Astronomical League's Binocular Messier Club

The Astronomical League has provided lists of Messier objects which should be observable with binoculars of various sizes, without much difficulties (provided the objects come high enough over the horizon, and sufficiently dark skies). They are here presented linked to the Messier pages. Observing sufficiently many Messier objects with binoculars is rewarded by a certificate from the Astronomical League; look at their conditions for this on their original Binocular Messier Club page. The certificates are granted for any selection of at least 50 Messier objects, regardless of their suggestive lists, which might however help to find out the easier ones.

A - 7x35, 7x50, and 10x50 Binoculars

I. Easy Messier Objects:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 52, 55, 67, 92, 93, 103. Total = 42.
II. Tougher Messier Objects:
14, 19, 28, 30, 33, 40, 49, 53, 62, 63, 64, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 94. Total = 18.
III. Challenge Messier Objects:
1, 9, 26, 32, 51, 54, 56, 65, 66, 68, 71, 75, 97, 101, 104, 106. Total = 16.
Grand Total = 76.
Missing are:
20, 21, 43, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95, 96, 98, 99, 100, 102, 105, 107, 109, 109, and 110 (a total of 34).

B - 11x80 Binoculars

I. Easy Messier Objects:
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 52, 53, 55, 62, 67, 71, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 92, 93, 94, 103. Total = 58.
II. Tougher Messier Objects:
1, 9, 33, 49, 51, 54, 56, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 75, 77, 83, 87, 97, 101, 102, 104, 106. Total = 23.
III. Challenge Messier Objects:
20, 58, 59, 69, 70, 72, 84, 85, 86, 88, 89, 90, 95, 96, 99, 100, 105, 107, 108, 109, 110. Total = 21.
Grand Total = 102.
Missing here are numbers:
21, 43, 57, 73, 74, 76, 91, and 98 (a total of 8).
Some missings, in both cases, appear a bit strange to the present author. Experienced observers have reported that they could see all 110 Messier objects with good binoculars as small as 10x50 under favorable conditions.

C - The Messier List

I. The Winter Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size    


31         224   0 42.8  41 16  4.5 Gal And 178'       
32         221   0 42.8  40 52 10.0 Gal And 8' X 6'    
110        205   0 40.4  41 41 10.0 Gal And 17' X 10'  
33         598   1 33.9  30 40  7.0 Gal Tri 73' X 45'  
52        7654  23 24.2  61 35  8.0 OCl Cas 13.0'      
103        581   1 33.2  60 42  7.0 OCl Cas 6.0'       
34        1039   2 42.0  42 47  6.0 OCl Per 35.0'      
76         650   1 42.4  51 34 12.0 PlN Per 163" X 107"
1         1952   5 34.5  22  1  9.0 PlN Tau 6' X 4'       
45        1432   3 47.0  24  7  1.4 OCl Tau 110.0'        
36        1960   5 36.1  34  8  6.5 OCl Aur 12.0'         
37        2099   5 52.4  32 33  6.0 OCl Aur 24.0'         
38        1912   5 28.7  35 50  7.0 OCl Aur 21.0'         
42        1976   5 35.3  -5 23  5.0 DfN Ori 85' X 60'     
43        1982   5 35.5  -5 16  7.0 DfN Ori 20' X 15'     
78        2068   5 46.8   0  4  8.0 DfN Ori 8' X 6'       
79        1904   5 24.5 -24 33  8.5 GCl Lep 8.7'          
35        2168   6  8.9  24 20  5.5 OCl Gem 28.0'         
50        2323   7  3.2  -8 20  7.0 OCl Mon 16.0'         
41        2287   6 46.0 -20 44  5.0 OCl CMa 38.0'         
46        2437   7 41.8 -14 49  6.5 OCl Pup 27.0'         
47        2422   7 36.6 -14 30  4.5 OCl Pup 30.0'         
93        2447   7 44.6 -23 52  6.5 OCl Pup 22.0'
II. The Early Spring Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size       


