Brightest Star Clusters

M15 star cluster HD slice

✨ 25 brightest star clusters in the night sky

Also see list of 225 star clusters for a list of all notable star clusters.

Messier Star Clusters

These are the brightest and most interesting open and globular star clusters listed in the Messier Catalog. Messier star clusters are predominately found in the northern hemisphere.

1. Star Cluster / Magnitude (m)
2. Constellation

1. Beehive Cluster (4.0)
2. Cancer

1. Cooling Tower (9.0)
2. Cygnus

1. Hercules Cluster (5.9)
2. Hercules

1. Sagittarius Cluster (6.5)
2. Sagittarius

1. Butterfly Cluster (4.2)
2. Scorpius

1. Ptolemy Cluster (3.3)
2. Scorpius

1. Wild Duck Cluster (5.8)
2. Scutum

1. Eagle Nebula (6.5)
2. Serpens Claudia

1. Pleiades (1.4)
2. Taurus

Caldwell Star Clusters

These are the brightest and most interesting open and globular star clusters listed in the Messier Catalog. Messier star clusters are predominately found in the southern hemisphere.

1. Star Cluster / Magnitude (m)
2. Constellation

1. Mexican Jumping Star (4.1)
2. Canis Major

1. Southern Pleiades (1.9)
2. Carina

1. Wishing Well Cluster (3)
2. Carina

1. Owl Cluster (6.4)
2. Casseopeia

1. Lambda Centauri (4.5)
2. Centaurus

1. Omega Centauri (3.6)
2. Centaurus

1. Pearl Cluster (5.3)
2. Centaurus

1. Jewel Box (4.2)
2. Crux

1. Intergalactic Wanderer (10)
2. Lynx

1. Satellite Cluster (4.8)
2. Monoceros

1. S Norma Cluster (5.4)
2. Norma

1. Double Cluster (4.3)
2. Perseus

1. Hyades (0.5)
2. Taurus

1. 47 Tucanae (4)
2. Tucana

1. Omicron Velorum Cluster (2.5)
2. Vela

Herschel Star Clusters

These are the brightest and most interesting star clusters listed in the Herschell 400 Catalog. Herschel star clusters are generally fainter and harder to spot than Messier and Caldwell star clusters.

1. Star Cluster / Magnitude (m)
2. Constellation

1. Carolines Rose (6.7)
2. Cassiopeia

1. Wizard Nebula (7.2)
2. Cepheus

1. Cone Nebula (3.9)
2. Monoceros

1. Christmas Tree Cluster (6.7)
2. Monoceros

1. Double Cluster (4)
2. Perseus