Messier Marathon Trifecta

Messier Marathon Trifecta (Messiers, Caldwells, RASC)

by Stephen Saber

A first draft, this February-March sequence from 40ºN latitude contains the 110 Messiers and another 140 targets from the complementary Caldwell Catalog and RASC Finest NGC objects in a rough search sequence (I’ll add more target info and refinements as time permits). The Trifecta may be attempted over a single or multiple spring nights. There are many alternate paths to take throughout this list, and observers at more southern latitudes will have additional objects available. For year-round use, the Concordiem Borealis includes these targets and more, listed by constellation.

M74 type: GX constellation: PSC mag: 9.4 radec: 1h 36.7' +15° 47′

NGC772 GX ARI 10.3 1h 59.3' +19° 00′

M77 GX CET 8.9 2h 42.7' −00° 01′

NGC936 GX CET 10.1 2h 27.6' −01° 09′

M33 GX TRI 5.7 1h 33.8' +30° 39′

C28 (NGC752) OC AND 5.7 1h 57.8' +37° 41′

C23 (NGC891) GX AND 10.0 2h 22.6' +42° 21′

M31 GX AND 3.4 0h 42.7' +41° 16′

M32 GX AND 8.1 0h 42.7' +40° 52′

M110 GX AND 8.5 0h 40.4' +41° 41′

C18 (NGC185) GX CAS 9.2 0h 38.9' +48° 20′

C17 (NGC147) GX CAS 9.5 0h 33.2' +48° 30′

NGC7789 OC CAS 6.7 23h 57.0' +56° 44′

M52 OC CAS 7.3 23h 24.2' +61° 35′

C11 (NGC7635) BN CAS 8.5 23h 20.8' +61° 12′

NGC281 BN CAS 7.4 0h 52.8' +56° 38′

C13 (NGC457) OC CAS 6.4 1h 19.1' +58° 17′

M103 OC CAS 7.4 1h 33.2' +60° 39′

C10 (NGC663) OC CAS 7.1 1h 46.0' +61° 15′

C8 (NGC559) OC CAS 9.5 1h 29.5' +63° 18′

IC289 PN CAS 12.0 3h 10.3' +61° 19′

C5 (IC342) GX CAM 9.1 3h 46.8' +68° 06′

NGC1501 PN CAM 11.5 4h 06.9' +60° 55′

C14 (NGC869) OC PER 5.3 2h 19.0' +57° 09′

C14 (NGC884) OC PER 6.1 2h 22.4' +57° 08′

M76 PN PER 10.1 1h 42.3' +51° 34′

M34 OC PER 5.5 2h 42.1' +42° 47′

NGC1023 GX PER 10.0 2h 40.4' +39° 04′

C24 (NGC1275) GX PER 11.9 3h 19.8' +41° 31′

NGC1491 BN PER 10.5 4h 03.3' +51° 18′

NGC1514 PN TAU 10.9 4h 09.3' +30° 47′

M45 OC TAU 1.6 3h 47.0' +24° 07′

M79 GC LEP 7.7 5h 24.5' −24° 33′

NGC1788 BN ORI 9.0 5h 06.9' −03° 20′

M42 BN ORI 4.0 5h 35.4' −05° 27′

M43 BN ORI 9.0 5h 35.6' −05° 16′

NGC1973 BN ORI 7.0 5h 35.3' −04° 45′

NGC2024 BN ORI 10.0 5h 41.7' −01° 51′

M78 BN ORI 8.3 5h 46.7' +00° 03′

NGC2022 PN ORI 11.6 5h 42.1' +09° 05′

NGC2194 OC ORI 8.5 6h 13.8' +12° 48′

M41 OC CMA 4.5 6h 47.0' −20° 44′

C64 (NGC2362) OC CMA 4.1 7h 18.7' −24° 57′

M93 OC PUP 6.0 7h 44.6' −23° 52′

C58 (NGC2360) OC CMA 7.2 7h 17.7' −15° 38′

NGC2359 BN CMA 11.5 7h 18.6' −13° 13′

M50 OC MON 5.9 7h 03.2' −08° 20′

M47 OC PUP 4.4 7h 36.6' −14° 30′

M46 OC PUP 6.1 7h 41.8' −14° 49′

C54 (NGC2506) OC MON 7.6 8h 00.0' −10° 46′

