You are invited to supply all additional common names you know for them !
Just contact me.
Common names for the Messier objects (as well as other deep sky objects)
are usually assigned for either the constellation where the object is
situated, or to honor the discoverer, or to desribe the object's appearance
in a way easy to remember; but there are no rules for assigning common names.
Names used in various sources:
Some of the names often carry the adjective "Great" or something alike;
I omit those forms of names for reasonability.
M27.
Jeff Bondono found that it is also called "Diablo Nebula" or
"Double-Head Shot", J.R. Freeman heard "Apple Core Nebula".
"Dumbbell Nebula, Little"
M76
(also Cork, Butterfly, or Barbell Nebula).
Mike Frazier calles it "Apple Core Nebula".
The name "Little Dumbbell Nebula" is most common, e.g. Sky Catalogue 2000
NB: This object seems to attract names like no other: It has also two
NGC numbers: 650 and 651.
"Eagle Nebula"
IC 4703 associated with the star cluster M16
(also "Star Queen Nebula")
M76
(also Cork, Butterfly, or Barbell Nebula).
Mike Frazier calles it "Apple Core Nebula".
The name "Little Dumbbell Nebula" is most common, e.g. Sky Catalogue 2000
"Lobster Nebula"
M17
(also Omega, Swan, Horseshoe, or Checkmark Nebula);
thanks to Steve Mencinsky for this contribution, a common name for
M17 on the Southern hemisphere.
Two, or even three, galaxies (all in Messier's catalog) share this name:
M101. More common
[Murdin/Allen/Malin 1979, Sky Catalogue 2000, RASC Observer's Handbook]
M33, the Triangulum Galaxy [Burnham, RASC];
take "Triangulum Pinwheel" for distinguishing
M99 [RASC];
take "Coma Pinwheel" or "Virgo Cluster Pinwheel" for distinguishing,
if needed.
M99 is also, more properly, referred to as "St. Katherine's Wheel."
The name is perhaps more common for M101 because it has no other name.
The only major source having this name for M33 is Burnham.
Many of these proposed names have been contributed by amateur astronomer
Jeff Bondono -- thanks !
"Apple Core Nebula"
Two nebulae share this name
(the Dumbbell and the Little Dumbbell Nebula, or should we say the
"Normal" and Little Dumbbell ? :-) )
M27,
the Dumbbell Nebula.
Contributed by J.R. Freeman, common in Southern California.
M76,
the Little Dumbbell, Cork or Butterfly Nebula.
This is Mike Frazier's name for it.
NB: This object seems to attract names like no other: It has also two
NGC numbers: 650 and 651.
"Blowdryer Galaxy"
M100. Contributed by Devon J. Moore - because
it is pinwheel-shaped and that it's in Coma, "The Hair Constellation."
"Butterfly Cluster"
M93. Contributed by Jeff Bondono.
This name is shared with M6, see above.
M33; humourous American name for the
Triangulum galaxy, as M51, the Whirlpool galaxy, and M33 are both gorgeous
face-on spirals, and "Whirlpool" and "Maytag" are both washing machines.
Contributed by J.R. Freeman.
Jeff Bondono has proposed these names for a collection of open
clusters, namely M11, M37, and M52. Originally we had attributed them for
terrestrial seasons, so that they had different names on the Southern and the
Northern hemisphere, respectively. This has caused protest, so that we decided
to drop these names now -- sorry to all who have enjoyed them, but, as Jeff
has put it: This list should contain only generally accepted propositions.
But he has now proposed naming them by month names, and I could imagine to
name them after their homing constellations:
M11
"July Salt-and-Pepper", "Scutum Salt-and-Pepper"
M37
"January Salt-and-Pepper", "Auriga Salt-and-Pepper"
M52
"October Salt-and-Pepper", "Cassiopeia Salt-and-Pepper"
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