Messier Object Data as estimated by Don Machholz

While a more or less homogeneous data collection of the Messier objects is hardly available from professional sources, amateur Don Machholz has estimated apparent visual magnitudes and apparent angular diameters of all Messier objects under about the same conditions, with a 6-inch reflector. It is remarkable that according to his estimate, all objects ar brighter than apparent magnitude 10, which might explain that Messier could observe them all. His estimates are compared here to the values used in our database.
Type:
1=Open Cluster, 2=Globular Cluster, 3=Planetary Nebula, 4=Diffuse Nebula, 5=Spiral Galaxy, 6=Elliptical Galaxy, 7=Irregular Galaxy, 8=Lenticular (S0) Galaxy, 9=Supernova Remnant, A=System of 4 stars or Asterism, B=Milky Way Patch, C=Binary star.
ra:
right ascension in hours minutes.decimal seconds. Epoch 2000.0
dec:
declination in degrees minutes. Epoch 2000.0
m:
apparent visual magnitude, value in our database
m_M:
apparent visual magnitude, as estiamted by Don Machholz
D:
apparent (angular) diameter in arc minutes, value in our database
D_M:
apparent (angular) diameter in arc minutes, as estiamted by Don Machholz

Link M# NGC# Con Type ra dec m m_M D D_M
M1 001 1952 Tau 9 05 34.5 +22 01 8.4 8.7 6x4 7x4 M2 002 7089 Aqr 2 21 33.5 -00 49 6.5 7.0 12.9 8 M3 003 5272 CVn 2 13 42.2 +28 23 6.2 6.4 16.2 8 M4 004 6121 Sco 2 16 23.6 -26 32 5.6 6.9 26.3 14 M5 005 5904 Ser 2 15 18.6 +02 05 5.6 6.2 17.4 10 M6 006 6405 Sco 1 17 40.1 -32 13 5.3 5.3 15.0 30x24 M7 007 6475 Sco 1 17 53.9 -34 49 4.1 5.0 80.0 32x26 M8 008 6523 Sgr 4 18 03.8 -24 23 6.0 6.3 60x35 25x20 M9 009 6333 Oph 2 17 19.2 -18 31 7.7 7.3 9.3 4 M10 010 6254 Oph 2 16 57.1 -04 06 6.6 6.7 15.1 9 M11 011 6705 Sct 1 18 51.1 -06 16 6.3 6.0 14.0 8 M12 012 6218 Oph 2 16 47.2 -01 57 6.7 6.8 14.5 8 M13 013 6205 Her 2 16 41.7 +36 28 5.8 6.2 16.6 13 M14 014 6402 Oph 2 17 37.6 -03 15 7.6 7.7 11.7 8 M15 015 7078 Peg 2 21 30.0 +12 10 6.2 7.4 12.3 7 M16 016 6611 Ser 1 18 18.8 -13 47 6.4 7.1 7.0 25x25 M17 017 6618 Sgr 4 18 20.8 -16 11 7.0 6.6 11.0 15x8 M18 018 6613 Sgr 1 18 19.9 -17 08 7.5 7.1 9.0 8x6 M19 019 6273 Oph 2 17 02.6 -26 16 6.8 7.9 13.5 6 M20 020 6514 Sgr 4 18 02.6 -23 02 9.0 6.8 28.0 16x10 M21 021 6531 Sgr 1 18 04.6 -22 30 6.5 7.5 13.0 7x4 M22 022 6656 Sgr 2 18 36.4 -23 