Caldwell catalog

Assembling the objects of the Caldwell catalog

The Caldwell Catalog is an amateur astronomical observation list with a selection of 109 observations of amateur astronomy interesting deep-sky objects such as bright star clusters , nebulae and galaxies . The list was compiled by Sir Patrick Caldwell-Moore as a supplement to the Messier catalog .

The Messier catalog is often used by amateur astronomers as a watch list of interesting objects in deep space. The Caldwell catalog supplements them with a number of objects that are among the brightest in the night sky but are missing from the Messier catalog, such as the Hyades , the double cluster NGC 869 and NGC 884 or NGC 253 .

Patrick Moore also added objects from the southern hemisphere such as Omega Centauri , Centaurus A , Herschel's jewelery boxes and 47 Tucanae , which are completely missing from the Messier catalog. He compiled a list of 109 objects and published the catalog in Sky & Telescope in December 1995.

Since its publication, the catalog has become increasingly popular among amateur astronomers. Minor bugs in the original 1995 version have since been corrected. The original list still incorrectly identified the S Norma Cluster ( NGC 6087 ) as NGC 6067 and the Lambda Centauri Cluster ( IC 2944 ) as Gamma Centauri Cluster . Since the first letter M of the one surname Moore for the catalog abbreviation was already used by the Messier catalog, the C of the second surname is used as the letter for the catalog index designation.

As mentioned above, the list was made with objects already discovered by professional astronomers. In contrast to the Messier catalog, where the objects are listed in the chronological order of their discovery, the order in the Caldwell catalog is defined by the declination of the objects, with C1 being the northernmost object and C109 the most southern object. However, this sequence is broken by the two objects NGC 4244 as C26 and the Hyades as C41.

Caldwell star chart

Caldwell star chart

Number of objects depending on the type in the Caldwell catalog

Dark cloud	1
Galaxy	35
Globular clusters	18th
fog	9
Star clusters	25th
Star clusters and nebulae	6th
Planetary nebula	13
Supernova remnant	2
total	109

Caldwell objects

Key

Star clusters

fog

Galaxy

1-10

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C1	NGC 188			Open star cluster	4.8	Cepheus	8.1
C2	NGC 40	Scarabaeus Nebula or Bow-Tie Nebula		Planetary nebula	3.5	Cepheus	11
C3	NGC 4236			Galaxy	7,000	Dragon	9.7
C4	NGC 7023	Iris nebula		Open star cluster and nebula	1.4	Cepheus	7th
C5	IC 342			Galaxy	10,000	giraffe	9
C6	NGC 6543	Cat's Eye Nebula		Planetary nebula	3	Dragon	9
C7	NGC 2403			Galaxy	14,000	giraffe	8.4
C8	NGC 559			Open star cluster	3.7	Cassiopeia	9.5
C9	Sh2-155	Cave fog		fog	2.8	Cepheus	7.7
C10	NGC 663			Open star cluster	7.2	Cassiopeia	7.1

11-20

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C11	NGC 7635	Bubble mist		fog	7.1	Cassiopeia	-
C12	NGC 6946	Fireworks galaxy		Galaxy	18,000	Cepheus	8.9
C13	NGC 457	Owl heaps or ET heaps		Open star cluster	-	Cassiopeia	6.4
C14	NGC 869 & NGC 884	H & χ Persei		Open star cluster	7.3	Perseus	4th
C15	NGC 6826	Blinking Planetary		Planetary nebula	2.2	swan	10
C16	NGC 7243			Open star cluster	2.5	lizard	6.4
C17	NGC 147			Galaxy	2,300	Cassiopeia	9.3
C18	NGC 185			Galaxy	2,300	Cassiopeia	9.2
C19	IC 5146	Cocoon mist		Open star cluster and nebula	3.3	swan	7.2
C20	NGC 7000	North American Nebula		fog	1.8	swan	4th