44        2632   8 40.1  19 59  4.0 OCl Cnc 95.0'         
67        2682   8 50.4  11 49  7.5 OCl Cnc 30.0'         
48        2548   8 13.8  -5 48  5.5 OCl Hya 54.0'         
81        3031   9 55.6  69  4  8.5 Gal UMa 21' X 10'     
82        3034   9 55.9  69 41  9.5 Gal UMa 9' X 4'       
97        3587  11 14.8  55  1 12.0 PlN UMa 202" X 196"
108       3556  11 11.6  55 41 11.0 Gal UMa 8' X 1'         
109       3992  11 57.6  53 23 11.0 Gal UMa 7' X 4'         
101       5457  14  3.3  54 22  8.5 Gal UMa 22.0'           
40        WIN4  12 20.0  58 22  9.0 Dbl UMa 49"              
65        3623  11 18.9  13  6 10.5 Gal Leo 8' X 1.5'       
66        3627  11 20.2  13  0 10.0 Gal Leo 8' X 2.5'       
95        3351  10 43.9  11 42 11.0 Gal Leo 4.4' X 3.3'     
96        3368  10 46.7  11 49 10.5 Gal Leo 6' X 4'         
105       3379  10 47.8  12 35 11.0 Gal Leo 2.0'            
3         5272  13 42.2  28 23  7.0 GCl CVn 16.2'           
51        5194  13 30.0  47 11  8.0 Gal CVn 11' X 7'        
63        5055  13 15.8  42  2  8.5 Gal CVn 10' X 6'        
94        4736  12 50.9  41  8  9.5 Gal CVn 7' X 3'         
106       4258  12 18.9  47 19  9.5 Gal CVn 19' X 8'
III. The Late Spring Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size       


49        4472  12 29.8   8  1 10.0 Gal Vir 9' X 7.5'     
58        4579  12 37.8  11 50 11.0 Gal Vir 5.5' X 4.5'    
59        4621  12 42.1  11 39 11.5 Gal Vir 5' X 3.5'      
60        4649  12 43.7  11 34 10.5 Gal Vir 7' X 6'        
84        4374  12 25.1  12 54 11.0 Gal Vir 5.0'           
86        4406  12 26.3  12 57 11.0 Gal Vir 7.5' X 5.5'    
87        4486  12 30.9  12 24 11.0 Gal Vir 7.0'           
89        4552  12 35.7  12 34 11.5 Gal Vir 4.0'           
90        4569  12 36.9  13 10 11.0 Gal Vir 9.5' X 4.5'    
61        4303  12 22.0   4 29 10.5 Gal Vir 6' X 5.5'      
104       4594  12 39.9 -11 37  9.5 Gal Vir 9' X 4'        
53        5024  13 12.9  18 10  8.5 GCl Com 12.6'          
64        4826  12 56.7  21 41  9.0 Gal Com 9.3' X 5.4'    
85        4382  12 25.5  18 12 10.5 Gal Com 7.1' X 5.2'    
88        4501  12 32.1  14 26 11.0 Gal Com 7' X 4'        
98        4192  12 13.9  14 55 11.0 Gal Com 9.5' X 3.2'    
99        4254  12 18.9  14 26 10.5 Gal Com 5.4' X 4.8'    
100       4321  12 23.0  15 50 10.5 Gal Com 7' X 6'        
91        4548  12 35.5  14 30 11.5 Gal Com 5.4' X 4.4'    
68        4590  12 39.5 -26 45  9.0 GCl Hya 12.0'
IV. The Mid-Summer Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size       


