Messier 85 is a lenticular or elliptical galaxy located in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, in the constellation Coma Berenices. Messier 85 is interacting with two neighboring galaxies: the spiral galaxy NGC 4394 and the…

DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestDecember To MayBest Time To ObserveMarch and AprilMinimum Size Of Viewing DeviceSmall TelescopesObject TypeElliptical or Lenticular GalaxyDesignationsMessier 84, M84, NGC 4374, PGC 40455, VCC 763, UGC 7494, ASB 33, 3C 272.1, 4C…

Messier 83 or M83, also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy and NGC 5236, is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 15 million light-years away in the constellation borders of Hydra and Centaurus. DescriptionVisible From Pacific…

Messier 82, or the Cigar galaxy, shines brightly at infrared wavelengths and is remarkable for its star formation activity. The Cigar galaxy experiences gravitational interactions with its galactic neighbor, M81, causing it to have an…

Messier 81, also known as Bode’s Galaxy, is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. Discovered by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1774, M81 is one of the brightest…

DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestMarch To JulyBest Time To ObserveMayMinimum Size Of Viewing DeviceSmall TelescopeObject TypeGlobular ClusterDesignationsMessier 80, M80, NGC 6093, GCl 39, C 1614-228, MWSC 2376Right Ascension16h 17m 02.41sDeclination-22°58’33.9”ConstellationScorpiusNumber Of StarsMore Than 200,000Apparent magnitude +7.87Apparent dimensions 10′Object…

Discovered by Charles Messier’s colleague Pierre Méchain in 1780, Messier 79 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lepus the Hare. Messier 79 lies in an unusual location, about 60,000 light years from the Milky…

Messier 78 or M 78, also known as NGC 2068, is a reflection nebula in the constellation Orion. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included by Charles Messier in his catalog of…

Messier 77 (M77), also known as Cetus A, is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It is one of the largest Messier objects to be in the catalogue. DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestSeptember…

Messier 76 is a planetary nebula, which is an expanding shell of gas around an aging or dying star, and it is one of only four planetary nebulas in Charles Messier’s catalog. M76 is located…