Messier Object Astronomy Pictures of the Day

Since June 16, 1995, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell and Jay Norris provide Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), an online presentation of a selected astronomy image, updated daily. Among these images are of course many Messier object images - also see their pictorial Messier index and their search engine created Messier list. Below we list the result of an overall scan of the APOD images.

Please email me any errors and omissions ..

M1:

June 24 1995: Gamma Ray Crab, Geminga (Compton GRO)
July 25 1995: M1: The Crab Nebula (Univ. Oregon collection)
November 22 1995: M1: The Exploding Crab Nebula (David Malin/Jay Pasachoff)
November 23 1995: M1: Polarization of the Crab (David Malin/Jay Pasachoff)
June 26 1996: Happy Birthday Charles Messier: M1 (NOAO)
September 9 1996, November 22 1998: The High Energy Crab Nebula (UIT)
February 7 1997, February 8 1998: M1: Filaments of the Crab Nebula (S. Kohle/T. Credner)
September 5 1998, June 2 2001: The Pulsar Powered Crab (HST, Hester/Scowen)
September 29 1999: The Crab Nebula in X-Rays (Chandra X-ray Observatory)
November 22 1999, March 25 2001: The Crab Nebula from VLT
June 5 2000: In the Heart of the Crab (HST)

M2:

June 11 2001: Globular Cluster M2 (KPNO/NOAO)

M3:

December 6 1996, July 19 1998: Globular Cluster M3 (P. Challis, FLWO)
September 17 1999: M3: Half a Million Stars (Barbara Mochejska, Univ. Warsaw)

M4:

September 10 1995, November 2 1997, September 10 2000: White Dwarf Stars Cool (HST)
March 12 1996: The Colorful Clouds of Rho Ophiuchi (David Malin)
September 22 1997, May 21 2000: Antares and Rho Ophiuchi (David Malin)
May 23 2000: M4: The Closest Known Globular Cluster (KPNO)

M5:

October 19 1995: Globular Cluster M5 (David Malin)

M6:

January 6 1999: M6: The Butterfly Cluster (KPNO)

M7:

April 5 2000: The M7 Open Star Cluster in Scorpius (KPNO)

M8:

January 27 1996: M8: An Open Cluster in the Lagoon (Univ. Oregon collection)
August 20 1996: A Close-Up of the Lagoon Nebula (HST)
August 21 1996: A Close-Up of the Lagoon's Hourglass (HST)
October 24 1996: Starbirth in the Lagoon Nebula (G. Bernstein, U. Mich./CTIO)
January 23 1997, August 22 1998, September 25 1999: Twistin' by the Lagoon (HST)
July 7 1998: M8: The Lagoon Nebula (UKS)
January 3 2001: M8: In the Center of the Lagoon Nebula (Y. Kitahara)
June 15 2001: Messiers and Mars (Michael Cole; shows Mars with M8, M20, M21)
August 20, 2001: The Lagoon Nebula in Three Colors (R. Barba, N. Morrell et al./UNLP, CTIO)

M10:

March 12 1999, June 30 2001: Hydrogen, Helium, and the Stars of M10 (Credner/Kohle)

M11:

January 16 1996, October 22 2000: Wild Duck Open Cluster M11 (David Malin)

M13:

August 19 1998: M13: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules
January 23 2000: A Message From Earth, sent to M13 (Frank Drake/Arecibo)
March 1 2000: M13: The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules (Yuugi Kitahara)

M14:

November 12 1996: Comet Hale-Bopp Passes M14 (D. Hanon)

M15:

July 26 1995: M15: A Great Globular Cluster (FLWO image/Univ. Oregon collection)
November 20 1995, January 17 1996: At the Core of M15 (HST)
August 4 2000: M15: Dense Globular Star Cluster (HST, STScI PRC 00-25)
September 20 2001: X-Ray Stars in M15 (Chandra, LHEA)

M16:

November 1 1995: M16: Dust and an Open Cluster (David Malin)
November 6 1995: M16: Stars Upon Pillars (HST)
November 7 1995: Eagle EGGs in M16 (HST)
January 18 1997: M16: Nebula With Star Cluster (David Malin)
January 19 1997: From Eagle's EGGs A Star Is Born (HST)
July 18 1997: Blue Stars and Red Pillars (P. Challis, FLWO)
July 30 1997: Eagle Castle (P. Challis, FLWO)
February 28 1998, April 2 2000, August 12 2001: Eagle EGGs in M16 (HST)
April 12 1998, May 2 1999, September 24 2000: Stars from Eagle's EGGs (HST)
September 14 2001: Cold Dust in the Eagle Nebula (ESO)

M17:

