xx 21:05 02:25 5.3 54 object. !! The Beehive Cluster or 'Praesepe' - appears as a M44 27 OC Cnc 8 hr 40m 19° 59' 55.6 21:31 179.95 xx:xx 21:31 05:24 3.7 95 hazy patch of light. Use low power for a wide field. A bright open cluster. Located five times as distant M67 28 OC Cnc 8 hr 50m 11° 49' 47.43 21:41 179.98 xx:xx 21:42 04:41 6.1 30 as M44, one of the oldest clusters, at 3.2 billion years. Easy in binoculars or finderscope. A bright barred spiral with a bright central core and with M96 in the same field. (M95 can be difficult, M95 29 G-SBb Leo 10 hr 44m 11° 42' 47.32 23:35 179.99 xx:xx 23:35 xx:xx 10.4 4.4x3.3 M96 is bigger and brighter.) The bar and outer ring of material will require a large aperture and dark skies.