Smart Telescope Atlas

Targets

What to photograph with a smart telescope

All 110 Messier objects with their size, the month they are highest at midnight, how much dark sky they need and the smart telescope that frames each one best.

Popular targets

All Messier objects

ObjectTypeSizeMagHighest at midnightSky neededFrames it best
M1 Crab Nebulasupernova remnant6′8.4DecemberCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M2globular cluster13′6.5AugustCity-friendlyOdyssey
M3globular cluster16′6.4AprilCity-friendlyOdyssey
M4globular cluster26′5.9MayCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M5globular cluster17′5.8MayCity-friendlyOdyssey
M6 Butterfly Clusteropen cluster15′4.2JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M7 Ptolemy's Clusteropen cluster80′3.3JuneCity-friendlySeestar S30 Pro
M8 Lagoon Nebulastar-forming nebula90′5.8JuneDark skySeestar S30 Pro
M9globular cluster9′7.9JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M10globular cluster15′6.6JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M11 Wild Duck Clusteropen cluster14′5.8JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M12globular cluster14′6.6JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M13 Hercules Clusterglobular cluster17′5.9MayCity-friendlyOdyssey
M14globular cluster12′7.6JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M15globular cluster12′6.4AugustCity-friendlyOdyssey
M16 Eagle Nebulastar-forming nebula7′6JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M17 Omega Nebulastar-forming nebula46′7JuneDark skyVespera II
M18open cluster9′6.9JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M19globular cluster14′7.2JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M20 Trifid Nebulastar-forming nebula29′8.5JuneDark skyOrigin Mark II
M21open cluster13′5.9JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M22 Sagittarius Clusterglobular cluster24′5.1JuneCity-friendlySeestar S50
M23open cluster27′5.5JuneCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M24 Sagittarius Star Cloudstar group90′4.5JuneCity-friendlySeestar S30 Pro
M25open cluster32′4.6JuneCity-friendlyDWARF mini
M26open cluster15′8JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M27 Dumbbell Nebulaplanetary nebula8′8.1JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M28globular cluster11′6.9JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M29open cluster7′6.6JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M30globular cluster11′7.5AugustCity-friendlyOdyssey
M31 Andromeda Galaxyspiral galaxy190′3.4SeptemberSuburban skymosaic or too small
M32elliptical galaxy9′8.2SeptemberSuburban skyOdyssey
M33 Triangulum Galaxyspiral galaxy71′5.7OctoberDark skySeestar S30 Pro
M34open cluster35′5.2OctoberCity-friendlyDWARF mini
M35open cluster28′5.1DecemberCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M36 Pinwheel Clusteropen cluster12′6DecemberCity-friendlyOdyssey
M37 Salt and Pepper Clusteropen cluster24′5.6DecemberCity-friendlySeestar S50
M38 Starfish Clusteropen cluster21′6.4DecemberCity-friendlySeestar S50
M39open cluster32′4.6AugustCity-friendlyDWARF mini
M40star group1′8MarchCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M41 Little Beehive Clusteropen cluster38′4.5JanuaryCity-friendlyDWARF mini
M42 Orion Nebulastar-forming nebula66′4DecemberCity-friendlySeestar S30 Pro
M43 De Mairan's Nebulastar-forming nebula20′9DecemberDark skyOdyssey
M44 Beehive Clusteropen cluster95′3.1JanuaryCity-friendlySeestar S30 Pro
M45 Pleiadesopen cluster110′1.2NovemberCity-friendlySeestar S30 Pro
M46open cluster27′6.1JanuaryCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M47open cluster30′4.4JanuaryCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M48open cluster54′5.8JanuaryCity-friendlyDWARF 3
M49elliptical galaxy10′8.4MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M50open cluster16′5.9JanuaryCity-friendlyOdyssey
M51 Whirlpool Galaxyspiral galaxy11′8.1AprilSuburban skyOdyssey
