🌌 35 brightest galaxies in the night sky
Also see list of 91 galaxies for a list of notable named galaxies.
Messier Galaxies
These are the brightest and most interesting galaxies listed in the Messier Catalog. Messier galaxies are predominately found in the northern hemisphere.
- Galaxy / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Andromeda Satellite (10.0)
- Andromeda
Andromeda Satellite (10.0)
- Andromeda
Andromeda Galaxy (4.5)
- Andromeda
Spindle Galaxy (10.5)
- Draco
Leo Triplet (10.5)
- Leo
Leo Triplet (10.0)
- Leo
Triangulum Galaxy (7.0)
- Triangulum
Cigar Galaxy (9.5)
- Ursa Major
Bode's Galaxy (8.5)
- Ursa Major
Pinwheel Galaxy (8.5)
- Ursa Major
Whirlpool Galaxy (8.0)
- Ursa Major
Sombrero Galaxy (9.5)
- Virgo
Caldwell Galaxies
These are the brightest and most interesting galaxies listed in the Caldwell Catalog. Caldwell galaxies are predominately found in the southern hemisphere.
- Galaxy / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Whale galaxy (9.3)
- Canes Venatici
Centaurus A (7)
- Centaurus
Fireworks Galaxy (8.9)
- Cepheus
Needle Galaxy (9.6)
- Coma Berenices
Antenna Galaxies (10)
- Corvus
Antenna Galaxies (13)
- Corvus
Barnard's galaxy (8.8)
- Sagittarius
Sculptor Galaxy (7.1)
- Sculptor
Whale galaxy (7.9)
- Sculptor
Spindle galaxy (9.1)
- Sextans
Herschel Galaxies
These are the brightest and most interesting galaxies listed in the Herschell 400 Catalog. Herschel galaxies are generally fainter and harder to spot than Messier and Caldwell galaxies.
Milky Way Satellite Galaxies
Our Milky Way Galaxy has a number of smaller galaxies that orbit it. These are the brightest. For a list of all satellite galaxies, see Milky Way & Andromeda Satellite Galaxies.
- Name / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Large Magellanic Cloud (0.9)
- Dorado
Small Magellanic Cloud (2.7)
- Tucana
Sagittarius Dwarf (4.5)
- Sagittarius
Fornax Dwarf (9.3)
- Fornax
Sculptor Dwarf (10.4)
- Sculptor
Draco Dwarf (10.9)
- Draco