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I have tried to include the most interesting and brightest Messier deep-sky objects in this abridged list. All the objects listed can be seen on a dark night with binoculars and some of them are naked-eye objects.
A lot depends just how good the viewing conditions are. I don't know how many times I've read the M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, can be seen without binoculars, or how many times I've stared into space seeing absolutely nothing where the galaxy was supposed to be. Most descriptions of deep-sky objects are based on close to ideal conditions – conditions that are never reached within a sizable city or town. For that reason, I have included a large number of galactic clusters, which can be enjoyed in less than perfect conditions.
For each entry there is a New General Catalogue (NGC) number as well as its Messier number, celestial coordinates and the apparent magnitude. The Apparent magnitude of spread-out objects such as cluster may vary but the numbers will give you an idea of the brightness. Don't be discouraged if what you see through binoculars or telescope doesn’t exactly match the descriptions. Deep-sky watching calls for ideal conditions and skill. The first requirement demands luck and the second patience.