21-30

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C21	NGC 4449			Galaxy	10,000	Hunting dogs	9.4
C22	NGC 7662	Blue snowball		Planetary nebula	3.2	Andromeda	9
C23	NGC 891			Galaxy	31,000	Andromeda	10
C24	NGC 1275	Perseus A		Seyfert Galaxy	230,000	Perseus	11.6
C25	NGC 2419			Globular clusters	275	lynx	10.4
C26	NGC 4244			Galaxy	10,000	Hunting dogs	10.2
C27	NGC 6888	Sickle nebula		fog	4.7	swan	7.4
C28	NGC 752			Open star cluster	1.2	Andromeda	5.7
C29	NGC 5005			Galaxy	69,000	Hunting dogs	9.8
C30	NGC 7331			Galaxy	47,000	Pegasus	9.5

31-40

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C31	IC 405	Flaming Star Nebula		fog	1.6	Carter	-
C32	NGC 4631	Whale galaxy		Galaxy	22,000	Hunting dogs	9.3
C33	NGC 6992	Cirrus nebula		Supernova remnant	2.5	swan	-
C34	NGC 6960	Cirrus nebula		Supernova remnant	2.5	swan	-
C35	NGC 4889			Galaxy	300,000	Berenike's hair	11.4
C36	NGC 4559			Galaxy	32,000	Berenike's hair	9.9
C37	NGC 6885			Open star cluster	1.95	Fox	6th
C38	NGC 4565	Needle galaxy		Galaxy	32,000	Berenike's hair	9.6
C39	NGC 2392	Eskimo mist		Planetary nebula	4th	Twins	10
C40	NGC 3626			Galaxy	86,000	lion	10.9

41-50

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C41	Mel 25	Hyades		Open star cluster	0.151	bull	0.5
C42	NGC 7006			Globular clusters	135	dolphin	10.6
C43	NGC 7814			Galaxy	49,000	Pegasus	10.5
C44	NGC 7479			Galaxy	106,000	Pegasus	11
C45	NGC 5248			Galaxy	74,000	Bear keeper	10.2
C46	NGC 2261	Hubble's Variable Nebula		fog	2.5	unicorn	-
C47	NGC 6934			Globular clusters	57	dolphin	8.9
C48	NGC 2775			Galaxy	55,000	cancer	10.3
C49	NGC 2237	Rosette nebula		fog	4.9	unicorn	9.0
C50	NGC 2244			Open star cluster	4.9	unicorn	4.8

51-60

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C51	IC 1613			Galaxy	2,300	whale	9.3
C52	NGC 4697			Galaxy	76,000	Virgin	9.3
C53	NGC 3115	Spindle Galaxy		Galaxy	22,000	sextant	9.2
C54	NGC 2506			Open star cluster	10	unicorn	7.6
C55	NGC 7009	Saturn Nebula		Planetary nebula	1.4	Aquarius	8th
C56	NGC 246			Planetary nebula	1.6	whale	8th
C57	NGC 6822	Barnard's Galaxy		Galaxy	2,300	Sagittarius	9
C58	NGC 2360			Open star cluster	3.7	Big dog	7.2
C59	NGC 3242	Jupiter's spirit		Planetary nebula	1.4	Water snake	9
C60	NGC 4038	Antennae galaxies		Galaxy	83,000	Crow	10.7

61-70

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C61	NGC 4039	Antennae galaxies		Galaxy	83,000	Crow	13
C62	NGC 247			Galaxy	6,800	whale	8.9
C63	NGC 7293	Helix Nebula		Planetary nebula	0.522	Aquarius	7.3
C64	NGC 2362			Open star cluster and nebula	5.1	Big dog	4.1
C65	NGC 253	Sculptor Galaxy or Silver Dollar Galaxy		Galaxy	9,800	sculptor	7.1
C66	NGC 5694			Globular clusters	113	Water snake	10.2
C67	NGC 1097			Galaxy	47,000	Chemical furnace	9.3
C68	NGC 6729	R CrA nebula		fog	0.424	Southern crown	-
C69	NGC 6302	Beetle nebula		Planetary nebula	5.2	Scorpio	13
C70	NGC 300			Galaxy	3,900	sculptor	9

