Hubble’s Messier Marathon 2026

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Every year, stargazers convene for the “Messier Marathon” – a challenge to observe as many cosmic objects from the Messier catalog as possible in a single night! This catalog was compiled in the 1700s by French astronomer Charles Messier, and features several ideal targets for backyard astronomers. No telescope? No problem! Stargaze from your screen with Hubble, as a suite of new Messier images are unveiled from March 14-21.

A colorful grouping of red, yellow, orange, blue, and white stars sits at image center. The stars appear close together at image center and appear less dense as you move outward.

Messier 10

Hubble’s ultraviolet image of Messier 10’s dense core reveals its high population of blue stragglers.

History

Charles Messier

Charles Messier (1730–1817) was a French astronomer best known for his "Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters."

An avid comet-hunter, Messier compiled a catalog of deep-sky objects in order to help prevent other comet enthusiasts from wasting their time studying objects that were not comets.

Read more about Charles Messier

Hubble Science Highlights

Hubble's most notable scientific discoveries reflect the broad range of research and the breakthroughs it has achieved.

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