Caldwell Catalog

The Messier Catalog is a list of 110 of the brightest deep sky objects (including star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies) visible from the Northern Hemisphere. Although the 18th century catalog was originally compiled to help Messier identify new comets from static deep sky objects uncovered in his searches, the list has become a favorite of amateur astronomers.

In 1995, Sir Patrick Caldwell-Moore noted that the Messiar catalog does not include a number of bright deep sky objects, nor does it cover any Southern Hemisphere objects south of declination -35°. He compiled a new catalog to compliment the Messier Catalog by including the "missing" objects and to extend the list to cover the Southern Hemisphere.

The resulting Caldwell Catalog is a collection of 109 of the most impressive celestial objects culled from the NGC and IC catalogs that were not included in Messier's list. Objects in the Caldwell Catalog are organized in descending declination, while objects in Messier's Catalog are listed in order of discovery.

The table below lists details about every deep sky object in the Caldwell Catalog. The Caldwell Catalog Photo Gallery is a long-term project to image each of the objects in this catalog.


Caldwell Catalog
CNGCTypeMag.Size
arc_min
Distance (ly)RA
(hr_min)
Dec
(dg_min)
ConViewing SeasonCommon Name _________________
1 188 Oc 8.1 14 4800 00 44.4 +85 20 Cep autumn
2 40 Pl 11.6 0.6 3500 00 13.0 +72 32 Cep autumn Bow Tie Nebula
3 4236 Sb 9.7 21x7 7 million 12 16.7 +69 28 Dra spring
4 7023 Bn 6.8 18x18 1400 21 01.8 +68 12 Cep autumn Iris Nebula
5 IC 342 Sp 9.2 18x17 13 million 03 46.8 +68 06 Cam winter
6 6543 Pl 8.8 0.3/5.8 3000 17 58.6 +66 38 Dra summer Cat's Eye Nebula
7 2403 Sp 8.9 18x10 14 million 07 36.9 +65 36 Cam winter
8 559 Oc 9.5 4 3700 01 29.5 +63 18 Cas autumn
9 Sh2-155 Bn 7.7 50x10 2800 22 56.8 +62 37 Cep autumn Cave Nebula
10 663 Oc 7.1 16 7200 01 46.0 +61 15 Cas autumn
11 7635 Bn 7.0 15x8 7100 23 20.7 +61 12 Cas autumn Bubble nebula
12 6946 Sp 9.7 11x9 18 million 20 34.8 +60 09 Cep summer
13 457 Oc 6.4 13 - 01 19.1 +58 20 Cas autumn Owl or E.T. Cluster
14 869/884 Oc 4.3 30 & 30 7300 02 20.0 +57 08 Per autumn Double Cluster, h & chi Persei
15 6826 Pl 9.8 0.5/2.3 2200 19 44.8 +50 31 Cyg summer Blinking Planetary
16 7243 Oc 6.4 21 2500 22 15.3 +49 53 Lac autumn
17 147 El 9.3 13x8 2300000 00 33.2 +48 30 Cas autumn
18 185 El 9.2 12x9 2300000 00 39.0 +48 20 Cas autumn
19 IC 5146 Bn 10.0 12x12 3300 21 53.5 +47 16 Cyg autumn Cocoon Nebula
20 7000 Bn 6.0 120x100 1800 20 58.8 +44 20 Cyg summer North America Nebula
21 4449 Ir 9.4 5x3 10 million 12 28.2 +44 06 CVn spring
22 7662 Pl 9.2 0.3/2.2 3200 23 25.9 +42 33 And autumn Blue Snowball
23 891 Sb 9.9 14x2 31 million 02 22.6 +42 21 And autumn
24 1275 Sx 11.6 2.6x1 230 mil. 03 19.8 +41 31 Per winter Perseus A