71-80

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C71	NGC 2477			Open star cluster	3.7	Aft deck of the ship	5.8
C72	NGC 55			Galaxy	4,200	sculptor	8th
C73	NGC 1851			Globular clusters	39.4	Dove	7.3
C74	NGC 3132	Southern Ring Nebula, or Eight-Burst Nebula		Planetary nebula	2	Sails of the ship	8th
C75	NGC 6124			Open star cluster	1.5	Scorpio	5.8
C76	NGC 6231			Open star cluster and nebula	6th	Scorpio	2.6
C77	NGC 5128	Centaurus A		Galaxy	16,000	centaur	7th
C78	NGC 6541			Globular clusters	22.3	Southern crown	6.6
C79	NGC 3201			Globular clusters	17th	Sails of the ship	6.8
C80	NGC 5139	Omega Centauri		Globular clusters	17.3	centaur	3.7

81-90

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C81	NGC 6352			Globular clusters	18.6	altar	8.2
C82	NGC 6193			Open star cluster	4.3	altar	5.2
C83	NGC 4945			Galaxy	17,000	centaur	9
C84	NGC 5286			Globular clusters	36	centaur	7.6
C85	IC 2391	Omicron Velorum Cluster		Open star cluster	0.5	Sails of the ship	2.5
C86	NGC 6397			Globular clusters	7.5	altar	5.7
C87	NGC 1261			Globular clusters	55.5	Pendulum clock	8.4
C88	NGC 5823			Open star cluster	3.4	Circle	7.9
C89	NGC 6087	S Norma Cluster		Open star cluster	3.3	Angle measure	5.4
C90	NGC 2867			Planetary nebula	5.5	Keel of the ship	10

91-100

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C91	NGC 3532	Wishing Well Cluster		Open star cluster	1.6	Keel of the ship	3
C92	NGC 3372	Carina Nebula or Eta Carinae Nebula		fog	7.5	Keel of the ship	3
C93	NGC 6752			Globular clusters	13	peacock	5.4
C94	NGC 4755	Herschel's jewelry box		Open star cluster	4.9	southern Cross	4.2
C95	NGC 6025			Open star cluster	2.5	Southern triangle	5.1
C96	NGC 2516			Open star cluster	1.3	Keel of the ship	3.8
C97	NGC 3766	Pearl cluster		Open star cluster	5.8	centaur	5.3
C98	NGC 4609			Open star cluster	4.2	southern Cross	6.9
C99	-	Coal sack		Dark cloud	0.61	southern Cross	-
C100	IC 2944	Running Chicken Nebula		Open star cluster and nebula	6th	centaur	4.5

101-109

Caldwell number	NGC number	Surname	image	Object type	Distance in thousands of light years	Constellation	Apparent brightness
C101	NGC 6744			Galaxy	34,000	peacock	9
C102	IC 2602	Southern Pleiades		Open star cluster	0.492	Keel of the ship	1.9
C103	NGC 2070	Tarantula mist		Open star cluster and nebula	170	Swordfish	8.2
C104	NGC 362			Globular clusters	27.7	Toucan	6.6
C105	NGC 4833			Globular clusters	19.6	Fly	7.4
C106	NGC 104	47 Tucanae		Globular clusters	14.7	Toucan	4th
C107	NGC 6101			Globular clusters	49.9	Bird of paradise	9.3
C108	NGC 4372			Globular clusters	18.9	Fly	7.8
C109	NGC 3195			Planetary nebula	5.4	chameleon	11.6

additional

• Messier catalog
• New General Catalog (NGC)
• Index Catalog (IC)
• Sharpless catalog
• Gum catalog

Remarks

1. ↑ To reach the same number as in the Messier catalog
2. ↑ C89 was erroneously defined as NGC 6067 in the original, but the description was that of NGC 6087.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Stephen James O'Meara: The Caldwell Objects . Cambridge University Press , 2002, ISBN 978-0-521-82796-6 .
2. ^ Caldwell Club Introduction . Retrieved September 8, 2006.
3. ^ Patrick Moore: Beyond Messier: The Caldwell Catalog . (Subscription required) In: Sky & Telescope . December 1995, p. 38. Retrieved August 29, 2006.
4. ^ Martin Mobberley: The Caldwell Objects and How to Observe Them . Springer, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4419-0325-9 .

Web links

Commons : Caldwell objects  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• The Caldwell Catalog at SEDS
• The Caldwell Club
• Caldwell Star Charts, Images and more ( Memento from November 14, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
• Searchable Caldwell Catalog list
• Clickable Caldwell Object table