M48 OC HYA 5.8 8h 13.7' −05° 48′

C50 (NGC2244) OC MON 4.8 6h 31.9' +04° 57′

C49 (NGC2237) BN MON 5.0 6h 33.8' +05° 25′

C46 (NGC2261) BN MON 9.0 6h 39.2' +08° 44′

C41 (Mel25) OC TAU 0.5 4h 27.0' +15° 52′

C39 (NGC2392) PN GEM 9.1 7h 29.2' +20° 55′

NGC2371 PN GEM 11.2 7h 25.6' +29° 29′

C25 (NGC2419) GC LYN 10.4 7h 38.1' +38° 53′

M35 OC GEM 5.1 6h 08.9' +24° 20′

M1 BN TAU 8.4 5h 34.5' +22° 01′

M37 OC AUR 6.2 5h 52.4' +32° 33′

M36 OC AUR 6.0 5h 36.2' +34° 08′

NGC1931 BN AUR 10.1 5h 31.4' +34° 14′

M38 OC AUR 6.4 5h 28.7' +35° 50′

C31 (IC405) BN AUR 6.0 5h 16.2' +34° 28′

C48 (NGC2775) GX CNC 10.5 9h 10.3' +07° 02′

M67 OC CNC 6.1 8h 50.4' +11° 49′

M44 OC CNC 3.7 8h 40.1' +19° 41′

NGC2683 GX LYN 9.7 8h 52.7' +33° 25′

NGC2903 GX LEO 9.0 9h 32.2' +21° 30′

M95 GX LEO 9.7 10h 44.0' +11° 42′

M96 GX LEO 9.2 10h 46.8' +11° 49′

M105 GX LEO 9.3 10h 47.8' +12° 35′

NGC3384 GX LEO 10.9 10h 48.3' +12° 38′

NGC3521 GX LEO 9.0 11h 05.8' −00° 02′

M65 GX LEO 9.3 11h 18.9' +13° 05′

M66 GX LEO 8.9 11h 20.2' +12° 59′

NGC3628 GX LEO 9.5 11h 20.3' +13° 35′

NGC3607 GX LEO 9.9 11h 16.9' +18° 03′

C40 (NGC3626) GX LEO 10.4 11h 20.1' +18° 21′

NGC3344 GX LEO 9.9 10h 43.5' +24° 55′

C53 (NGC3115) GX SEX 9.2 10h 05.2' −07° 43′

C59 (NGC3242) PN HYA 8.6 10h 24.8' −18° 38′

NGC3003 GX LEO 11.7 9h 48.6' +33° 25′

NGC3432 GX LEO 11.7 10h 52.5' +36° 37′

NGC3184 GX UMA 10.4 10h 18.3' +41° 25′

NGC2841 GX UMA 9.2 9h 22.0' +50° 59′

NGC3079 GX UMA 10.9 10h 01.9' +55° 41′

C7 (NGC2403) GX CAM 8.9 7h 36.9' +65° 36′

NGC2655 GX CAM 10.1 8h 55.6' +78° 13′

M81 GX UMA 6.9 9h 55.6' +69° 04′

M82 GX UMA 8.4 9h 55.9' +69° 41′

C3 (NGC4236) GX DRA 9.7 12h 16.7' +69° 28′

M97 PN UMA 9.9 11h 14.8' +55° 01′

M108 GX UMA 10.0 11h 11.5' +55° 40′

M40 DS UMA 9.0 12h 22.2' +58° 05′

NGC4605 GX UMA 10.9 12h 40.0' +61° 36′

M109 GX UMA 9.8 11h 57.6' +53° 23′

NGC4026 GX UMA 10.7 11h 59.4' +50° 58′

NGC4088 GX UMA 10.6 12h 05.6' +50° 32′

NGC4157 GX UMA 11.4 12h 11.1' +50° 29′

NGC3877 GX UMA 10.8 11h 46.1' +47° 30′

M106 GX CVN 8.4 12h 18.9' +47° 18′

C21 (NGC4449) GX CVN 9.6 12h 28.2' +44° 05′

NGC4111 GX CVN 10.4 12h 07.0' +43° 04′

NGC4490 GX CVN 9.8 12h 30.6' +41° 39′

M94 GX CVN 8.2 12h 50.9' +41° 07′

C26 (NGC4244) GX CVN 10.2 12h 17.5' +37° 48′

NGC4214 GX CVN 10.2 12h 15.6' +36° 20′

NGC3941 GX UMA 10.6 11h 52.0' +36° 59′

C32 (NGC4631) GX CVN 9.8 12h 42.1' +32° 32′

NGC4656 GX CVN 10.5 12h 43.9' +32° 10′

C29 (NGC5005) GX CVN 10.6 13h 10.6' +37° 03′

NGC5033 GX CVN 9.9 13h 13.5' +36° 35′

M63 GX CVN 8.6 13h 15.8' +42° 02′

M51 GX CVN 8.4 13h 29.9' +47° 12′

M101 GX UMA 7.9 14h 03.2' +54° 21′

M102 (NGC5866) GX DRA 9.9 15h 06.5' +55° 46′

