As the Earth orbits the Sun, every object in the sky once comes into the position opposite from the Sun, as seen from Earth (so-called opposition); then its daily meridian transit (culmination) occurs at midnight. More acurately, the date given is the only day in the year when there occur two culminations: One shortly (within 4 minutes) after 0:00 midnight, and the second shortly (again, within 4 minutes) before 24:00, or the next day's 0:00 midnight (this reflects the fact that there are about 366.25 siderial days in an about 365.25 solar days year, i.e. exactly one day more).
Key:
M# NGC# Con Type RA Dec m D MC
M1 1952 Tau 9 05:34.5 +22:01 8.4 6x4 Dec 14 M2 7089 Aqr 2 21:33.5 -00:49 6.5 12.9 Aug 14 M3 5272 CVn 2 13:42.2 +28:23 6.2 16.2 Apr 17 M4 6121 Sco 2 16:23.6 -26:32 5.6 26.3 May 28 M5 5904 Ser 2 15:18.6 +02:05 5.6 17.4 May 11 M6 6405 Sco 1 17:40.1 -32:13 5.3 15.0 Jun 16 M7 6475 Sco 1 17:53.9 -34:49 4.1 80.0 Jun 20 M8 6523 Sgr 4 18:03.8 -24:23 6.0 60x35 Jun 22 M9 6333 Oph 2 17:19.2 -18:31 7.7 9.3 Jun 11 M10 6254 Oph 2 16:57.1 -04:06 6.6 15.1 Jun 5 M11 6705 Sct 1 18:51.1 -06:16 6.3 14.0 Jul 4 M12 6218 Oph 2 16:47.2 -01:57 6.7 14.5 Jun 3 M13 6205 Her 2 16:41.7 +36:28 5.8 16.6 Jun 1 M14 6402 Oph 2 17:37.6 -03:15 7.6 11.7 Jun 16 M15 7078 Peg 2 21:30.0 +12:10 6.2 12.3 Aug 14 M16 6611 Ser 1 18:18.8 -13:47 6.4 7.0 Jun 26 M17 6618 Sgr 4 18:20.8 -16:11 7.0 11.0 Jun 27 M18 6613 Sgr 1 18:19.9 -17:08 7.5 9.0 Jun 26 M19 6273 Oph 2 17:02.6 -26:16 6.8 13.5 Jun 7 M20 6514 Sgr 4 18:02.6 -23:02 9.0 28.0 Jun 22 M21 6531 Sgr 1 18:04.6 -22:30 6.5 13.0 Jun 22 M22 6656 Sgr 2 18:36.4 -23:54 5.1 24.0 Jun 30 M23 6494 Sgr 1 17:56.8 -19:01 6.9 27.0 Jun 20 M24 >6603 Sgr B 18:16.9 -18:29 4.6 90 Jun 26 M25 I4725 Sgr 1 18:31.6 -19:15 6.5 40.0 Jun 29 M26 6694 Sct 1 18:45.2 -09:24 8.0 15.0 Jul 3 M27 6853 Vul 3 19:59.6 +22:43 7.4 8.0x5.7 Jul 22 M28 6626 Sgr 2 18:24.5 -24:52 6.8 11.2 Jun 27 M29 6913 Cyg 1 20:23.9 +38:32 7.1 7.0 Jul 28 M30 7099 Cap 2 21:40.4 -23:11 7.2 11.0 Aug 16 M31 224 And 5 00:42.7 +41:16 3.4 178x63 Oct 1 M32 221 And 6 00:42.7 +40:52 8.1 8x6 Oct 1 M33 598 Tri 5 01:33.9 +30:39 5.7 73x45 Oct 14 M34 1039 Per 1 02:42.0 +42:47 5.5 35.0 Nov 1 M35 2168 Gem 1 06:08.9 +24:20 5.3 28.0 Dec 23 M36 1960 Aur 1 05:36.1 +34:08 6.3 12.0 Dec 15 M37 2099 Aur 1 05:52.4 +32:33 6.2 24.0 Dec 19 M38 1922 Aur 1 05:28.4 +35:50 7.4 21.0 Dec 13 M39 7092 Cyg 1 21:32.2 +48:26 4.6 32.0 Aug 14 M40 Win4 UMa C 12:22.4 +58:05 8.4 0.8 Mar 28 M41 2287 CMa 1 06:46.0 -20:44 4.6 38.0 Jan 1 M42 1976 Ori 4 05:35.4 -05:27 4.0 85x60 Dec 15 M43 1982 Ori 4 05:35.6 -05:16 9.0 20x15 Dec 15 M44 2632 Cnc 1 08:40.1 +19:59 3.7 95.0 Jan 30 M45 - Tau 1 03:47.0 +24:07 1.6 110.0 Nov 17 M46 2437 Pup 1 07:41.8 -14:49 6.0 27.0 Jan 15 M47 2422 Pup 1 07:36.6 -14:30 5.2 30.0 Jan 14 M48 2548 Hya 1 08:13.8 -05:48 5.5 54.0 Jan 24 M49 4472 Vir 6 12:29.8 +08:00 8.4 9x7.5 Mar 30 M50 