August 29 1996: M17: The Majestic Swan Nebula (B. Wallis/R. Provin)
January 26 1999, December 11 2000: M17: The Omega Nebula/Composing the Omega Nebula (Todd Boroson/K.M. Merrill, KPNO)
September 19 2000: M17: Omega Nebula Star Factory (ESO NTT)

M19:

July 19 2000: Globular Cluster M19 (KPNO 0.9-meter telescope)

M20:

July 23 1995: M20: The Trifid Nebula (Hopkins Observatory, Karen Gloria; Univ. of Oregon collection)
December 21 1995: Hot Stars in the Trifid Nebula (David Malin)
August 28 1997: Infrared Trifid (ISO)
December 8 1997: The Trifid Nebula in Red, White and Blue (Jason Ware)
March 31 1998: M20: The Trifid Nebula (David Malin)
August 28 1998: Hydrogen Trifid (David McDavid, Limber Observatory)
June 7 1999: Starbirth in the Trifid Nebula (HST)
June 8 1999: Trifid Pillars & Jets (HST)
March 28 2000: M20: The Trifid Nebula (KPNO 4-meter by Todd Boroson, AURA, NOAO)
June 15 2001: Messiers and Mars (Michael Cole; shows Mars with M8, M20, M21)

M21:

June 15 2001: Messiers and Mars (Michael Cole; shows Mars with M8, M20, M21)

M22:

July 3 2001: Unusual Flashes Toward Globular Cluster M22 (HST)

M27:

July 29 1995: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula (Hopkins Observatory, Karen Gloria; Univ. of Oregon collection)
February 18 1998: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula (David Malin, INT)
October 9 1998, October 23 1999: M27: Not A Comet (ESO VLT/FORS)
October 13 1998: In the Center of the Dumbbell Nebula (ESO VLT/FORS)
March 6 2001: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula (M. Pierce/WIYN)

M31:

July 24 1995, October 9 1996, November 1 1997; M31: The Andromeda Galaxy (Jason Ware)
November 14 1999: M31: The Andromeda Galaxy (Jason Ware; improved version)
December 31 1995: The X-ray Sources of M31 (Rosat)
April 6 1996: Andromeda Nebula: Var! (E. Hubble's Cepheid discovery; Mt. Wilson Observatory Historical Archive)
April 26 1996, October 17 1998: A Giant Globular Cluster in M31 (HST)
October 11 1996: The Double Nucleus of M31 (HST)
April 1 1997: Hale-Bopp and Andromeda
November 25 1997, March 14 1999: The Comet and the Galaxy (J. C. Casado)
April 2 1999: Stars of NGC 206 (FLWO)
January 21 2000: X For Andromeda (M31 by Chandra)
September 8 2000: Andromeda Island Universe (Robert Gendler)
September 17 2001: Southwest Andromeda (Subaru)

M32:

January 6 1996: Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy M32 (Bill Keel, U. Alabama/Lowell O.)
November 3 1999: M32: Blue Stars in an Elliptical Galaxy (HST)

M33:

April 9 1996, March 14 1998: A Spiral Galaxy Gallery (UIT)
July 8 1996: M33: The Triangulum Galaxy (UIT)
August 16 1996: NGC 604: Giant Stellar Nursery in M33 (HST)
March 5 1997, April 11 1998: In the Center of NGC 604: Giant Stellar Nursery (HST)
July 21, 1998: Nearby Spiral M33 (David Malin, INT)
September 27 2001: Elements of Nearby Spiral M33 (King/Massey et.al., KPNO 4-m Mayall)

M42:

July 3 1995: The Great Nebula in Orion (HST 1994)
September 11 1995: Proplyds: Infant Solar Systems (HST 1994)
November 21 1995: M42: Orion Nebula Mosaic (HST 1995)
December 7 1996: Planetary Systems Now Forming in Orion (HST 1995)
January 16 1997: Trapezium: Teardrops in My Skies (HST 1997)
May 11 1997, May 22 1999: M42: A Mosaic of Orion's Great Nebula (HST 1995)
May 23 1997, May 6 2000: The Heart Of Orion (HST)
November 18 1997: In the Center of the Trapezium (HST)
January 27 1998: The Great Nebula in Orion (Jason Ware)
April 21 1998: Water in Orion (David Malin)
June 12 1998: Orion Nebula: The 2MASS View (2MASS)
July 31 1998: IRAS Orion
February 2 1999: The Orion Nebula from Subaru
March 2 1999: The Kleinmann-Low Nebula (Subaru 8.3-m)
September 24 1999: Cometary Globules In Orion (IRAS)
February 4 2000: X-Ray Stars Of Orion (Chandra)
March 31 2000: Free-Floating Planets In Orion (UKIRT)
August 30 2000: The Brown Dwarfs of Orion's Trapezium (NICMOS/HST)
November 22 2000: The Orion Nebula in Hydrogen (Robert Gendler)
January 30 2001: The Orion Nebula from VLT
May 4 2001: Protoplanetary Survivors in Orion (HST PR01-13)