54 5.1 5.4 24.0 17 M23 023 6494 Sgr 1 17 56.8 -19 01 6.9 6.2 27.0 20x15 M24 024 >6603 Sgr B 18 16.9 -18 29 4.6 4.5 90 80x35 M25 025 I4725 Sgr 1 18 31.6 -19 15 6.5 5.9 40.0 35x30 M26 026 6694 Sct 1 18 45.2 -09 24 8.0 7.8 15.0 7 M27 027 6853 Vul 3 19 59.6 +22 43 7.4 8.8 8.0x5.7 7 M28 028 6626 Sgr 2 18 24.5 -24 52 6.8 8.4 11.2 5 M29 029 6913 Cyg 1 20 23.9 +38 32 7.1 7.4 7.0 7 M30 030 7099 Cap 2 21 40.4 -23 11 7.2 8.4 11.0 4 M31 031 224 And 5 00 42.7 +41 16 3.4 4.5 178x63 145x20 M32 032 221 And 6 00 42.7 +40 52 8.1 8.6 8x6 2 M33 033 598 Tri 5 01 33.9 +30 39 5.7 6.2 73x45 22x18 M34 034 1039 Per 1 02 42.0 +42 47 5.5 6.3 35.0 25x15 M35 035 2168 Gem 1 06 08.9 +24 20 5.3 4.8 28.0 25x18 M36 036 1960 Aur 1 05 36.1 +34 08 6.3 5.8 12.0 13 M37 037 2099 Aur 1 05 52.4 +32 33 6.2 6.2 24.0 18 M38 038 1922 Aur 1 05 28.4 +35 50 7.4 6.0 21.0 11 M39 039 7092 Cyg 1 21 32.2 +48 26 4.6 5.4 32.0 30x20 M40 040 Win4 UMa C 12 22.4 +58 05 8.4 8.7 0.8 1 M41 041 2287 CMa 1 06 46.0 -20 44 4.6 5.8 38.0 25 M42 042 1976 Ori 4 05 35.4 -05 27 4.0 4.3 85x60 40x30 M43 043 1982 Ori 4 05 35.6 -05 16 9.0 8.3 20x15 5 M44 044 2632 Cnc 1 08 40.1 +19 59 3.7 3.3 95.0 60x50 M45 045 - Tau 1 03 47.0 +24 07 1.6 2.0 110.0 70x40 M46 046 2437 Pup 1 07 41.8 -14 49 6.0 6.7 27.0 18x15 M47 047 2422 Pup 1 07 36.6 -14 30 5.2 5.6 30.0 17x12 M48 048 2548 Hya 1 08 13.8 -05 48 5.5 6.2 54.0 40x35 M49 049 4472 Vir 6 12 29.8 +08 00 8.4 8.6 9x7.5 4 M50 050 2323 Mon 1 07 03.2 -08 20 6.3 7.1 16.0 8x6 M51 051 5194 CVn 5 13 29.9 +47 12 8.4 7.9 11x7 14x11 M52 052 7654 Cas 1 23 24.2 +61 35 7.3 7.6 13.0 9x7 M53 053 5024 Com 2 13 12.9 +18 10 7.6 7.4 12.6 3 M54 054 6715 Sgr 2 18 55.1 -30 29 7.6 8.2 9.1 2 M55 055 6809 Sgr 2 19 40.0 -30 58 6.3 6.1 19.0 12 M56 056 6779 Lyr 2 19 16.6 +30 11 8.3 9.1 7.1 5 M57 057 6720 Lyr 3 18 53.6 +33 02 8.8 8.8 1.4x1.0 2 M58 058 4579 Vir 5 12 37.7 +11 49 9.7 9.2 5.5x4.5 4 M59 059 4621 Vir 6 12 42.0 +11 39 9.6 9.4 5x3.5 3x2 M60 060 4649 Vir 6 12 43.7 +11 33 8.8 9.2 7x6 4x3 M61 061 4303 Vir 5 12 21.9 +04 28 9.7 9.0 6x5.5 5 M62 062 6266 Oph 2 17 01.2 -30 07 6.5 8.1 14.1 5 M63 063 5055 CVn 5 13 15.8 +42 02 8.6 8.7 10x6 8x4 M64 064 4826 Com 5 12 56.7 +21 41 8.5 8.7 9.3x5.4 8x4 M65 065 3623 Leo 5 11 18.9 +13 05 9.3 8.9 8x1.5 11x4 M66 066 3627 Leo 5 11 20.2 +12 59 8.9 8.6 8x2.5 9x5 M67 067 2682 Cnc 1 08 50.4 +11 49 6.1 7.6 30.0 12x10 