2323 Mon 1 07:03.2 -08:20 6.3 16.0 Jan 6 M51 5194 CVn 5 13:29.9 +47:12 8.4 11x7 Apr 14 M52 7654 Cas 1 23:24.2 +61:35 7.3 13.0 Sep 11 M53 5024 Com 2 13:12.9 +18:10 7.6 12.6 Apr 9 M54 6715 Sgr 2 18:55.1 -30:29 7.6 9.1 Jul 5 M55 6809 Sgr 2 19:40.0 -30:58 6.3 19.0 Jul 17 M56 6779 Lyr 2 19:16.6 +30:11 8.3 7.1 Jul 11 M57 6720 Lyr 3 18:53.6 +33:02 8.8 1.4x1.0 Jul 5 M58 4579 Vir 5 12:37.7 +11:49 9.7 5.5x4.5 Apr 1 M59 4621 Vir 6 12:42.0 +11:39 9.6 5x3.5 Apr 2 M60 4649 Vir 6 12:43.7 +11:33 8.8 7x6 Apr 2 M61 4303 Vir 5 12:21.9 +04:28 9.7 6x5.5 Mar 28 M62 6266 Oph 2 17:01.2 -30:07 6.5 14.1 Jun 6 M63 5055 CVn 5 13:15.8 +42:02 8.6 10x6 Apr 10 M64 4826 Com 5 12:56.7 +21:41 8.5 9.3x5.4 Apr 5 M65 3623 Leo 5 11:18.9 +13:05 9.3 8x1.5 Mar 12 M66 3627 Leo 5 11:20.2 +12:59 8.9 8x2.5 Mar 12 M67 2682 Cnc 1 08:50.4 +11:49 6.1 30.0 Feb 2 M68 4590 Hya 2 12:39.5 -26:45 7.8 12.0 Apr 1 M69 6637 Sgr 2 18:31.4 -32:21 7.6 7.1 Jun 29 M70 6681 Sgr 2 18:43.2 -32:18 7.9 7.8 Jul 2 M71 6838 Sge 2 19:53.8 +18:47 8.2 7.2 Jul 20 M72 6981 Aqr 2 20:53.5 -12:32 9.3 5.9 Aug 4 M73 6994 Aqr A 20:58.9 -12:38 9.0 2.8 Aug 6 M74 628 Psc 5 01:36.7 +15:47 9.4 10.2x9.5 Oct 15 M75 6864 Sgr 2 20:06.1 -21:55 8.5 6.0 Jul 23 M76 650 Per 3 01:42.4 +51:34 10.1 2.7x1.8 Oct 17 M77 1068 Cet 5 02:42.7 -00:01 8.9 7x6 Nov 1 M78 2068 Ori 4 05:46.7 +00:03 8.3 8x6 Dec 18 M79 1904 Lep 2 05:24.5 -24:33 7.7 8.7 Dec 12 M80 6093 Sco 2 16:17.0 -22:59 7.3 8.9 May 26 M81 3031 UMa 5 09:55.6 +69:04 6.9 21x10 Feb 18 M82 3034 UMa 7 09:55.8 +69:41 8.4 9x4 Feb 18 M83 5236 Hya 5 13:37.0 -29:52 7.6 11x10 Apr 16 M84 4374 Vir 8 12:25.1 +12:53 9.1 5.0 Mar 28 M85 4382 Com 8 12:25.4 +18:11 9.1 7.1x5.2 Mar 28 M86 4406 Vir 8 12:26.2 +12:57 8.9 7.5x5.5 Mar 29 M87 4486 Vir 6 12:30.8 +12:24 8.6 7.0 Mar 30 M88 4501 Com 5 12:32.0 +14:25 9.6 7x4 Mar 30 M89 4552 Vir 6 12:35.7 +12:33 9.8 4.0 Mar 31 M90 4569 Vir 5 12:36.8 +13:10 9.5 9.5x4.5 Mar 31 M91 4548 Com 5 12:35.4 +14:30 10.2 5.4x4.4 Mar 31 M92 6341 Her 2 17:17.1 +43:08 6.4 11.2 Jun 10 M93 2447 Pup 1 07:44.6 -23:52 6.0 22.0 Jan 16 M94 4736 CVn 5 12:50.9 +41:07 8.2 7x3 Apr 4 M95 3351 Leo 5 10:44.0 +11:42 9.7 4.4x3.3 Mar 3 M96 3368 Leo 5 10:46.8 +11:49 9.2 6x4 Mar 3 M97 3587 UMa 3 11:14.8 +55:01 9.9 3.4x3.3 Mar 10 M98 4192 Com 5 12:13.8 +14:54 10.1 9.5x3.2 Mar 25 M99 4254 Com 5 12:18.8 +14:25 9.9 5.4x4.8 Mar 27 M100 4321 Com 5 12:22.9 +15:49 9.3 7x6 Mar 28 M101 5457 UMa 5 14:03.2 +54:21 7.9 22.0 Apr 22 M102? 5866 Dra 8 15:06.5 +55:46 9.9 5.2x2.3 May 8 M103 581 Cas 1 01:33.2 +60:42 7.4 6.0 Oct 14 M104 4594 Vir 5 12:40.0 -11:37 8.0 9x4 Apr 1 M105 3379 Leo 6 10:47.8 +12:35 9.3 2.0 Mar 4 M106 4258 CVn 5 12:19.0 +47:18 8.4 19x8 Mar 27 M107 6171 Oph 2 16:32.5 -13:03 7.9 10.0 May 30 M108 3556 UMa 5 11:11.5 +55:40 10.0 8x1 Mar 10 M109 3992 UMa 5 11:57.6 +53:23 9.8 7x4 Mar 21 M110 205 And 6 00:40.4 +41:41 8.5 17x10 Oct 1
Last Modification: 14 Feb 1998, 17:20 MET