Herschel's numbers for Messier objects

William Herschel, when compiling his deepsky catalog, was usually carefully avoiding to number the Messier objects, in appreciation of Messier's prior work. However, he of course numbered the missing ("m") and the additional ("a") (i.e., later added) objects, as he did not look at them as Messier's "nebulae". Erroneously, he also numbered some of the Messier objects though ("e"), and in some cases, parts of Messier objects ("p").

    M-#   w  NGC       Herschel

     M8   p  NGC 6526  H V.9
     M8   p  NGC 6533  H V.13
    M20   p  NGC 6514  H IV.41, H V.10, H V.11, H V.12
in  M31   p  NGC  206  H V.36
    M33   e  NGC  598  H V.17
in  M33   p  NGC  604  H III.150
    M43   e  NGC 1982  H III.1
    M47   m  NGC 2422  H VIII.38
    M48   m  NGC 2548  H VI.22
at  M51   p  NGC 5195  H I.186
    M61   e  NGC 4303  H I.139
pt. M76   p  NGC  651  H I.193
    M82   e  NGC 3034  H IV.79
    M91   m  NGC 4548  H II.120
in M101   p  NGC 5447  H III.787
in M101   p  NGC 5461  H III.788
in M101   p  NGC 5462  H III.789
   M102?  m  NGC 5866  H I.215
   M104   a  NGC 4594  H I.43
   M105   a  NGC 3379  H I.17
   M106   a  NGC 4258  H V.43
   M107   a  NGC 6171  H VI.40
   M108   a  NGC 3556  H V.46
   M109   a  NGC 3953  H V.45
   M109A  a  NGC 3992  H IV.61
   M110   a  NGC  205  H V.18

The objects ordered by Herschel number:

   M105   a  NGC 3379  H I.17
   M104   a  NGC 4594  H I.43
   M 61   e  NGC 4303  H I.139
at M 51   p  NGC 5195  H I.186
pt.M 76   p  NGC  651  H I.193
   M102?  m  NGC 5866  H I.215
   M 91   m  NGC 4548  H II.120
   M 43   e  NGC 1982  H III.1
in M 33   p  NGC  604  H III.150
in M101   p  NGC 5447  H III.787
in M101   p  NGC 5461  H III.788
in M101   p  NGC 5462  H III.789
   M 20   p  NGC 6514  H IV.41
   M109A  a  NGC 3992  H IV.61
   M 82   e  NGC 3034  H IV.79
   M  8   p  NGC 6526  H V.9
   M 20   p  NGC 6514  H V.10
   M 20   p  NGC 6514  H V.11
   M 20   p  NGC 6514  H V.12
   M  8   p  NGC 6533  H V.13
   M 33   e  NGC  598  H V.17
   M110   a  NGC  205  H V.18
in M 31   p  NGC  206  H V.36
   M106   a  NGC 4258  H V.43
   M109   a  NGC 3953  H V.45
   M108   a  NGC 3556  H V.46
   M 48   m  NGC 2548  H VI.22
   M107   a  NGC 6171  H VI.40
   M 47   m  NGC 2422  H VIII.38

It may be remarkable that, in this list alone, there are more "errors" than in the whole Messier catalog (which has only the four "missing objects").

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: August 14, 2007