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DesignationCommon Name / Alternate DesignationTypeSIMBAD DesignationConstellationSIMBAD TypeRA (J2000)Dec (J2000)Observing notes, what to expect etc.
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If you haven't observed much before, start here. A 6" or larger telescope is recommended.
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H & Chi PerseiDouble Cluster: NGC 884, NGC 869Open ClustersNGC 884PerOpC02:22:20.20+57:08:56.0Two beautiful clusters in a wide-field view! They appear as a fuzzy patch to the naked eye and are easily resolved by even small binoculars. A truly beautiful sight in a telescope from a decent sky!
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M 1Crab NebulaSupernova RemnantM 1TauSNR05:34:31.77+22:01:02.6The famous remnant of the 1054 A.D. supernova observed by Chinese, Japanese and Native American star gazers. Using an OIII filter brings out the filaments and changes the visual appearance of this nebula drastically. Observe both with and without filter. The non-OIII emissions result from "synchrotron emission", produced by electrons gyrating at speeds close to that of light around strong magnetic fields from the crab pulsar.
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M 42Orion NebulaEmission NebulaM 42OriHII05:35:16.82-05:23:15.3Perhaps the best nebula in the northern night sky. Zoom in on the trapezium, four young hot stars that are responsible for lighting up the nebula. Now can you spot two more faint stars amidst the 4, known as "E" and "F"? Can you see the "loop" of the nebulosity?
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M 37Open ClusterM 37AurOpC05:52:17.80+32:32:42.0Perhaps the best of the three Auriga open clusters, this is truly a sight in any instrument.
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M 35 and NGC 2158Open ClustersNGC 2158GemOpC06:07:26.89+24:05:56.0Two clusters at very different distances appearing near each other (line-of-sight effect). M 35 is a beautiful bright cluster, visible to the naked eye as a sizeable fuzzy patch. It's perhaps 3000 ly away from us. But look for NGC 2158 nearby, which actually lies some 11000 ly away! It is faintly visible in powerful binoculars, but a telescope should show it as a faint compact cluster.
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NGC 216937 AsterismOpen ClusterNGC 2169OriOpC06:08:30.00+13:57:06.0The famous cluster that looks like the number "37" written out in stars! A treat with any telescope. In my 25x100 binoculars, it looks more like "71" because some fainter stars are not seen as easily.
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NGC 2244Rosette Nebula ClusterOpen ClusterNGC 2244MonOpC06:32:10.80+04:54:50.0A cluster of a few bright and luminous stars that were born in the faint Rosette Nebula. Visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch.
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M 41Little Beehive ClusterOpen ClusterM 41CMaOpC06:45:59.80-20:42:57.9A bright cluster just about 4° degrees "below" Sirius, visible to the naked eye easily as a fuzzy patch.
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Pakan's 3AsterismHD 50438Mon*06:52:59.15-10:06:49.0(I haven't observed this) A wide-field asterism made of stars organized in the pattern of figure "3".
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NGC 2392Planetary NebulaNGC 2392GemPN07:29:10.76+20:54:42.4An object that is rather tricky to star-hop to, but once you get a spot looking like an out-of-focus star, rack up more power to appreciate the disk of this faintly blue planetary nebula. For reference there is a conspicuous star neighboring it.
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NGC 2438 and M 46Open Cluster, Planetary NebulaNGC 2438PupPN07:41:50.51-14:44:07.4M 46 is an open cluster that looks beautiful in binoculars as well as a telescope. It's comprised of fairly faint stars. But take a close look in and around the cluster with averted vision, and you might see a faint disk of light. This is the planetary nebula NGC 2438, in a chance alignment with M 46 because it is actually in the foreground by about 3000 ly! See also NGC 2818 (Intermediate list) for another OCl-PN superposition.
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NGC 2477Electric Guitar ClusterOpen ClusterNGC 2477PupOpC07:52:10.99-38:32:12.9A dense cluster of stars with the central brighter stars making the impression of an electric guitar
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NGC 2903GalaxyNGC 2903LeoAGN09:32:10.11+21:30:02.9A bright galaxy that Messier missed. Larger telescopes may show a distinct "S"-shape from its tightly wound spiral arms. See also NGC 2905 in the "Difficult" list.
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M 81, M 82Bode's Galaxy, Cigar GalaxyPair of GalaxiesM 82UMaAGN09:55:52.42+69:40:46.9Perhaps the most iconic pair of galaxies in the night sky, a sight through any telescope. M 82, the Cigar Galaxy, is viewed edge-on whereas M 81 is viewed face-on. Larger telescopes will show structure in M 82, including the dark rift pinching it in the middle.