NGC5907 GX DRA 10.3 15h 15.9' +56° 19′

M98 GX COM 10.1 12h 13.8' +14° 54′

M99 GX COM 9.9 12h 18.8' +14° 25′

NGC4216 GX VIR 10.0 12h 15.9' +13° 09′

M100 GX COM 9.4 12h 22.9' +15° 49′

Write on Medium

M85 GX COM 9.1 12h 25.4' +18° 11′

M84 GX VIR 9.1 12h 25.1' +12° 53′

NGC4388 GX VIR 11.0 12h 25.8' +12° 40′

M86 GX VIR 8.9 12h 26.2' +12° 57′

NGC4438 GX VIR 10.2 12h 27.8' +13° 00′

M87 GX VIR 8.6 12h 30.8' +12° 24′

M88 GX COM 9.6 12h 31.9' +14° 25′

M91 GX COM 10.2 12h 35.4' +14° 30′

M90 GX VIR 9.5 12h 36.8' +13° 10′

M89 GX VIR 9.8 12h 35.7' +12° 33′

M58 GX VIR 9.7 12h 37.7' +11° 49′

NGC4567 GX VIR 10.9 12h 36.6' +11° 15′

M59 GX VIR 9.6 12h 42.0' +11° 39′

M60 GX VIR 8.8 12h 43.7' +11° 33′

NGC4762 GX VIR 10.2 12h 52.9' +11° 14′

M49 GX VIR 8.4 12h 29.8' +08° 00′

NGC4535 GX VIR 10.0 12h 34.3' +08° 12′

NGC4526 GX VIR 9.7 12h 34.0' +07° 42′

M61 GX VIR 9.7 12h 21.9' +04° 28′

NGC4517 GX VIR 10.4 12h 32.7' +00° 07′

C38 (NGC4565) GX COM 10.4 12h 36.3' +25° 59′

C36 (NGC4559) GX COM 10.0 12h 35.6' +27° 58′

C35 (NGC4889) GX COM 11.4 13h 00.1' +27° 59′

M64 GX COM 8.5 12h 56.7' +21° 41′

NGC4725 GX COM 9.2 12h 50.4' +25° 30′

NGC4494 GX COM 9.8 12h 31.4' +25° 46′

NGC4274 GX COM 10.4 12h 19.8' +29° 37′

NGC4414 GX COM 10.2 12h 26.5' +31° 13′

M53 GC COM 7.7 13h 12.9' +18° 10′

M3 GC CVN 6.2 13h 42.2' +28° 23′

NGC5466 GC BOO 9.1 14h 05.5' +28° 32′

C45 (NGC5248) GX BOO 10.3 13h 37.5' +08° 53′

NGC5746 GX VIR 10.3 14h 44.9' +01° 57′

C52 (NGC4697) GX VIR 9.2 12h 48.6' −05° 48′

NGC4699 GX VIR 11.3 12h 49.0' −08° 39′

M104 GX VIR 8.0 12h 40.0' −11° 37′

NGC4361 PN CRV 10.9 12h 24.5' −18° 48′

C60 (NGC4038) GX CRV 10.3 12h 01.9' −18° 52′

C61 (NGC4039) GX CRV 10.4 12h 01.9' −18° 53′

M68 GC HYA 8.2 12h 39.5' −26° 45′

M83 GX HYA 7.6 13h 37.0' −29° 52′

C66 (NGC5694) GC HYA 10.2 14h 39.6' −26° 32′

M5 GC SER 5.7 15h 18.6' +02° 05′

NGC6210 PN HER 9.7 16h 44.5' +23° 48′

M13 GC HER 5.8 16h 41.7' +36° 28′

M92 GC HER 6.4 17h 17.1' +43° 08′

C6 (NGC6543) PN DRA 8.1 17h 58.6' +66° 38′

NGC6503 GX DRA 10.2 17h 49.4' +70° 09′

C1 (NGC188) OC CEP 8.1 0h 47.0' +85° 15′

M57 PN LYR 8.8 18h 53.6' +33° 02′

M56 GC LYR 8.3 19h 16.6' +30° 11′

C15 (NGC6826) PN CYG 8.8 19h 44.8' +50° 31′

M39 OC CYG 4.6 21h 31.7' +48° 26′

C20 (NGC7000) BN CYG 4.0 20h 58.8' +44° 20′

NGC7027 PN CYG 10.0 21h 07.1' +42° 14′

M29 OC CYG 7.1 20h 23.9' +38° 32′

C27 (NGC6888) BN CYG 7.4 20h 12.1' +38° 21′

NGC6819 OC CYG 7.3 19h 41.3' +40° 11′

C33 (NGC6992) BN CYG 7.0 20h 56.2' +31° 44′

C34 (NGC6960) BN CYG 7.0 20h 45.6' +30° 43′

NGC6940 OC VUL 6.3 20h 34.4' +28° 18′

C37 (NGC6885) OC VUL 5.7 20h 12.0' +26° 29′

