Messier 41 lies south of the bright star Sirius and covers an area nearly the size of the moon. I credit this wintertime cluster for inspiring my life-long love of astronomy. Learn why.
Category Archives: Messier Objects
Messier 34 (NGC 1039): A Robust Cluster with Attractive Pairs of Stars
Messier 34 is a treasure chest of 80-100 viewable stars in the winter constellation Perseus.
Messier 78 (NGC 2068): A Friendly Ghost in Orion
Messier 78 joins a host of rich astronomical targets in the constellation Orion. M78 is a reflection nebula.
Messier 73 (NGC 6994): A Pattern of Four Stars Once Mired in Debate
This small pattern of four stars created substantial debate for years, but now we know it’s a simple asterism that looks like a spaceship from Asteroids!
Messier 103 (NGC 581): A Star Cluster Far Far Away
Say hello to one of the most remote open star clusters in the Messier catalog.
Messier 16 (NGC 6611): The Eagle Nebula
As summertime begins in the northern hemisphere, Messier 16 (also known as the Eagle Nebula or Star Queen Nebula) comes on the scene. The popular Eagle Nebula s a diffuse emission nebula located in the constellation Serpens.
NGC 6885 (Caldwell 37): A Cluster with a Shining Star Center
NGC 6885, also known as Caldwell 37, is a star cluster in the constellation Vulpecula and best viewed in summer or early autumn.
Messier 104 (NGC 4594): The Stunning Sombrero Galaxy
We view this stunning galaxy almost edge-on. In this lair of light lives a supermassive black hole.