25 2419 Gc 10.4 4.1 275000 07 38.1 +38 53 Lyn winter
26 4244 Sp 10.6 16x2.5 10 million 12 17.5 +37 49 CVn spring
27 6888 Bn 7.5 20x10 4700 20 12.0 +38 21 Cyg summer Crescent Nebula
28 752 Oc 5.7 50 1200 01 57.8 +37 41 And autumn
29 5005 Sb 9.8 5.4x2 69 million 13 10.9 +37 03 CVn spring
30 7331 Sb 9.5 11x4 47 million 22 37.1 +34 25 Peg autumn
31 IC 405 Bn 6.0 30x19 1600 05 16.2 +34 16 Aur winter Flaming Star Nebula
32 4631 Sp 9.3 15x3 22 million 12 42.1 +32 32 CVn spring Whale Galaxy
33 6992/5 Sn - 60x8 2500 20 56.4 +31 43 Cyg summer East Veil Nebula
34 6960 Sn - 70x6 2500 20 45.7 +30 43 Cyg summer West Veil Nebula
35 4889 El 11.4 3x2 300 mil. 13 00.1 +27 59 Com spring
36 4559 Sp 9.8 10x4 32 million 12 36.0 +27 58 Com spring
37 6885 Oc 5.7 7 1950 20 12.0 +26 29 Vul summer
38 4565 Sb 9.6 16x3 32 million 12 36.3 +25 59 Com spring Needle Galaxy
39 2392 Pl 9.9 0.2/0.7 4000 07 29.2 +20 55 Gem winter Eskimo or Clown Nebula
40 3626 Sb 10.9 3x2 86 million 11 20.1 +18 21 Leo spring
41 - Oc 1.0 330 151 04 27.0 +16 00 Tau winter Hyades
42 7006 Gc 10.6 2.8 135000 21 01.5 +16 11 Del autumn
43 7814 Sb 10.5 6x2 49 million 00 03.3 +16 09 Peg autumn
44 7479 Sb 11.0 4x3 106 mil. 23 04.9 +12 19 Peg autumn
45 5248 Sp 10.2 6x4 74 million 13 37.5 +08 53 Boo spring
46 2261 Bn 10.0 2x1 2500 06 39.2 +08 44 Mon winter Hubble's Variable Nebula
47 6934 Gc 8.9 5.9 57000 20 34.2 +07 24 Del summer
48 2775 Sp 10.3 4.5x3 55 million 09 10.3 +07 02 Can spring
49 2237-9 Bn - 80x60 4900 06 32.3 +05 03 Mon winter Rosette Nebula
50 2244 Oc 4.8 24 4900 06 32.4 +04 52 Mon winter
51 IC 1613 Ir 9.0 12x11 2300000 01 04.8 +02 07 Cet autumn
52 4697 El 9.3 6x3 76 million 12 48.6 -05 48 Vir spring
53 3115 El 9.1 8x3 22 million 10 05.2 -07 43 Sex spring Spindle Galaxy
54 2506 Oc 7.6 7 10000 08 00.2 -10 47 Mon winter
55 7009 Pl 8.3 2.5/1 1400 21 04.2 -11 22 Aqr autumn Saturn Nebula
56 246 Pl 8.0 3.8 1600 00 47.0 -11 53 Cet autumn
57 6822 Ir 9.3 10x9 2300000 19 44.9 -14 48 Sgr summer Barnard's Galaxy
58 2360 Oc 7.2 13 3700 07 17.8 -15 37 CMa winter
59 3242 Pl 8.6 0.3/21 1400 10 24.8 -18 38 Hya spring Ghost of Jupiter
60 4038 Sp 11.3 2.6x1.8 83 million 12 01.9 -18 52 Crv spring Antennae Galaxies
61 4039 Sp 13.0 3.2x2.2 83 million 12 01.9 -18 53 Crv spring Antennae Galaxies
62 247 Sp 8.9 20x7 6800000 00 47.1 -20 46 Cet autumn
63 7293 Pl 6.5 13 522 22 29.6 -20 48 Aqr autumn Helix Nebula
64 2362 Oc 4.1 8 5100 07 18.8 -24 57 CMa winter
65 253 Sp 7.1 25x7 9800000 00 47.6 -25 17 Scl autumn Sculptor Galaxy
66 5694 Gc 10.2 3.6 113000 14 39.6 -26 32 Hya spring
67 1097 Sb 9.2 9x6 47 million 02 46.3 -30 17 For autumn
68 6729 Bn 9.7 1.0 424 19 01.9 -36 57 CrA summer
69 6302 Pl 12.8 0.8 5200 17 13.7 -37 06 Sco summer Bug Nebula
70 300 Sp 8.1 20x13 3900000 00 54.9 -37 41 Scl autumn
71 2477 Oc 5.8 27 3700 07 52.3 -38 33 Pup winter
72 55 Sb 8.2 32x6 4200000 00 14.9 -39 11 Scl autumn
73 1851 Gc 7.3 11 39400 05 14.1 -40 03 Col winter
