NOVAC MESSIER MARATHON 2011

•CHARLES MESSIER (French, 1730-1817)

•COMET HUNTER, FOUND 20 IN HIS LIFETIME

•FIRST LIST OF FAINT CELESTIAL OBJECTS THAT WERE NOT COMETS

•1758 to 1782

•THE RECONSTRUCTED LIST INCLUDES 110 OBJECTS SUCH AS….

Tarus

Perseus

NOVAC MESSIER MARATHON 2010

WHAT IS A MESSIER MARATHON?

IN MARCH – APRIL ALL 110 MESSIER OBJECTS ARE VISIBLE IN ONE NIGHT (EXCEPT FOR M30 AT THIS LATITUDE)

OBSERVE AS MANY MESSIER OBJECTS AS YOU CAN IN 1 NIGHT USING ONLY MEMORY AND STAR CHARTS TO LOCATE EACH OBJECT

OFFICIALLY NO GOTO BUT THIS IS FOR FUN SO USE YOUR OWN RULES!

LOCATION AND DATE :

NOVAC PUBLIC EVENT

CROCKETT PARK – MARCH 12 (RAIN DATE MARCH 26)

BUT THE MARATHON CAN BE DONE ANY WHERE

NEW MOON ON MARCH 5, MOS AT GREAT MEADOW

STRATEGIES

USE STAR CHARTS (ON WEB), RED DOT FINDER AND MAGNIFYING FINDERSCOPE TO LOCATE OBJECTS

(EXCEPT FOR SMALL WIDE FIELD REFRACTORS)

http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

Mars

Saturn

M1

M31M32

M33M34

M35

M36M37

M38

M39

M40

M41

M42M43

M44M45

M46M47

M48

M50

M51

M52M63

M64

M65M66

M67

M74

M76

M77

M78

M79

M81M82

M84

M85

M86M87

M91

M93

M94

M95M96

M97

M98

M101

M102

M103

M105

M106

M108

M109

M110

0

1

2

3

4

5

>5

N

S

E W

messier.apd 3/8/2008 7:00 PM

NEW MOON

0.5°

EW

N

S

M74

M74 (The Phantom) Mag: 9.80 PosAngle: 25° Size: 10'x9.4' [Galaxy]

ID: M74 Name: The Phantom RA: 01h 36m 42s Dec: +15°47'12" FOV: 7.0°

ASTROPLANNER (FREE DOWNLOAD VERSION INCLUDES MESSIER CATALOG)

http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/

Cartes du Ciel Sky Charts 

http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/

STRATEGIES

VIRGO CLUSTER - MANY FAINT GALAXIES CLOSE TOGETHER

USE VIRGO CLUSTER STAR CHARTS A(ON WEB)

CHARTS ARE INTENDED TO BE USED WITH

LOW POWER WIDE FIELD TELESCOPE OR

FINDERSCOPE (10X 7-4 DEGREE FOV)

http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

Mars

Saturn

M1

M3

M5

M10M12

M13

M14

M29

M35

M36

M37

M38

M39

M40

M44

M46M47

M48M49

M50

M51

M52

M53

M56

M57

M58M59M60

M61

M63

M64

M65M66

M67

M68

M76

M80

M81M82

M83

M84M85

M90

M92

M93

M94

M95

M97

M98

M101

M102

M103

M104

M106

M107

M108

M109

0

1

2

3

4

5

>5

N

S

E W

messier.apd 3/9/2008 1:00 AM

1°

EW

N

S

M49

M58M59

M60

M86M84

M89M87

M90

M88 M91

M98

M99

M100

M85

RA: 12h 29m 21s Dec: +12°58'45" FOV: 12.0°

virgo reverse horizontal.pdf

1°

E W

N

S

M49

M58M59

M60

M86M84

M89M87

M90

M88M91

M98

M99

M100

M85

RA: 12h 29m 21s Dec: +12°58'45" FOV: 12.0°

virgo.pdf

1°

EW

N

S

M49

M58M59

M60

M86M84

M89M87

M90

M88 M91

M98

M99

M100

M85

RA: 12h 29m 21s Dec: +12°58'45" FOV: 12.0°

virgo-reverse-horizontal-vertical.pdf

SAGITTARIUS

MANY MESSIER OBJECTS TO CLOSE TO CLEARLY SEEON A STAR CHART OF THE ENTIRE SKY

http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

MercuryVenus

Jupiter

Neptune

Pluto

M2

M3

M4

M5

M6M7

M8

M9

M10M11

M12

M13

M14

M15

M16M17

M18

M19M20

M21M22

M26

M27

M28

M29

M30

M31M32

M34

M39

M40

M49

M51

M52

M53

M54M55

M56M57

M58

M59

M61

M62

M63

M64

M65M66

M69M70

M71

M72M73

M76

M80

M81M82

M83

M84

M85

M87

M92

M94

M97

M98

M101

M102

M103

M104

M105

M106

M107

M108

M109

M110

M75

0

1

2

3

4

5

>5

N

S

E W

messier.apd 3/9/2008 6:30 AM

SAGITTARIUS

2°

E W

N

S

M6

M7

M8

M9

M10

M11

M14

M16

M17

M18

M19

M20M21

M22

M23M24

M25

M26

M28

M54M55

M62

M69M70

Pluto

Name: From sky chart RA: 18h 18m 08s Dec: -20°02'56" FOV: 40.0°

SAGITTARIUS

STRATEGIES

GET THERE EARLY

READY TO OBSERVE AT DUSK

USE A LIST TO CHECK OFF OBJECTS IN PROPER ORDER (marathon-list-worksheet.pdf)

http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

Mars

Saturn

M1

M31M32

M33M34

M35

M36M37

M38

M39

M40

M41

M42M43

M44M45

M46M47

M48

M50

M51

M52M63

M64

M65M66

M67

M74

M76

M77

M78

M79

M81M82

M84

M85

M86M87

M91

M93

M94

M95M96

M97

M98

M101

M102

M103

M105

M106

M108

M109

M110

0

1

2

3

4

5

>5

N

S

E W

messier.apd 3/8/2008 7:00 PM

NEW MOON

My Messier Marathon===================

Date: ___. ____ _____ Observer: ______________

Location: ____________ Lat: _____ Long: ______ Time Zone: ______

Instruments used: _______________________________________________________

General Comments: _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

The Object List:================

No. M# NGC# Con Type Your# Time Comments

1. M77 1068 Cet G S _____ __:__ ________________________________

2. M74 628 Psc G S _____ __:__ ________________________________

3. M33 598 Tri G S _____ __:__ ________________________________

STRATEGIES

WHAT TO BRING?

WARM CLOTHING (DO NOT FORGET THE FEET-INSULATED BOOTS )

ALARM CLOCK

PROVISIONS