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The Fall Messier Marathon Guide

The Fall Messier Marathon Guide. Ed Ting, NHAS, CMP Oct 17 th 2008. Messier Marathon. An informal competition to locate the most Messier objects by a single observer during a dusk-to-dawn Marathon. How Many Can You Expect To See?. March: 108-110 June: 90-95 October: 100-102.

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The Fall Messier Marathon Guide

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  1. The Fall Messier Marathon Guide Ed Ting, NHAS, CMP Oct 17th 2008

  2. Messier Marathon • An informal competition to locate the most Messier objects by a single observer during a dusk-to-dawn Marathon.

  3. How Many Can You Expect To See? • March: 108-110 • June: 90-95 • October: 100-102

  4. From Southern NH • Daylight lasts approx 11 hours and 30 minutes • Everything is “shifted” by 6 hours compared to a conventional March MM

  5. What Doesn’t Change • You still have to stay up all night long • The average time to find each object goes up – about 7 minutes, 25 seconds per object • The busiest times are the beginning and the end, with a lull in the middle

  6. Your New Problem Objects Are… • M4 and M80 are right on the western horizon • M104, M68, and M83 are lost in the morning sun

  7. M3 • M3 is also a problem (18 deg above horizon at 6 PM)

  8. What Does Change • M30, M72, and M73 are no longer difficult • Scorpio is now the early problem • March – The Sun is in Capricorn • October – The Sun is in Virgo

  9. One Big Change • The Virgo Cluster must be tackled while the sun is rising • Thus, the VC is now a Bonus Object • M64, M53, M61, etc become problems also

  10. For Experienced Observers • You have to readjust your thinking • Beginners have the upper hand here!

  11. Your New Goal • 91 Objects • 5 Objects are not visible • The Virgo Cluster galaxies (14 objects) become “Bonus Objects.”

  12. The Sky at 6:00 PM

  13. The First 2 Hours • Goal – Get 20 Objects (22% of total) • M62, M19, M6, M7, M5, M97, M108, M109, M81, M82, M101, M102 (NGC 5866), M51, M3, M53, M63, M94, M107, M12, M10

  14. The Sky at 10 PM

  15. 9 –11 PM Sagittarius • Sagittarius, Scutum, Ophiucus • M10, M23, M24, M25, M69, M70, M54, M9, M14, M8, M20, M21, M28, M22, M55, M16, M17, M11, M26 • Goal: Get 19 Objects (20%, 42% of total) • Lots of showpiece objects

  16. Sagittarius/ Scorpius Area

  17. The Sky at Midnight

  18. Midnight to 2 AM • Goal: Get 22 objects (25%, 67% total) • M40, M106, M75, M13, M92, M57, M56, M27, M71, M2, M72, M73, M30, M29, M39, M15, M74, M77, M31, M32, M110, M33

  19. The Sky at 4 AM

  20. 4 AM – Winter Objects • Goal: Get 31 objects (33%, 100%) • M103, M52, M34, M76, M79, M1, M45, M37, M36, M38, M50, M47, M46, M93, M41, M35, M41, M42, M43, M78, M48, M44, M67, M105, M96, M95, M65, M66, M61, M64, M85

  21. The Virgo Cluster • The bad news – You have to find 14 dim objects (15% of the total MM) • The VC is rising in the east, along with the sun! • These are all Bonus Objects

  22. The Virgo Cluster

  23. Work From Left To Right

  24. From Skymap

  25. You’re Done! • How did you do? • Don’t forget to report your results to the club for the newsletter. • If you followed the “Goals” you should have 91 objects (82%)

  26. Tips & Tricks (p. 1 of 2) • Use a scope with a short focal length • Consider using an alt-az scope • Bring a pair of binoculars • Have a method for dealing with dew • Eat light snacks throughout the evening • Once in a particular area, stay there until you get all the objects there

  27. Tips and Tricks (p. 2 of 2) • Work West to East, South to North • Work from a list • Bring a chair • Don’t forget to have fun!

  28. Books For Further Reading

  29. Good Luck!

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