Messier 60
Messier 60 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy has an apparent magnitude of 9.8 and lies at an approximate distance of 55 million light years from Earth. It has…
Messier Objects
Messier 59
Messier 59 is an elliptical galaxy located in the southern constellation Virgo. DescriptionVisible From Pacific NorthwestLater Night January to Early Nights JuneBest Time To ObserveMarch and AprilMinimum Size Of Viewing DeviceLarger TelescopeObject TypeElliptical GalaxyDesignationsMessier 59, M59,…
Messier 58
Messier 58 was one of the first galaxies recognized to have a spiral shape and is one of four barred spiral galaxies in Messier’s entire catalog. A lack of hydrogen in the spiral galaxy and…
Messier 57 The Ring Nebula
Messier 57, otherwise known as the Ring Nebula, is a planetary nebula, the glowing remains of a sun-like star. The tiny white dot in the center of the nebula is the star’s hot core, called…
Messier 56
Messier 56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier on January 19, 1779. The cluster is located almost midway along an imaginary line between Albireo and Sulafat. Astronomers…
Messier 55
Messier 55 (M55), also known as the Summer Rose Star, is a globular cluster located in the constellation Sagittarius. The stars in the cluster are mostly old and red, but M55 also contains an unusually high…
Messier 54
Messier 54 was the first globular cluster discovered to belong to a different galaxy. It was originally thought to lie at a distance of 50,000 to 65,000 light years from the solar system and be…
Messier 53
Messier 53 (M53) is a globular star cluster located in the northern constellation Coma Berenices. Messier 53 is relatively easy to find as it lies in the same area of the sky as Arcturus, the fourth…
Messier 52
Messier 52 or M52, also known as NGC 7654, is an open cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Cassiopeia. It was discovered by Charles Messier on September 7, 1774. M52 can be seen…
Messier 51 The Whirlpool Galaxy
The Whirlpool Galaxy is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy….