M# NGC# Con T ra dec b r ----------------------------------- M# = Messier Catalog Number NGC# = NGC (New General Catalog) Number Con = Constellation Abbreviation T = Type {1= Open Cluster 2= Globular Cluster 3= Planetary Nebula 4= Diffuse Nebula 5= Spiral Galaxy 6= Elliptical Galaxy 7= Irregular Galaxy 8= Binary Star System} ra = Right Ascension in hours minutes dec = Declination in degrees minutes b = visual magnitude r = distance in thousands of light-years ------------------------------------ During the years from 1730 to 1817 Charles Messier complied a list of approximately 100 diffuse objects that could always be seen by the naked eye. The Messier Catalog contains a majority of the most beautiful objects in the sky including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.