My Messier Hunt

 

When I bought the C5+ I decided to spend more time exploring the deep sky now that I had a telescope with setting circles and I had a prayer of finding these objects. As my first task I wanted to find all the Messier objects by the end of 1997 assuming the Seattle weather allows a few clear nights. Well, it took me a bit longer as I missed M68 and M83 at best viewing, had to wait for the sun to get out of them then waited a bit longer due to weather and general busy-ness. All in all, it took me 18 months to find all 110 objects in the Messier catalog.

Follow by progress on the table below, it chronicles all the objects I've viewed so far. Look for the hot-links below to my drawings or CCD images and comments on the objects. Each drawing also links to the SEDS Online Messier Database for each object I've drawn or imaged.

After I finish observing all the Messiers and drawing most if not all of them I hope to go back and photograph or image them all so I'll have a complete Messier catalog on-line from a small telescope perspective.

You can also view my Messier drawings and images by type:


Messier Viewing List
M#Common NameRA h mDec d mDate Viewed
M45Pleiades3 47.0+27 07Nov. 14, 1996
M57Ring Nebula18 53.6+33 02Nov. 17, 1996
M31Andromeda Galaxy0 42.7+41 16Nov. 17, 1996
M32Andromeda Companion0 42.7+40 52Nov. 17, 1996
M110Andromeda Companion0 40.4+41 41Nov. 17, 1996
M103Open Cluster Cassiopeia1 33.2+60 42Nov. 22, 1996
M29Open Cluster in Cygnus20 23.9+38 32Nov. 22, 1996
M34Open Cluster in Perseus2 42.0+42 47Nov. 22, 1996
M40Double Star in UMaj12 22.4+58 05Nov. 22, 1996
M42Orion Nebula5 35.4-5 27Nov. 22, 1996
M43Orion Nebula5 35.6-5 16Nov. 30, 1996
M1Crab Nebula5 34.522 01Nov. 30, 1996
M78Nebula in Orion5 46.7+0 03Nov. 30, 1996
M36Open Cluster in Auriga5 36.1+34 08Nov. 30, 1996
M37Open Cluster in Auriga5 52.4+32 33Nov. 30, 1996
M38Open Cluster in Auriga5 28.7+35 50Nov. 30, 1996
M39Open Cluster in Cygnus21 32.2+48 26Nov. 30, 1996
M33Galaxy in Triangulum1 33.9+30 39Nov. 30, 1996
M52Open Cluster in Cassiopeia23 24.2+61 35Dec. 3, 1996
M35Open Cluster in Gemini6 08.9+24 20Dec. 3, 1996
M76Little Dumbbell Nebula01 41+51 28Dec. 5, 1996
M27Dumbbell Nebula19 59.6+22 43Dec. 13, 1996
M44Beehive Cluster8 40.1+19 59Dec. 14, 1996
M67Open Cluster in Cancer8 50.4+11 49Dec. 14, 1996
M50Open Cluster in Monoceros7 03.2-8 20/TD>Dec. 14, 1996
M46Open Cluster in Pupis7 41.8-14 49Dec. 14, 1996
M47Open Cluster in Pupis7 36.6-14 30Dec. 14, 1996
M97Owl Nebula11 14.8+55 01Dec. 14, 1996
M95Spiral Galaxy in Leo10 44.0+11 42Dec. 17, 1996
M96Spiral Galaxy in Leo10 46.8+11 49Dec. 17, 1996
M105Elliptical Galaxy in Leo10 47.8+12 35Dec. 17, 1996
M65Spiral Galaxy in Leo11 18.9+13 05Dec. 17, 1996
M66Spiral Galaxy in Leo11 20.2+12 59Dec. 17, 1996
M51Whirlpool Galaxy13 29.9+47 12Dec. 17, 1996
M109Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major11 57.6+53 23Dec. 17, 1996
M3Globular Cluster in Canes Venaciti13 42.2+28 23Dec. 17, 1996
M81Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major9 51.5+69 18Jan. 2, 1997
M82Irregular Galaxy in Ursa Major9 51.9+69 56Jan. 2, 1997
M98Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices12 13.8+14 54Jan. 12, 1997
M99Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices12 18.8+14 25Jan. 12, 1997
M100Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices12 22.9+15 49Jan. 12, 1997
M85Elliptical Galaxy in Coma Berenices12 25.4+18 11Jan. 12, 1997
M88Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 32.0+14 25Jan. 12, 1997
M86Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 26.2+12 57Jan. 12, 1997
M84Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 25.1+12 53Jan. 12, 1997
M53Globular Cluster in Coma Berenices13 12.9+18 10Jan. 12, 1997
M64Black-eye Galaxy12 56.7+21 24Jan. 12, 1997
M59Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 42.0+11 39Jan. 12, 1997
