Prepare for Messier Marathon 2007...

Hi Friends

March the month of Messier Marathon is near and its a perfect time to watch all work of "Messier" in Single night.

For those who are preparing for Messier Marathon, 16th Feb will be Good practice night as messier objects visibility will be as follows:

For Sure: 105
Difficult: 108
Extreme: 109
11o th Messier "M30" will not be visible.

it is an excellent opportunity for gearing up for March Messier Marathon as New Moon will be on 17th Feb. Catching all objects is not an easy task, you have to well prepared for Full Night. Starts and End of Marathon will be very busy, as many objects before Setting or before Sun rise.

In fact messier marathon is easier in Feb than actual month March as in March all objects will set one hour earlier than Feb and which makes evening objects more difficult to catch. So get most out of this opportunity.

what you need is:

1. Good Clean & Collimated optics Telescope – Min 4” with 40X magnification (25mm Eyepiece) will be Good Enough, But even 3” will perform equally good if night is clear.

2. You Sequenced List of Messier Objects – This is very crucial part of MM as success of MM is depend on how you sequence your list without missing any object to Set – important for evening objects and morning rising object.

3. Protection from Cold – This is also important as Nights can go very chilly and you will loose your enthusiasm of MM due to Cold.

4. Good Quality Charts – For quick locating Objects. Better to have own set instead of shared, that will save much time.

5. Good Clear Night, with Dark Site and Clear Horizons. (Vangani is good enough still, if you obscure bright lights).

Following is Observing Sequence For 16th Feb 2007,

Sunset on 16th : 18:41

Sunrise on 17th: 07:06

So we can start by 19:30

First Session: 19:30 – 21:00

1. M77 ---- 8.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Cet

2. M74 ---- 8.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Psc

3. M33 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Tri

4. M31 ---- 3.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- And

5. M32 ---- 8.2 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- And

6. M110 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- And

7. M52 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cas

8. M103 ---- 7.4 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cas

9. M76 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Per

10. M34 ---- 5.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Per


Second Session: 21:00 – 21:30 – Dinner

Third Session: 21:30 – 23:30

11. M45 ---- 1.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Tau

12. M79 ---- 7.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Lep

13. M42 ---- 3.7 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ori

14. M43 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ori

15. M78 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Diffuse Nebula ---- Ori

16. M1 ---- 8.0 mag ---- SuperNova Remnant ---- Tau

17. M35 ---- 5.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Gem

18. M37 ---- 5.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

19. M36 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

20. M38 ---- 6.4 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Aur

21. M41 ---- 4.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- CMa

22. M93 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

23. M47 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

24. M46 ---- 6.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Pup

25. M50 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Mon

26. M48 ---- 5.8 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Hya

27. M44 ---- 3.1 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cnc

28. M67 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cnc

29. M95 ---- 9.7 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

30. M96 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

31. M105 ---- 9.3 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Leo

32. M65 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

33. M66 ---- 9.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Leo

Fourth Session: 23:30 – 00:00 – Tea Break

Fifth Session: 00:00 – 02:00

34. M81 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

35. M82 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

36. M97 ---- 9.9 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- UMa

37. M108 ---- 10.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

38. M109 ---- 9.8 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

39. M40 ---- 0.8 mag ---- Double Start ---- UMa

40. M101 ---- 7.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- UMa

41. M106 ---- 8.3 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

42. M94 ---- 8.2 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

43. M63 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

44. M51 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- CVn

45. M102 ---- 10.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Dra

46. M53 ---- 7.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Com

47. M64 ---- 8.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Com

48. M3 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- CVn

Once you complete this now its time to plunge into The Famous VIRGO CLUSTER of Galaxies…

You will start from “VINDEMIATRIX” that is Epsilon Virgo Star.

49. M60 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

50. M59 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

51. M58 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

52. M89 ---- 9.7 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

53. M90 ---- 9.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

54. M91 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Barred Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

55. M88 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

56. M87 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

57. M86 ---- 8.9 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

58. M84 ---- 9.1 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

59. M99 ---- 9.9 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

60. M98 ---- 10.1 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

61. M100 ---- 9.3 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

62. M85 ---- 9.1 mag ---- Lenticular Galaxy ---- Vir

63. M49 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Elliptical Galaxy ---- Vir

64. M61 ---- 9.6 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

Once you reached here you successfully completed virgo cluster, session is not over yet as you have to catch few more objects before you can rest.


65. M104 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Vir

66. M68 ---- 7.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Hya

67. M83 ---- 7.5 mag ---- Spiral Galaxy ---- Hya

Sixth Session: 02:00 – 03:00 - Break

Well 67 Objects till 2:00 great achievement…. You are already through from faintest messiers now what is left is Bright Globular and Open Clusters and Few Bright Nebulas.

Lets have snacks and Tea and you can have some time to discuss with your friends. But don’t get sleepy as what will begin now will be pushing you to extreme by dawn, go keep in mind get fresh and start hunting again. It’s a big session ahead but you can have some relaxing time if you will be able to catch available objects fast and wait for rising objects.

Seventh Session: 03:00 – 07:00

68. M5 ---- 5.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Ser

69. M13 ---- 5.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Her

70. M92 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Her

71. M4 ---- 5.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sco

72. M80 ---- 7.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sco

73. M9 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

74. M12 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

75. M10 ---- 6.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

76. M107 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

77. M14 ---- 7.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

78. M62 ---- 6.7 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

79. M19 ---- 6.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Oph

80. M57 ---- 8.8 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Lyr

81. M56 ---- 8.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Lyr

82. M6 ---- 4.2 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sco

83. M7 ---- 2.8 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sco

84. M23 ---- 5.5 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

85. M21 ---- 5.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

86. M20 ---- 6.3 mag ---- Nebula and Cluster ---- Sgr

87. M8 ---- 3.0 mag ---- Nebula and Cluster ---- Sgr

88. M24 ---- 2.5 mag ---- Star Cloud ---- Sgr

89. M25 ---- 4.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

90. M28 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

91. M22 ---- 5.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

92. M11 ---- 5.3 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sct

93. M26 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sct

94. M16 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Ser

95. M17 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Emission Nebula ---- Sgr

96. M18 ---- 6.9 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Sgr

97. M27 ---- 7.3 mag ---- Planetary Nebula ---- Vul

98. M71 ---- 8.0 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sge

99. M69 ---- 7.4 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

100. M70 ---- 7.8 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

101. M54 ---- 7.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

102. M55 ---- 6.3 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

103. M75 ---- 8.6 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Sgr

104. M29 ---- 6.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cyg

105. ---- M39 4.6 mag ---- Open Cluster ---- Cyg

So far so good and now starts to toughest part of Race against Time… Following object rise after 6:00 am and Sun rise is on 7:06 so it requires skills, clear sky & unobstructed Eastern Horizon to catch these objects…

106. M15 ---- 6.0 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Pag

107. M72 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Aqr

108. M73 ---- 9.2 mag ---- Asterism ---- Aqr

109. M2 ---- 6.2 mag ---- Globular Cluster ---- Aqr

If you catch 105 hats of to you because 105 is not an easy target to achieve, you have to experience to know why I say so…

So best of Luck and if you Catch more than 105 let me know, I will put Your NAME in “Hall of Fame”…

And Don’t Forget to post your Messier Count with Observed list.

Happy Hunting…

Get your above list in Excel Format so that you can print it and use on field:

- Sameer Thakur :)