74 3132 Pl 8.2 0.8 2000 10 07.7 -40 26 Vel spring Eight Burst Nebula
75 6124 Oc 5.8 29 1500 16 25.6 -40 40 Sco summer
76 6231 Oc 2.6 15 6000 16 54.0 -41 48 Sco summer
77 5128 Px 7.0 18x14 16 million 13 25.5 -43 01 Cen spring Centaurus A
78 6541 Gc 6.6 13 22300 18 08.0 -43 42 CrA summer
79 3201 Gc 6.7 18 17000 10 17.6 -46 25 Vel spring
80 5139 Gc 3.6 36 17300 13 26.8 -47 29 Cen spring Omega Centauri
81 6352 Gc 8.1 7 18600 17 25.5 -48 25 Ara summer
82 6193 Oc 5.2 15 4300 16 41.3 -48 46 Ara summer
83 4945 Sp 9.5 20x4 17 million 13 05.4 -49 28 Cen spring
84 5286 Gc 7.6 9 36000 13 46.4 -51 22 Cen spring
85 IC 2391 Oc 2.5 50 500 08 40.2 -53 04 Vel winter Omicron Vel Cluster
86 6397 Gc 5.6 26 7500 17 40.7 -53 40 Ara summer
87 1261 Gc 8.4 7 55500 03 12.3 -55 13 Hor winter
88 5823 Oc 7.9 10 3400 15 05.7 -55 36 Cir summer
89 6087 Oc 5.4 12 3300 16 18.9 -57 54 Nor summer S Norma Cluster
90 2867 Pl 9.7 0.2 5500 09 21.4 -58 19 Car spring
91 3532 Oc 3.0 55 1600 11 06.4 -58 40 Car spring
92 3372 Bn 6.2 120x120 7500 10 43.8 -59 52 Car spring Eta Carinae Nebula
93 6752 Gc 5.4 20 13000 19 10.9 -59 59 Pav summer
94 4755 Oc 4.2 10 4900 12 53.6 -60 20 Cru spring Jewel Box
95 6025 Oc 5.1 12 2500 16 03.7 -60 30 TrA summer
96 2516 Oc 3.8 30 1300 07 58.3 -60 52 Car winter
97 3766 Oc 5.3 12 5800 11 36.1 -61 37 Cen spring
98 4609 Oc 6.9 5 4200 12 42.3 -62 58 Cru spring
99 - Dn - 400x300 610 12 53.0 -63 00 Cru spring Coalsack Nebula
100 IC 2944 Oc 4.5 15 6000 11 36.6 -63 02 Cen spring Lambda Centauri Nebula
101 6744 Sb 9.0 16x10 34 million 19 09.8 -63 51 Pav summer
102 IC 2602 Oc 1.9 50 492 10 43.2 -64 24 Car spring Theta Car Cluster
103 2070 Bn 1.0 40x25 170000 05 38.7 -69 06 Dor winter Tarantula Nebula
104 362 Gc 6.6 13 27700 01 03.2 -70 51 Tuc autumn
105 4833 Gc 7.3 14 19600 12 59.6 -70 53 Mus spring
106 104 Gc 4.0 31 14700 00 24.1 -72 05 Tuc autumn 47 Tucanae
107 6101 Gc 9.3 11 49900 16 25.8 -72 12 Aps summer
108 4372 Gc 7.8 19 18900 12 25.8 -72 40 Mus spring
109 3195 Pl 11.6 40_35 5400 10 09.5 -80 52 Cha spring

Caldwell Catalog
Column Descriptions
HeadingDescription
C Caldwell Catalog Number
NGC New General Catalog Number
Type Celestial Object Classification (see table below)
Mag. Apparent Visual Magnitude
Size Angular Size in Arc-Minutes
Distance Distance from Solar System in Light Years
RA Right Ascension (J2000) in Hours and Minutes
Dec Declination (J2000) in Degrees and Minutes
Con IAU Constellation Abbreviation
Viewing
Season
Best Season for Viewing Caldwell Object
Common
Name
Informal or Colloquial Name of Caldwell Object

Caldwell Catalog
Object Classification
TypeDescription TypeDescription
Oc Open Cluster Sp Spiral Galaxy
Gc Globular Cluster Bs Barred Galaxy
Pl Planetary Nebula Ln Lenticular Galaxy
Bn Bright Nebula El Elliptical Galaxy
Dn Dark Nebula Ir Irregular Galaxy
Sn Supernova Remnant Px Peculiar Galaxy
Sx Seyfert Galaxy