M43 (see also M42 above):

September 14 1999: The Colorful Orion Nebula: Part of M43 and NGC 1973-5-7

M44:

August 3 1998: M44: A Beehive of Stars (Wil Milan)

M45:

June 20 1995: The Pleiades Star Cluster (Mt. Wilson)
September 3 1996, October 18 1997, October 25 1998, February 27 2000, May 6 2001: The Pleiades Star Cluster (David Malin)
March 18 1997, April 5 1998, August 28 1999: X-Ray Pleiades (Rosat)
March 1 1999: Reflection Nebula NGC 1435 (Yuugi Kitahara)
May 24 2000: Pleiades, Planets, And Hot Plasma (near Sun; SOHO)
December 6 2000: Reflecting Merope (IC 349; HST)
March 22 2001: Jupiter, Saturn and Messier 45 (Ken Webb) - also Messier Marathon

M46:

March 5 1999: M46 And NGC 2438: Young And Old (Wil Milan)

M50:

January 28 1997: Open Cluster M50 (S. Kohle/T. Credner)

M51:

December 18 1995, January 25 1997: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy (Bill Keel, U. Alabama/Lowell O.)
April 21 1996: A Supernova in the Whirlpool (HST, STScI PR 94-20)
April 25 1996, May 27 2000: M51: The Center Of The Whirlpool (HST, STScI PRC 96-17)
July 24 2000: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy (NOAO)
April 10 2001: M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy in Dust and Stars (HST, STScI PRC 01-10)

M55:

September 22 2000: M55: Globular Star Cluster (B.J. Mochejska, 1m Swope Telescope)
February 23 2001: M55: Color Magnitude Diagram (B.J. Mochejska, J. Kaluzny, 1m Swope Telescope)

M57:

July 27 1995: M57: The Ring Nebula (Nelson Caldwell/FLWO, from the Univ. of Oregon collection)
May 4 1998: M57: The Ring Nebula (HST)
January 7 1999, July 16 2000, July 29 2001: M57: The Ring (HST Heritage Team)
September 22 1999: Halos Around the Ring Nebula (Subaru 8.3m telescope)

M61:

September 22 1998: M61: Virgo Spiral Galaxy (Zsolt Frei & J. Gunn, Princeton)
April 27 2001: Visitors' Galaxy Gallery (Advanced Observing Program, KPNO Visitor Center; includes M61 by Adam Block)

M63:

June 27 2000: M63: The Sunflower Galaxy (Subaru Telescope, NOAJ)

M64:

December 15 1995, March 22 1997, July 11, 1998: M64: The Sleeping Beauty Galaxy (B. Keel, Univ. Alabama)
March 22 1999: An Infrared Galaxy Gallery (HST NICMOS)

M65:

August 12 1996: Leo Triplet Spiral Galaxy M65 (David Malin)
August 7 1998: M65 Without Moth (W. Keel, U. Alabama/KPNO)

M66:

August 10 1996: Unusual Spiral Galaxy M66 (David Malin)

M74:

April 9 1996, March 14 1998: A Spiral Galaxy Gallery (UIT)
July 9 1996: M74: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy (UIT)
October 4 2001: M74: The Perfect Spiral (Gemini)

M77:

September 10 1996: M77: Spiral with a Strange Glow (UIT)
September 11 1996: In the Center of Spiral M77 (HST)

M78:

April 24 2000: Reflection Nebula M78 (Sloan Digital Sky Survey Collaboration)

M80:

July 7 1999: M80: A Dense Globular Cluster (HST)

M81:

December 3 1995: An X-ray Hot Supernova in M81 (ASCA)
April 9 1996, March 14 1998: A Spiral Galaxy Gallery (UIT)
July 13 1996: M81: A Bulging Spiral Galaxy (UIT)
July 14 1996, July 26, 1997: M81 in True Color (Greg Bothun, U. Oregon and Bill Keel, U. Alabama)
February 9 2000: Galaxy Wars: M81 Versus M82 (R. Gendler)

M82:

July 28 1995: M82: An Irregular Galaxy (Univ. of Oregon collection)
November 18 1996, March 15 1998: Unusual M82: The Cigar Galaxy (P. Challis, FLWO)
December 16 1999: Supernova Remnant In M82
February 9 2000: Galaxy Wars: M81 Versus M82 (R. Gendler)
April 4 2000: A Superwind from the Cigar Galaxy (FOCAS, Subaru 8.3-m Telescope, NAOJ)
April 21 2000: M82: Starburst In X-rays (Chandra XO)
September 14 2000: M82's Middle Mass "Black Hole" (CXO)
March 12 2001: M82 After the Crash (HST, STScI PR 01-08)