M27 PN VUL 7.4 19h 59.6' +22° 43′

M71 GC SGE 8.3 19h 53.8' +18° 47′

NGC6802 OC VUL 8.8 19h 30.6' +20° 16′

M12 GC OPH 6.7 16h 47.2' −01° 57′

M10 GC OPH 6.6 16h 57.1' −04° 06′

M14 GC OPH 7.6 17h 37.6' −03° 15′

M107 GC OPH 7.9 16h 32.5' −13° 03′

M9 GC OPH 7.7 17h 19.2' −18° 31′

M4 GC SCO 5.6 16h 23.6' −26° 32′

M80 GC SCO 7.3 16h 17.0' −22° 59′

M62 GC OPH 6.6 17h 01.2' −30° 07′

M19 GC OPH 6.8 17h 02.6' −26° 16′

NGC6369 PN OPH 11.4 17h 29.3' −23° 45′

NGC6572 PN OPH 8.1 18h 12.1' +06° 51′

NGC6633 OC OPH 4.6 18h 27.7' +06° 31′

NGC6781 PN AQL 11.4 19h 18.5' +06° 33′

M11 OC SCT 6.3 18h 51.1' −06° 16′

NGC6712 GC SCT 8.7 18h 53.1' −08° 42′

M26 OC SCT 8.0 18h 45.2' −09° 24′

M16 BN SER 6.0 18h 18.8' −13° 49′

M17 BN SGR 6.0 18h 20.8' −16° 11′

M18 OC SGR 7.5 18h 19.9' −17° 06′

M24 OC SGR 4.5 18h 16.9' −18° 29′

M25 OC SGR 4.6 18h 31.6' −19° 07′

M23 OC SGR 5.5 17h 56.9' −19° 01′

NGC6445 PN SGR 11.2 17h 49.3' −20° 01′

M21 OC SGR 6.5 18h 04.6' −22° 30′

M20 BN SGR 6.3 18h 02.6' −23° 02′

M8 BN SGR 6.0 18h 03.8' −24° 23′

NGC6540 GC SGR 9.3 18h 06.1' −27° 46′

NGC6520 OC SGR 7.6 18h 03.4' −27° 53′

M28 GC SGR 6.8 18h 24.5' −24° 52′

M22 GC SGR 5.1 18h 36.4' −23° 54′

C75 (NGC6124) OC SCO 5.8 16h 25.3' −40° 39′

C76 (NGC6231) OC SCO 2.6 16h 54.2' −41° 48′

C69 (NGC6302) PN SCO 9.6 17h 13.8' −37° 06′

M6 OC SCO 4.2 17h 40.1' −32° 13′

M7 OC SCO 3.3 17h 53.9' −34° 49′

M69 GC SGR 7.6 18h 31.4' −32° 21′

M70 GC SGR 7.9 18h 43.2' −32° 18′

M54 GC SGR 7.6 18h 55.1' −30° 29′

M55 GC SGR 6.3 19h 40.0' −30° 58′

M75 GC SGR 8.6 20h 06.1' −21° 55′

NGC6818 PN SGR 9.3 19h 43.9' −14° 09′

C57 (NGC6822) GX SGR 9.3 19h 44.9' −14° 48′

C47 (NGC6934) GC DEL 8.9 20h 34.2' +07° 24′

C42 (NGC7006) GC DEL 10.6 21h 01.5' +16° 11′

M15 GC PEG 6.2 21h 30.0' +12° 10′

M2 GC AQR 6.5 21h 33.5' −00° 49′

M72 GC AQR 9.3 20h 53.5' −12° 32′

M73 AS AQR 9.0 20h 58.9' −12° 38′

C55 (NGC7009) PN AQR 8.0 21h 04.2' −11° 22′

C44 (NGC7479) GX PEG 11.0 23h 04.9' +12° 19′

C30 (NGC7331) GX PEG 9.5 22h 37.1' +34° 25′

C22 (NGC7662) PN AND 8.6 23h 25.9' +42° 33′

C16 (NGC7243) OC LAC 6.4 22h 15.3' +49° 53′

C19 (IC5146) BN CYG 7.2 21h 53.4' +47° 16′

C12 (NGC6946) GX CEP 9.6 20h 34.9' +60° 09′

NGC6939 OC CEP 7.8 20h 31.5' +60° 39′

C9 (Sh2–155) BN CEP 7.0 22h 57.0' +62° 28′

NGC7142 OC CEP 9.3 21h 45.2' +65° 46′

C4 (NGC7023) BN CEP 7.0 21h 01.6' +68° 10′

C2 (NGC40) PN CEP 10.7 0h 13.0' +72° 32′

C43 (NGC7814) GX PEG 10.5 0h 03.2' +16° 09′

M30 GC CAP 7.5 21h 40.4' −23° 11′

**********

Stephen Saber

Drummer/Astronomer from Rock Island, IL. USA 

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