M52open cluster13′6.9SeptemberCity-friendlyOdyssey
M53globular cluster13′7.7AprilCity-friendlyOdyssey
M54globular cluster9′7.7JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M55globular cluster19′7JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M56globular cluster7′8.2JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M57 Ring Nebulaplanetary nebula1′9JulyCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M58spiral galaxy6′9.8MarchDark skymosaic or too small
M59elliptical galaxy5′9.8MarchSuburban skymosaic or too small
M60elliptical galaxy7′8.8MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M61spiral galaxy7′9.7MarchDark skyOdyssey
M62globular cluster14′6.6JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M63 Sunflower Galaxyspiral galaxy13′8.6AprilDark skyOdyssey
M64 Black Eye Galaxyspiral galaxy10′8.5AprilSuburban skyOdyssey
M65spiral galaxy10′9.3MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M66spiral galaxy9′9MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M67open cluster30′6.9FebruaryCity-friendlyOrigin Mark II
M68globular cluster12′8.2MarchCity-friendlyOdyssey
M69globular cluster7′7.7JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M70globular cluster8′8.1JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M71globular cluster7′8.3JulyCity-friendlyOdyssey
M72globular cluster6′9.4AugustCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M73 Four-star asterismstar group1′10AugustCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M74 Phantom Galaxyspiral galaxy11′9.2OctoberDark skyOdyssey
M75globular cluster6′8.6JulyCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M76 Little Dumbbell Nebulaplanetary nebula2′11.5OctoberCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M77 Cetus Aspiral galaxy7′8.8OctoberSuburban skyOdyssey
M78reflection nebula8′8DecemberCity-friendlyOdyssey
M79globular cluster9′8DecemberCity-friendlyOdyssey
M80globular cluster9′7.2MayCity-friendlyOdyssey
M81 Bode's Galaxyspiral galaxy27′6.8FebruarySuburban skyOrigin Mark II
M82 Cigar Galaxyirregular galaxy11′8.4FebruarySuburban skyOdyssey
M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxyspiral galaxy13′7.6AprilSuburban skyOdyssey
M84elliptical galaxy7′9.3MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M85elliptical galaxy7′9.2MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M86elliptical galaxy9′9.2MarchDark skyOdyssey
M87 Virgo Aelliptical galaxy8′8.6MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M88spiral galaxy7′9.5MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M89elliptical galaxy5′9.8MarchSuburban skymosaic or too small
M90spiral galaxy10′9.5MarchDark skyOdyssey
M91spiral galaxy5′10.2MarchDark skymosaic or too small
M92globular cluster11′6.5JuneCity-friendlyOdyssey
M93open cluster22′6.2JanuaryCity-friendlySeestar S50
M94 Cat's Eye Galaxyspiral galaxy11′8.1AprilSuburban skyOdyssey
M95spiral galaxy3′9.7FebruaryCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M96spiral galaxy8′9.2MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M97 Owl Nebulaplanetary nebula3′11.2MarchSuburban skymosaic or too small
M98spiral galaxy10′10.1MarchDark skyOdyssey
M99 Coma Pinwheelspiral galaxy5′9.8MarchSuburban skymosaic or too small
M100spiral galaxy7′9.4MarchDark skyOdyssey
M101 Pinwheel Galaxyspiral galaxy29′7.7AprilDark skyOrigin Mark II
M102 Spindle Galaxyspiral galaxy5′9.9MaySuburban skymosaic or too small
M103open cluster6′7.4OctoberCity-friendlymosaic or too small
M104 Sombrero Galaxyspiral galaxy9′8.3MarchCity-friendlyOdyssey
M105elliptical galaxy5′9.3MarchSuburban skymosaic or too small
M106spiral galaxy19′8.3MarchDark skyOdyssey
M107globular cluster10′8.1MayCity-friendlyOdyssey
M108spiral galaxy9′10MarchSuburban skyOdyssey
M109spiral galaxy8′9.8MarchDark skyOdyssey
M110elliptical galaxy22′8SeptemberDark skySeestar S50

Object data: Messier catalogue via d3-celestial (BSD-3). "Sky needed" is calculated from type and surface brightness, not observed.