M83:

September 12 1995, April 19 1997: Spiral Galaxy M83 (David Malin)
May 25 1998: M83: A Barred Spiral Galaxy (W. Keel, U. Alabama/KPNO)
September 26 1999: M83: A Barred Spiral Galaxy (David Malin)
December 6 1999: M83: The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy from VLT
November 6 2001: In the Center of Spiral Galaxy M83 (HST/Chandra/R. Soria)

M84:

November 13 1995: Virgo Cluster Galaxies (Malin)
May 16 1997: Signed, "A Black Hole" (HST)

M86:

November 13 1995: Virgo Cluster Galaxies (Malin)
April 19 1996: The Virgo Cluster: Hot Plasma and Dark Matter (Rosat)

M87:

September 13 1995: Elliptical Galaxy M87 (David Malin)
March 5 1996, April 5 1997: A Black Hole in M87's Center? (HST)
April 19 1996: The Virgo Cluster: Hot Plasma and Dark Matter (Rosat)
February 16 1999: The Large and Small of M87 (NRAO Radio pics)
July 6, 2000: A Jet from Galaxy M87 (HST, STScI PRC-00-20)
November 1, 2001: M87's Energetic Jet (Chandra)

M90:

March 16 1986: Spiral Galaxy M90 (Bill Keel, Univ. Alabama)

M94:

October 16 1995: Starburst Galaxy M94 (UIT)
June 13 2001: M94: Beyond the Blue (UIT/Astro 2)

M97:

October 3 2001: The Planetary Nebula Show (A. Block/AOP), including M97

M100:

June 26 1995: The Spiral Galaxy M100 (HST)
January 9 1996: M100 and the Expanding Universe (HST)
January 10 1996: The Cepheids of M100 (HST)
June 1 1997, June 6 1998, February 3 2001: M100: A Grand Design (HST)

M101:

June 27 1995: Ultraviolet Image of Messier 101 (UIT)
June 8 1997, June 10 2000: M101: An Ultraviolet View (UIT)
August 5, 1997: M101: The Pinwheel Galaxy (W. Keel, U. Alabama/KPNO)
April 20 1999: Candidates for a Hypernova (Y. Chu/HST)

M103:

February 7 2001: Distant Open Cluster M103 (NOAO)

M104:

November 9 1995, February 8 1997: M104: The Sombrero Galaxy (Boroson/Keel, Univ. Alabama/KPNO)
February 23 1998, August 15 1999: M104: The Sombrero Galaxy (David Malin)
February 28 2000, October 21 2001: The Sombrero Galaxy from VLT
May 5 2001: Spirals On Edge (Robert Gendler; includes M104)

M105:

January 14 1997, October 17 1999: Black Holes in Galactic Centers (HST; M105, NGC 3377, NGC 4486B)

M106:

February 15 2000: M106: A Spiral Galaxy with a Strange Core (Ron & Beth Sharer, AOP/KPNO)

M110:

January 8 1996: Local Group Galaxy NGC 205 (Bill Keel, Univ. Alabama/Lowell O.)
October 23 2000: Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 205 in the Local Group (CFHT)

Charles Messier:

June 26 1996: Happy Birthday Charles Messier: M1 (NOAO)

The Messier Marathon:

March 18 1999, March 11 2000: Messier Marathon (P. Gitto poster)
March 22 2001: Jupiter, Saturn and Messier 45 (Ken Webb) - Messier Marathon 2001

Galactic Center:

November 11 1997, September 11 1999: The Annotated Galactic Center (Bill Keel, Univ. Alabama)
January 28, 1999: The Galactic Center - A Radio Mystery (VLA/NRAO)
June 21 1999, July 8, 2001: The Galactic Center in Infrared (2MASS)
January 20 2000: X-Rays From The Galactic Center (CXO)
April 22 2000: Journey to the Center of the Galaxy (MSX, Midcourse Space Experiment IR pic)
June 29 2000: Galactic Centre Starscape (ISO)
July 5 2000: The Galactic Center Across the Infrared (2MASS)
October 17 2000: Gemini North Images Bow Shock Near Galactic Center (Gemini/AURA)
December 20 2000: Sgr A*: Fast Stars Near the Galactic Center (ESO)

Virgo Cluster of Galaxies:

April 19 1996: The Virgo Cluster: Hot Plasma and Dark Matter (Rosat)
February 20 2000: The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies (DSS/POSS)
January 26 2001: Galaxies Of The Virgo Cluster (Matt BenDaniel)

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

Last Modification: 6 Nov 2001