Messier Project
Charles Messier was a professional French atronomer and comet-hunter in the late 1700's. He concieved this list of objects, that he determined were not comets, to avoid wasting time on previously identified items. Today, this list, later updated to 110 objects, represents some of the most well-known and popular targets for astronomy and astrophotography.
The Astronomical League has a list of projects, completing many of which will earn a certificate of achievement. This page is my ongoing collection of Messier object images. When the list is completed, I will apply for the Messier astro-imaging certificate.
NOTE: These images will be submitted for the certificate. As such, they are not the quality of many astro images you may find elsewhere on the web. In many cases, bright objects may only have 10 minutes of exposure, as the intent is to prove the object was properly located and identified rather than being imaged for artistic or for scientific research purposes.
You may CLICK ON EACH IMAGE to go to a larger image of the object along with it's name and/or Messier designation.
Messier 1 Crab Nebula
Messier 2 Globular Cluster
Messier 3 Globular Cluster
Messier 4 Globular Cluster
Messier 5 Globular Cluster
Messier 6 Butterfly Open Cluster
Messier 7 Ptolemy Open Cluster
Messier 8 Lagoon Nebula
Messier 9 Globular Cluster
Messier 10 Globular Cluster
Messier 11 Wild Duck Cluster
Messier 12 Gumball Globular Cluster
Messier 13 Hercules Globular Cluster
Messier 14 Globular Cluster
Messier 15 Great Pegasus Globular Cluster
Messier 16 Eagle Nebula
Messier 17 Omega Nebula
Messier 18 Open Cluster
Messier 19 Globular Cluster
Messier 20 Trifid Nebula
Messier 21 Open Cluster
Messier 22 Sagittarius Globular Cluster
Messier 23 Open Cluster
Messier 24 Sagittarius Star Cloud
Messier 25 Open Cluster
Messier 26 Open Cluster
Messier 27 Dumbbell Nebula
Messier 28 Globular Cluster
Messier 29 Open Cluster
Messier 30 Globular Cluster
Messier 31 Andromeda Galaxy
Messier 32 Le Gentil Dwarf Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 33 Triangulum Galaxy
Messier 34 Open Cluster
Messier 35 Open Cluster
Messier 36 Open Cluster
Messier 37 Open Cluster
Messier 38 Starfish Cluster
Messier 39 Open Cluster
Messier 40 Double Star
Messier 41 Open Cluster
Messier 42 Great Orion Nebula
Messier 43 de Mairan's Nebula
Messier 44 Beehive Cluster
Messier 45 Pleiades Cluster
Messier 46 Open Cluster
Messier 47 Open Cluster
Messier 48 Open Cluster
Messier 49 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 50 Open Cluster
Messier 51 Whirlpool Galaxy
Messier 52 Open Cluster
Messier 53 Globular Cluster
Messier 54 Globular Cluster
Messier 55 Globular Cluster
Messier 56 Globular Cluster
Messier 57 Ring Nebula
Messier 58 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 59 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 60 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 61 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 62 Globular Cluster
Messier 63 Sunflower Galaxy
Messier 64 Blackeye Galaxy
Messier 65 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 66 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 67 Open Cluster
Messier 68 Globular Cluster
Messier 69 Globular Cluster
Messier 70 Globular Cluster
Messier 71 Globular Cluster
Messier 72 Globular Cluster
Messier 73 Group of 4 Stars
Messier 74 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 75 Globular Cluster
Messier 76 Little Dumbbell Nebula
Messier 77 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 78 Diffuse Nebula
Messier 79 Globular Cluster
Messier 80 Globular Cluster
Messier 81 Bode's Galaxy
Messier 82 Cigar Galaxy
Messier 83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
Messier 84 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 85 Lenticular Galaxy
Messier 86 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 87 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 88 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 89 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 90 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 91 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 92 Globular Cluster
Messier 93 Open Cluster
Messier 94 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 95 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 96 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 97 Owl Nebula
Messier 98 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 99 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 100 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 101 Pinwheel Galaxy
Messier 102 Spindle Galaxy
Messier 103 Open Cluster
Messier 104 Sombrero Galaxy
Messier 105 Eliptical Galaxy
Messier 106 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 107 Globular Cluster
Messier 108 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 109 Spiral Galaxy
Messier 110 Eliptical Galaxy