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NGC 3242Ghost of JupiterPlanetary NebulaNGC 3242HyaPN10:24:46.13-18:38:32.2A striking example of color in visual astronomy. This planetary nebula might at first appear as a tiny spot that looks like a defocused star, but rack up more power. A large telescope will reveal some beautiful structure and a distinct central star.
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M 108GalaxyM 108UMaAGN11:11:30.96+55:40:26.8A beautiful mottled (non-uniform brightness) edge-on galaxy with a dark rift running through it. Small telescopes may not show this much detail, but it isn't difficult to see this beautiful edge-on anyway.
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M 65, M 66, NGC 3628Leo TripletInteracting GalaxiesLeo TripletLeoIG11:19:00.00+13:12:00.0The best example of three galaxies in the same field. NGC 3628 is the faint, long edge-on. M 66 is the one with the bright star flanking it. M 65 and M 66 are roughly parallel in orientation. M 66 and NGC 3628 are tugging on each other, and the result is that both of them show signs of distortion ("Insanity" list).
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Arp 244Antennae GalaxiesInteracting GalaxiesArp 244CrvIG12:01:53.17-18:52:37.9One of the most beautiful interacting pairs in the skies, this might be one of the harder objects on this list. It should roughly look like a mirrored "C". This object is very rich in large aperture scopes showing heavy mottling and bright condensations -- the interaction has triggered heavy star formation. The bigger galaxy is named NGC 4038 and the thinner one is NGC 4039. It is named for two tidal tails (the "Antennae") which are extremely challenging to see ("Insanity" list)
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Markarian ChainM 84, M 86, The EyesGroup of GalaxiesM 84VirSy212:25:03.74+12:53:13.1About 7 galaxies form a curved chain in the heavily galaxy-rich field of the Virgo cluster. Put M 84 into a fairly wide-field eyepiece and the entire chain will slowly drift into your view. M 84 and M 86 are followed by a tight pair of NGC galaxies known as "The Eyes", followed by fainter galaxies NGC 4461, NGC 4473, NGC 4477. Carefully galaxy-hop to identify the galaxies if needed. If using a large (e.g. 16") telescope, try to pick out 5 other galaxies (NGC 4388, NGC 4402, NGC 4413, NGC 4425, NGC 4387) in a circular field of view around M 86, in addition to the 4 Markarian chain members M 84, M 86, The Eyes.
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Arp 269Cocoon Galaxies: NGC 4485, NGC 4490Interacting GalaxiesArp 269CVnGiG12:30:34.48+41:38:25.8A spectacular interacting pair that will show some structure in smaller telescopes, it is very easy to find from the bright star beta CVn. Larger telescopes will easily show NGC 4490 as a mottled, distorted galaxy that's bending towards NGC 4485.
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M 87Virgo AGalaxyM 87VirAGN12:30:49.42+12:23:28.0The monster galaxy of the Virgo cluster, M 87 is the galaxy in which the famous black-hole image was recently made. It harbors an active galactic nucleus with a relativistic jet of plasma shooting out of the central supermassive black hole. The designation "Virgo A" comes from it being the loudest radio source in Virgo. The jet is a visual challenge for scopes in the 20" -- 28" range ("Challenge" list)
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NGC 4565Needle GalaxyGalaxyNGC 4565ComSy212:36:20.80+25:59:14.6A fantastic exemplar of a (barred) spiral galaxy viewed edge-on, with a prominent dark lane seen easily under good conditions. This is the centerpiece of Howard Banich's article in Sky & Telescope May 2023, where he points out that he sees it readily in his 80mm finderscope. A prominent central bulge is seen.
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M 104Sombrero GalaxyGalaxyM 104VirLIN12:39:59.43-11:37:22.9A spectacular galaxy showing a thick dark lane even in a small telescope. From a dark sky and with sufficient magnification, you may be able to visualize the 3-dimensional structure of this galaxy, which gets its name because of the resemblance to a Mexican hat. The nucleus shines like a bright star.
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M 94GalaxyM 94CVnSyG12:50:53.07+41:07:12.9A "LINER" galaxy which harbors an active galaxy nucleus, making its core region extremely luminous, such that it may look bright and almost stellar at first glance if using low power. Use averted vision to pick out the fainter outskirts.
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M 64Black Eye GalaxyGalaxyM 64ComSyG12:56:43.69+21:40:57.5A bright galaxy that is located somewhat easily because of its proximity to a faint naked eye star. It gets its name because of the dark patch of dust that flanks the nucleus, seen readily in larger apertures from transparent skies. The dust is thought to be a result of a merger with another galaxy.
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NGC 5139Omega CentauriGlobular ClusterNGC 5139CenGlC13:26:47.28-47:28:46.0The most spectacular globular cluster visible to us, it is so distinct that it is thought to be the remnant of a disrupted galaxy. However, it barely rises above the horizon at LSA, and must be caught at about 12:35 AM (GalStar 2023) when it transits at about 6° altitude. Almost any telescope will resolve it into stars, at least at the outskirts. It is visible to the naked eye as a fuzzball from more southern latitudes.
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M 51Whirlpool GalaxyInteracting GalaxiesM 51CVnSy213:29:52.69+47:11:42.9The most spectacular interacting galaxy system in the night sky. Even a small binocular will show something. Larger binoculars will resolve the two interacting galaxies. A small telescope like a 6" may show some hints of spiral structure. It is absolutely spectacular in large telescopes, showing spiral arms, bridge ("Intermediate" list), patches of nebulosity along the spiral arms, and even more ("Insanity" list).
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M 83Southern Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxyM 83HyaSBG13:37:00.91-29:51:56.7One of the most spectacular Messier galaxies, it is often neglected because it doesn't rise very high in our skies. Yet a 14" or larger scope will show clearly that this is a barred spiral from a good sky. In smaller aperture, still attempt to see the bar and some mottling.
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NGC 5866(Draco) Spindle GalaxyGalaxyNGC 5866DraSyG15:06:29.56+55:45:47.9Generally accepted as the mystery object M 102, this is a bright lenticular galaxy. It has a thin dust lane in the Hubble image, but do not expect to see it but in very large telescopes.
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M 5Globular ClusterM 5SerGlC15:18:33.22+02:04:51.7A bright fuzzball that will resolve into a gazillion stars on the outskirts in an 8" telescope.
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M 4Globular ClusterM 4ScoGlC16:23:35.22-26:31:32.7Perhaps the closest globular cluster to our solar system, this one shows resolution on the outskirts even in my 25x100 binocular. It may appear fully resolved like an open cluster in a small telescope.
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M 13Hercules Globular ClusterGlobular ClusterM 13HerGlC16:41:41.63+36:27:40.7The best globular cluster for observers in the northern hemisphere, is readily visible to the naked eye from Bortle 3 conditions as a nearly stellar but slightly fuzzy patch. Any telescope will resolve some number of stars. Large telescope users can look for a propeller-shaped void. Even an 8" telescope will show the galaxy NGC 6207 ("Intermediate" list) nearby, of course only in line-of-sight.
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NGC 6231Open ClusterNGC 6231ScoOpC16:54:10.80-41:48:42.9A cluster of bright stars closely packed that marks the "coma" of the false comet asterism. Somewhat low in our skies, but still a treat.
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M 6Butterfly ClusterOpen ClusterM 6ScoOpC17:40:16.60-32:14:30.9With a telescope, you can sort of see the elongated oval body of the butterfly along with two wings on either side. Visible to the naked eye.
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IC 4665Open ClusterIC 4665OphOpC17:46:13.00+05:36:54.0A large, sparse cluster of a few stars best seen with binoculars, visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy patch.
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M 7Ptolemy's ClusterOpen ClusterM 7ScoOpC17:53:47.29-34:50:27.9One of the oldest known deep-sky objects, it was described by Ptolemy in 130 AD. It is readily visible to the naked eye. It has bright stars in a pattern resembling the shape of a K with one serif on the top left. If pointing a telescope at it, perhaps you might also find nearby globular cluster NGC 6453 interesting, which appears just outside the edge of M 7 as a tiny fuzzy patch.
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NGC 6543Cat's Eye NebulaPlanetary NebulaNGC 6543DraPN17:58:33.40+66:37:58.7A high surface brightness planetary nebula with a bright circular disk. The PN also has a faint spiky outer halo, parts of which are detected easily in a large aperture scope from good skies and with a nebula filter.
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M 20Trifid NebulaEmission + Reflection NebulaM 20SgrOpC18:02:42.00-22:58:18.0One of the fainter Messier objects. There is an emission nebula around a tight group of bright stars with three dark lanes in it (hence the "Trifid" moniker), and a reflection nebula detached from it around a bright star. A nebula filter will enhance the emission nebula while diminishing the reflection nebula, so observing both with and without a filter is interesting. The emission nebula is brighter and was detected in my 25x100 binocular without much trouble.