M60Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 43.7+11 33Jan. 12, 1997
M41Open Cluster in Canis Major6 47.0-20 44Jan. 12, 1997
M87Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 30.8+12 24Jan. 13, 1997
M89Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 35.7+12 33Jan. 13, 1997
M90Spiral Galaxy in Virgo12 36.8+13 10Jan. 13, 1997
M58Spiral Galaxy in Virgo12 37.7+11 49Jan. 13, 1997
M91Spiral Galaxy in Coma Berenices12 35.4+14 30Jan. 13, 1997
M104Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo12 40.0-11 37Jan. 14, 1997
M49Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo12 29.8+08 00Jan. 14, 1997
M61Spiral Galaxy in Virgo12 21.9+04 28Jan. 14, 1997
M13Hercules Cluster16 41.7+36 28Jan. 14, 1997
M92Globular Cluster in Hercules17 17.1+43 08Jan. 14, 1997
M48Open Cluster in Hydra8 13.8-5 48Jan. 14, 1997
M74Spiral Galaxy in Pisces1 36.7+15 47Jan. 25, 1997
M77Spiral Galaxy in Cetus2 42.7-0 01Jan. 25, 1997
M108Irregular Galaxy in Ursa Major11 11.5+55 40Jan. 25, 1997
M106Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venaciti12 19.0+47 18Jan. 25, 1997
M5Globular Cluster in Serpens15 16.0+2 16Feb. 3, 1997
M63Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venaciti13 13.5+42 17Feb. 4, 1997
M94Spiral Galaxy in Canes Venaciti12 48.6+41 23Feb. 4, 1997
M10Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus16 54.5-4 02Feb. 4, 1997
M12Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus16 44.6-1 52Feb. 4, 1997
M107Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus16 32.5-13 03Feb. 5, 1997
M56Globular Cluster in Lyra19 16.6+30 11Feb. 5, 1997
M71Globular Cluster in Sagita19 53.8+18 47Feb. 5, 1997
M79Globular Cluster in Lepus5 22.2-24 34Feb. 5, 1997
M93Open Cluster is Puppis7 42.4-23 45Feb. 5, 1997
M101/102Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major14 01.4+54 35Feb. 5, 1997
M14Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus17 37.6-03 15June 8, 1997
M11Wild Duck Cluster in Scutum18 51.1-06 16June 8, 1997
M26Open Cluster in Scutum18 45.2-09 24June 8, 1997
M9Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus17 19.2-18 31June 9, 1997
M80Globular Cluster in Scorpius16 17.0-22 59June 9, 1997
M9Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus17 19.2-18 31June 9, 1997
M4Globular Cluster in Scorpius16 23.6-26 31June 9, 1997
M19Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus17 02.6-26 16June 9, 1997
M23Open Cluster in Sagittarius17 56.9-19 01June 9, 1997
M25Open Cluster in Sagittarius18 31.7-19 14June 9, 1997
M24Milky Way Cloud in Sagittarius18 18.4-18 25June 9, 1997
M17Omega Nebula in Sagittarius18 20.8-16 10June 9, 1997
M18Open Cluster in Sagittarius18 19.9-17 08June 9, 1997
M16Eagle Nebula in Serpens18 18.9-13 47June 9, 1997
M8Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius18 03.7-24 23June 27, 1997
M20Triffid Nebula in Sagittarius18 02.4-23 02June 27, 1997
M21Open Cluster in Sagittarius18 04.7-22 30June 27, 1997
M28Globular Cluster in Sagittarius18 24.5-24 52July 6, 1997
M22Globular Cluster in Sagittarius18 36.4-23 54July 6, 1997
M15Globular Cluster in Pegasus21 30.012 10July 31, 1997
M2Globular Cluster in Aquarius21 33.5-00 49July 31, 1997
M72Globular Cluster in Aquarius20 53.5-12 32August 6, 1997
M73Asterism in Aquarius20 58.9-12 38August 6, 1997
M62Globular Cluster in Ophiuchus17 01.2-30 07August 8, 1997
M6Open Cluster in Scorpius17 40.1-32 13August 8, 1997
M7Open Cluster in Scorpius17 53.9-34 49August 8, 1997
M69Globular Cluster in Sagittarius18 31.4-32 21August 8, 1997
M70Globular Cluster in Sagittarius18 43.2-32 18August 8, 1997
M54Globular Cluster in Sagittarius18 55.1-30 29August 8, 1997
M55Globular Cluster in Sagittarius19 40.0-30 58August 8, 1997
M75Globular Cluster in Sagittarius20 06.1-21 55August 8, 1997
M30Globular Cluster in Capricornus21 40.4-23 11August 8, 1997
M68Globular Cluster in Hyrda12 36.8-26 29May 19, 1998
M83Spiral Galaxy in Hydra13 34.3-29 37May 19, 1998