M68 068 4590 Hya 2 12 39.5 -26 45 7.8 8.4 12.0 5 M69 069 6637 Sgr 2 18 31.4 -32 21 7.6 7.9 7.1 3 M70 070 6681 Sgr 2 18 43.2 -32 18 7.9 8.4 7.8 2 M71 071 6838 Sge 2 19 53.8 +18 47 8.2 8.8 7.2 7 M72 072 6981 Aqr 2 20 53.5 -12 32 9.3 9.0 5.9 4 M73 073 6994 Aqr A 20 58.9 -12 38 9.0 9.5 2.8 2 M74 074 628 Psc 5 01 36.7 +15 47 9.4 9.5 10.2x9.5 9 M75 075 6864 Sgr 2 20 06.1 -21 55 8.5 8.7 6.0 2 M76 076 650 Per 3 01 42.4 +51 34 10.1 9.6 2.7x1.8 3x2 M77 077 1068 Cet 5 02 42.7 -00 01 8.9 8.9 7x6 2 M78 078 2068 Ori 4 05 46.7 +00 03 8.3 8.4 8x6 8 M79 079 1904 Lep 2 05 24.5 -24 33 7.7 8.1 8.7 3 M80 080 6093 Sco 2 16 17.0 -22 59 7.3 8.1 8.9 3 M81 081 3031 UMa 5 09 55.6 +69 04 6.9 8.2 21x10 9x3 M82 082 3034 UMa 7 09.55.8 +69 41 8.4 8.3 9x4 9x2 M83 083 5236 Hya 5 13 37.0 -29 52 7.6 7.9 11x10 10x7 M84 084 4374 Vir 8 12 25.1 +12 53 9.1 8.8 5.0 5 M85 085 4382 Com 8 12 25.4 +18 11 9.1 8.9 7.1x5.2 4 M86 086 4406 Vir 8 12 26.2 +12 57 8.9 8.8 7.5x5.5 5 M87 087 4486 Vir 6 12 30.8 +12 24 8.6 8.7 7.0 5 M88 088 4501 Com 5 12 32.0 +14 25 9.6 9.4 7x4 8x3 M89 089 4552 Vir 6 12 35.7 +12 33 9.8 9.1 4.0 3 M90 090 4569 Vir 5 12 36.8 +13 10 9.5 9.3 9.5x4.5 6x2 M91 091 4548 Com 5 12 35.4 +14 30 10.2 9.9 5.4x4.4 3 M92 092 6341 Her 2 17 17.1 +43 08 6.4 6.9 11.2 8 M93 093 2447 Pup 1 07 44.6 -23 52 6.0 5.8 22.0 12x8 M94 094 4736 CVn 5 12 50.9 +41 07 8.2 8.4 7x3 4 M95 095 3351 Leo 5 10 44.0 +11 42 9.7 9.5 4.4x3.3 7 M96 096 3368 Leo 5 10 46.8 +11 49 9.2 9.1 6x4 8x4 M97 097 3587 UMa 3 11 14.8 +55 01 9.9 9.7 3.4x3.3 6 M98 098 4192 Com 5 12 13.8 +14 54 10.1 9.8 9.5x3.2 8x3 M99 099 4254 Com 5 12 18.8 +14 25 9.9 9.4 5.4x4.8 6 M100 100 4321 Com 5 12 22.9 +15 49 9.3 9.6 7x6 7 M101 101 5457 UMa 5 14 03.2 +54 21 7.9 8.8 22.0 14 M102? 102? 5866 Dra 8 15 06.5 +55 46 9.9 9.6 5.2x2.3 4x2 M103 103 581 Cas 1 01 33.2 +60 42 7.4 7.0 6.0 8 M104 104 4594 Vir 5 12 40.0 -11 37 8.0 8.8 9x4 7x4 M105 105 3379 Leo 6 10 47.8 +12 35 9.3 9.1 2.0 4 M106 106 4258 CVn 5 12 19.0 +47 18 8.4 8.8 19x8 11x5 M107 107 6171 Oph 2 16 32.5 -13 03 7.9 9.0 10.0 5 M108 108 3556 UMa 5 11 11.5 +55 40 10.0 9.4 8x1 7x2 M109 109 3992 UMa 5 11 57.6 +53 23 9.8 9.6 7x4 4 M110 110 205 And 6 00 40.4 +41 41 8.5 8.7 17x10 10x8

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

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Last Modification: 14 Feb 1998, 17:20 MET