Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M106 (NGC 4258) Spiral Galaxy 12h 18m 58s +47° 18′ 14″ Canes Venatici +8.3 17.0×7.2 arcmin Overview M106 is one of those curious entries in the Messier catalog that wasn’t actually added by Messier himself. The galaxy was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 but was added …
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M63 (NGC 5055) Spiral Galaxy 13h 15m 49s +42° 01′ 45″ Canes Venatici +8.52 11.8×7.2 arcmins Overview This galaxy, as you can see below, produces a stunning image of vast, roiling clouds of stars. It’s not a big leap of the imagination to see why it is …
Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitudes Size NGC 4449 (Caldwell 21) Irregular Barred Dwarf Galaxy 12h 28m 11s +44° 05′ 37″ Canes Venatici +9.15 4.7 x 2.7 arcmin Overview The Box Galaxy fooled astronomers for 150 years into thinking it was a nebula. When you see the image below, it’s hard to imagine that …
Target Type R.A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M94 (NGC 4736)Croc’s Eye Galaxy Spiral Galaxy 12h 50m 23s +41° 07′ 13″ Canes Venatici 7.88 7.7 x 6.7 arcmin Overview When Charles Messier first set eyes on this galaxy, he believed it to be a nebula. That’s not surprising, for two reasons: it’s easy to see that …
Target Type Right Ascension Declination Constellation Magnitude Size M3 Globular Cluster 13h 43m 07s +28° 16′ 39″ Canes Venatici +6.2 18.0 arcminutes The Jellyfish cluster is a globular cluster in the tiny constellation of Canes Venatici, and is the third entry in the Messier catalogue. It is a bright cluster on the cusp of being …
