MESSIER NUMBERTYPEDISTANCE(light years)NAME
M1 nebula6,300Crab (supernova in 1054)
M2 globular cluster36,800
M3 globular cluster32,300
M4 globular cluster9,900
M5 globular cluster24,800
M6 open cluster2,000Butterfly
M7 open cluster780
M8 nebula dif5,150Lagoon Nebula
M9 globular cluster22,500
M10 globular cluster14,300
M11 open cluster5,600Wild Duck Cluster
M12 globular cluster17,900
M13 globular cluster23,500Hercules Cluster
M14 globular cluster33,300
M15 globular cluster30,600
M16 nebula dif8,200Eagle Nebula
M17 nebula dif5,700Swan or Omega Nebula
M18 open cluster4,900
M19 globular cluster34,600
M20 nebula dif6,650Trifid Nebula
M21 open cluster4,200
M22 globular cluster10,100
M23 open cluster2,100
M24 asterism16,000
M25 open cluster1,900
M26 open cluster5,100
M27 nebula plan.980Dumbbell Nebula
M28 globular cluster19,900
M29 open cluster4,100
M30 globular cluster26,700
M31 galaxy2,300,000Andromeda galaxy
M32 galaxy2,300,000
M33 galaxy2,400,000Pinwheel galaxy
M34 open cluster1,400
M35 open cluster2,800
M36 open cluster4,100
M37 open cluster4,400
M38 open cluster4,300
M39 open cluster 880
M40 asterism
M41 open cluster 2,300
M42 nebula dif1,550Great Orion Nebula
M43 nebula dif1,550
M44 open cluster525Beehive Cluster
M45 open cluster400Pleiades or Seven Sisters
M46 open cluster5,400
M47 open cluster100
M48 open cluster2,000
M49 galaxy58,000,000
M50 open cluster3,000
M51 galaxy35,000,000Whirlpool galaxy
M52 open cluster5,200
M53 globular cluster55,400
M54 globular cluster70,100
M55 globular cluster17,000
M56 globular cluster31,000
M57 nebula plan.2,000Ring Nebula
M58 galaxy58,000,000
M59 galaxy58,000,000
M60 galaxy58,000,000
M61 galaxy58,000,000
M62 globular cluster19,600
M63 galaxy35,000,000Sunflower galaxy
M64 galaxy25,000,000Black Eye galaxy
M65 galaxy29,000,000
M66 galaxy29,000,000
M67 open cluster2,600
M68 globular cluster31,300
M69 globular cluster33,600
M70 globular cluster35,200
M71 globular cluster18,000
M72 globular cluster56,400
M73 asterism
M74 galaxy
M75 globular cluster59,300
M76 nebula plan.3,600Little Dumbbell
M77 galaxy60,000,000Seyfert galaxy
M78 nebula dif
M79 globular cluster43,400
M80 globular cluster27,100
M81 galaxy7,400,000
M82 galaxy7,000,000
M83 galaxy10,000,000
M84 galaxy58,000,000
M85 galaxy40,000,000
M86 galaxy58,000,000
M87 galaxy58,000,000
M88 galaxy
M89 galaxy58,000,000
M90 galaxy58,000,000
M91 galaxy
M92 globular cluster25,400
M93 open cluster3,600
M94 galaxy20,000,000
M95 galaxy29,000,000
M96 galaxy29,000,000
M97 nebula plan.1,300Owl Nebula
M98 galaxy35,000,000
M99 galaxy47,000,000
M100 galaxy40,000,000
M101 galaxy15,000,000
M102 galaxy (?)
M103 open cluster8,500
M104 galaxy40,000,000Sombreo galaxy
M105 galaxy
M106 galaxy
M107 globular cluster19,200
M108 galaxy
M109 galaxy
M110 galaxy2,300,000

* A LIGHT YEAR is a measure of distance. It's the distance light will travel in 1 year at the speed of 186,282 miles per second.

1 light year = 5.88 trillion miles

Note: These distances are the best estimates I gotten from several sources. Burhanham's, Voyager, and some "experts" on the net who felt the distances in Burnhams were too small.

These values may well change over time given different assumptions about standards for judging distances in space.

rn97