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B 86InkspotDark NebulaBarnard 86SgrDNe18:02:58.00-27:52:05.9One of the best dark nebulae in the summer skies, creates the effect of a dark void inside a Milky Way star-cloud. While you're here consider looking at open cluster NGC 6520 right next to it. A more experienced observer may want to also pick out globular cluster Djorgovski 2 discovered by Caltech astronomer George Djorgovski which lies in a Hercules keystone-like asterism nearby.
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M 8Lagoon NebulaEmission NebulaM 8SgrOpC18:03:37.00-24:23:12.0A large nebula with a cluster of bright stars (NGC 6530) associated, is a treat in any instrument. It shares the same field with M 20 in my 25x100 binoculars. A lot of time can be spent in this nebula looking for features inside it, such as Bok globules, and a well-known Hourglass structure named by John Herschel. A deep dive into this nebula can be found in the article "Swimmin' in the Lagoon" by Howard Banich in the August 2020 issue of Sky & Telescope, complete with a table of designated objects within the Lagoon Nebula that one can observe.
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M 24Sagittarius Star CloudStar CloudM 24SgrAs*18:16:48.00-18:33:00.0Appearing as a cloudy patch to the naked eye off the topmost star of Sagittarius (µ Sgr), a binocular shows a nebulous patch (actually a star cloud) with a smattering of few individual stars. It is elongated.
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M 17Swan NebulaEmission NebulaM 17SgrOpC18:20:46.99-16:10:18.0One of the brightest and best nebulae of the summer skies, is also known as the "Checkmark" or "Omega" nebula, and a modest telescope will show you why! The nebula is visible to the naked eye as a patch. It appears elongated in the telescope along with a curved section (the neck of the swan).
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M 22Sagittarius Globular ClusterGlobular ClusterM 22SgrGlC18:36:23.93-23:54:17.1Another great globular cluster, the best of many that dot the constellation of Sagittarius. Visible to the naked eye as a fuzzy blob.
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epsilon LyraeThe Double DoubleDouble Stareps2 LyrLyr**18:44:22.78+39:36:45.7(I haven't observed this) A widely spaced double star that is easily resolved in binoculars, with each of the two components themselves being tight double stars. Splitting the tight subcomponents is often used as a test for seeing quality and resolving power of telescopes, as they are very close.
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M 11Wild Duck ClusterOpen ClusterM 11SctOpC18:51:03.79-06:16:18.9A rich and dense open cluster of stars that at first glance may look almost like a nebula even in a telescope at low power. Very beautiful!
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M 57Ring NebulaPlanetary NebulaM 57LyrPN18:53:35.09+33:01:44.8A must-see object, easily visible even from light-polluted skies. It shows up as a slightly elongated fuzzy spot in my 25x100 binoculars. This exceptional planetary nebula is bipolar in 3D, but we happen to be looking down the polar axis, so we see the central torus of nebulosity which appears to us as a beautiful slightly elongated donut. Hence the name ring nebula. Seeing the central white dwarf star or the outer halo is a popular challenge (see "Challenge" list)
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M 54Globular ClusterM 54SgrGlC18:55:03.33-30:28:47.4Believed to be the remnant core of a galaxy called SagDEG cannibalized by the Milky Way, this is the easiest globular cluster to observe that is not part of our galaxy! For a full dive into SagDEG's many objects that can be accessed by amateurs, see Steve Gottlieb's article in the Sky & Telescope October 2021 issue ("Meet the neighbors").
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Cr 399Coathanger Asterism, Brocchi's Cluster, Al Sufi's clusterAsterismCollinder 399VulCl*19:25:24.00+20:10:59.9It is now believed that the stars in this asterism, first described by the Persian astronomer Al Sufi in the 10th century, are not physically related. The striking resemblance to a coat hanger makes it interesting nevertheless.
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M 27Dumbbell Nebula, Applecore NebulaPlanetary NebulaM 27VulPN19:59:36.36+22:43:16.3This planetary nebula shows up like an hour glass or the core of an apple at first glance, but this is only its brightest region. A fainter outer halo is also picked up pretty easily in modest aperture under good skies.
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NGC 7331Deer Lick GalaxyGalaxyNGC 7331PegLIN22:37:04.05+34:24:56.8An iconic inclined spiral galaxy with the most absurd name ever — an amateur astronomer named it the "Deer Lick Galaxy" because he had a good view of it from a place called "Deer Lick Gap". The galaxy is reminiscent of a miniaturized Andromeda Galaxy. Large telescope owners can try look for "the Fleas" (an extension of the absurd deer-related naming), a group of 4 faint unrelated background galaxies (NGC 7340, NGC 7335--37), that flank it, which would be "Difficult" targets.