Messier objects
The 110 Messier objects — the nebulae, star clusters and galaxies catalogued by Charles Messier and his colleagues in the 18th century, from the Crab Nebula (M1) to M110. One row per object, with its NGC/IC number, common name, type, distance, constellation, brightness, apparent size and sky position.
Columns
Stable keys — use them in the API, SQL and code
| Key | Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| messier_number | No. | integer | Number in the Messier catalogue (M1 = 1). |
| designation | Messier | string | Messier designation, e.g. M31. |
| name | Common name | string | Popular name, where the object has one. |
| wikidata | Wikidata | entity | — |
| ngc_ic | NGC/IC | string | Number in the New General Catalogue or Index Catalogue. |
| object_type | Type | string | Kind of object, e.g. Globular cluster, Spiral galaxy, Planetary nebula. |
| distance_kly_min | Distance | number · kly | Distance from Earth in thousands of light-years (low end where a range is given). |
| distance_kly_max | Distance (high) | number · kly | High end of the distance range; same as Distance when a single value is given. |
| constellation | Constellation | string | — |
| apparent_magnitude | Magnitude | number | Apparent visual magnitude (lower is brighter). |
| apparent_size | Apparent size | string | Apparent dimensions on the sky. |
| ra | Right ascension | string | — |
| dec | Declination | string | — |
| ra_hours | RA | number · h | Right ascension in decimal hours (computed). |
| dec_deg | Dec | number · ° | Declination in decimal degrees (computed; + north, − south). |
More in Space & Astronomy
Confirmed exoplanets
Every confirmed planet outside the Solar System in the NASA Exoplanet Archive, with its host star, discovery details, orbit, size, mass and temperature. One row per planet.
Stars visible to the naked eye
Every star in the HYG stellar database with apparent visual magnitude 6.5 or brighter, roughly the limit of naked-eye visibility under a dark sky. One row per star, with name, constellation, brightness, distance, spectral type and position.
Meteorites: observed falls and large finds
Meteorites recognised by the Meteoritical Society, as compiled in NASA's Meteorite Landings dataset: every meteorite whose fall was witnessed, plus every meteorite found later that weighs at least 1 kg. One row per meteorite, with class, recovered mass, year and location.
Comets
Every comet with an orbit in NASA JPL's Small-Body Database, from Halley's Comet to Hale-Bopp. One row per comet, with orbit type, period, perihelion distance and date, eccentricity, inclination, size where known and observation span.
Fireballs and bolides detected by U.S. government sensors
Bright meteors (fireballs and bolides) — small asteroids exploding in Earth's atmosphere — detected by U.S. government sensors and reported by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, since 1988. One row per event, with time, location, altitude, speed and energy.
Objects launched into space by country and year
Number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecraft and space-station modules launched into Earth orbit or beyond, by country and year since 1957, from the UN register of space objects. One row is one country in one year.