83        5236  13 37.1 -29 52  8.5 Gal Hya 11' X 10'      
5         5904  15 18.6   2  5  7.0 GCl Ser 17.4'          
102       5866  15  6.5  55 45 10.5 Gal Dra 5.2' X 2.3'    
13        6205  16 41.7  36 28  7.0 GCl Her 16.6'          
92        6341  17 17.1  43  8  7.5 GCl Her 11.2'          
9         6333  17 19.2 -18 31  9.0 GCl Oph 9.3'           
10        6254  16 57.1  -4  6  7.5 GCl Oph 15.1'          
12        6218  16 47.2  -1 57  8.0 GCl Oph 14.5'          
14        6402  17 37.6  -3 15  9.5 GCl Oph 11.7'          
19        6273  17  2.6 -26 16  8.5 GCl Oph 13.5'          
62        6266  17  1.2 -30  7  8.0 GCl Oph 14.1'          
107       6171  16 32.5 -13  3 10.0 GCl Oph 10.0'          
4         6121  16 23.6 -26 32  7.5 GCl Sco 26.3'          
80        6093  16 17.0 -22 59  8.5 GCl Sco 8.9'           
6         6405  17 40.1 -32 13  4.5 OCl Sco 15.0'          
7         6475  17 53.9 -34 49  3.5 OCl Sco 80.0'
V. The Late Summer Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size         


11        6705  18 51.1  -6 16  7.0 OCl Sct 14.0'          
26        6694  18 45.2  -9 24  9.5 OCl Sct 15.0'          
16        6611  18 18.8 -13 47  6.5 C/N Ser 7.0'           
17        6618  18 20.8 -16 11  7.0 C/N Sgr 11.0'          
18        6613  18 19.9 -17  8  8.0 OCl Sgr 9.0'           
24        6603  18 18.4 -18 25 11.5 OCl Sgr 5.0'           
20        6514  18  2.3 -23  2  5.0 C/N Sgr 28.0'          
21        6531  18  4.6 -22 30  7.0 OCl Sgr 13.0'          
8         6523  18  3.1 -24 23  5.0 C/N Sgr 60' X 35'      
22        6656  18 36.4 -29 54  6.5 GCl Sgr 24.0'          
28        6626  18 24.5 -24 52  8.5 GCl Sgr 11.2'          
23        6494  17 56.8 -19  1  6.0 OCl Sgr 27.0'          
25        4725  18 28.8 -19 17  4.9 OCl Sgr 40.0'          
54        6715  18 55.1 -30 29  8.5 GCl Sgr 9.1'           
55        6809  19 40.0 -30 58  7.0 GCl Sgr 19.0'          
69        6637  18 34.4 -32 21  9.0 GCl Sgr 7.1'           
70        6681  18 43.2 -32 18  9.0 GCl Sgr 7.8'           
75        6864  20  6.1 -21 55  9.5 GCl Sgr 6.0'
VI. The Fall and Early Winter Group 
Messier   NGC#    R.A.    Dec. Mag. Typ Con    Size        


56        6779  19 16.6  30 11  9.5 GCl Lyr 7.1'            
57        6720  18 53.6  33  2  9.5 PlN Lyr 85.6" X 61.6"   
29        6913  20 23.9  38 32  9.0 OCl Cyg 7.0'           
39        7092  21 32.2  48 26  5.5 OCl Cyg 32.0'          
27        6853  19 59.6  22 43  7.5 PlN Vul 480" X 340"     
71        6838  19 53.8  18 47  8.5 GCl Sge 7.2'           
30        7099  21 40.4 -23 11  8.5 GCl Cap 11.0'          
2         7089  21 33.5  -0 49  7.5 GCl Aqr 12.9'          
72        6981  20 53.5 -12 32 10.0 GCl Aqr 5.9'           
73        6994  20 59.0 -12 38  9.0 OCl Aqr 2.8'           
15        7078  21 30.0  12 10  7.5 GCl Peg 12.3'          
74         628   1 36.6  15 48 10.5 Gal Psc 10.2' X 9.5'   
77        1068   2 42.7  -0  2 10.5 Gal Cet 7' X 6'

Hartmut Frommert (spider@seds.org)
Christine Kronberg (smil@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)

[SEDS] [MAA] [Home] [Indexes]

Last Modification: 8 Feb 1998, 20:00 MET