40 Brightest Nebulae in the Night Sky
Also see list of 147 nebulae for a list of notable named nebulae.
Messier Nebulae
These are the brightest and most interesting nebulae listed in the Messier Catalog. Messier nebulae are predominately found in the northern hemisphere. The famous Horsehead Nebulae (Barnard 33) is also located close to the Orion Nebula. The Crab Nebula is also a supernova remnant with a neutron star (the Crab Pulsar) at its center.
- Nebula / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Ring Nebula (9.5)
- Lyra
De Mairan's Nebula (7.0)
- Orion
Orion Nebula (5.0)
- Orion
Little Dumbell Nebula (12.0)
- Perseus
Omega-Swan Nebula (7.0)
- Sagittarius
Trifid Nebula (5.0)
- Sagittarius
Lagoon Nebula (5.0)
- Sagittarius
Crab Nebula (8.4)
- Taurus
Owl Nebula (12.0)
- Ursa Major
Dumbbell Nebula (7.5)
- Vulpecula
Caldwell Nebulae
These are the brightest and most interesting nebulae listed in the Caldwell Catalog. Caldwell nebulae are predominately found in the southern hemisphere. The Veil Nebulae (East and West) are also supernova remnants, with a neutron star (pulsar) at the center.
- Nebula / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Blue Snowball (8.3)
- Andromeda
Helix Nebula (7.3)
- Aquarius
Bubble Nebula (10)
- Casseopeia
Iris Nebula (7)
- Cepheus
Cave Nebula (7.7)
- Cepheus
Bow-Tie Nebula (12)
- Cepheus
Crescent Nebula (7.4)
- Cygnus
W. Veil Nebula (7)
- Cygnus
Blinking Planetary (8.8)
- Cygnus
Cocoon Nebula (7.2)
- Cygnus
E. Veil Nebula (7)
- Cygnus
Tarantula Nebula (8.2)
- Dorado
Cat's Eye Nebula (8.1)
- Draco
Eskimo Nebula (9.2)
- Gemini
Ghost of Jupiter (7.8)
- Hydra
Bug Nebula (9.6)
- Scorpius
Eight Burst Nebula (9.4)
- Vela
Herschel Nebulae
These are the brightest and most interesting nebulae listed in the Herschell 400 Catalog. Herschel nebulae are generally fainter and harder to spot than Messier and Caldwell nebulae. The famous Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) is also located close to the Flame Nebula.
- Nebula / Magnitude (m)
- Constellation
Fetus Nebula (13)
- Cygnus
Flame Nebula (10)
- Orion
Box Nebula (13)
- Sagittarius