MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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OK, to start out with, I'm not a huge fan of the Marathon, but it is fun. I see it more as an excellent reason to get people out on the observing field and having people blow off the accumulated winter time dust that has gathered.
I have participated in our club's Marathon every year since 1996. I usually end up in the 100-106 range, although I have got 110 a couple years.
I am the observing activities coordinator in our club, so I try to make it as fun as possible for everyone and ANYone.
We hold the Marathon at our club's dark site during the March New Moon weekend. I allow them to accumulate observations over both nights. I allow them to share the views with others (and they can count it). I even allow GOTO scopes! I then print up personalized club Marathon certificates for everyone, whether they find all 110 or only 4. Their certificates then claim how they accomplished it: "using a GOTO telescope", "viewed through a friend's scope", "over a two night period", etc.
I figured the more people I can get out there, the better. Like I always say at our club meetings "Just get out there under the stars!"
Of course, there are a handful of us who actually do the "official" style Marathon with no GOTO's, must find everything yourself, and find as many as possible in 1 night's time.
We also get a few new members out who get a start on their Astronomical League Messier programs. I advertise it by saying that "when else could you have so many amateurs all looking for Messier objects? If you get lost, or need verification of an object, there's plenty of others out there looking at the same objects!"
We usually get 30 to 40 members out on the field for the weekend and we have a great time!
Personally, it's usually the only time of the year that I even look at the Messiers! It's always nice to see the "old friends", even if it is once a year.
Anyway, how many of you will be participating in the Marathon this year?
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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johnfdean
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/04/06
Posts: 1031
Loc: southern tip of Illinois
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I would love to. But so far this year the sky has been covered with clouds....well, except for the that day we had 40mph winds.
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Celestron C6 f/5 by Vixen with Polaris GEM
14" Tscope dob f/4.7 with Argo Navis
80mm Nighthawk on Eq 2
Celestron C-4 f/10 GEM
Sky Scout
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2642
Loc: Arizona, USA
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Scott;
I am glad to hear that you get a fair number of your club members out to observe, that is the point...and the fun.
I will attend the All Arizona Messier Marathon this year. Lot of fun folks and scopes, some of the usual gang on CN and many more.
Clear skies to us all;
Steve Coe
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TeleVue 102 refractor on CGEM mount
10 inch f/4.7 Newtonian
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
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Sidereus Nuncius
super member
Reged: 03/27/05
Posts: 175
Loc: Chester County, PA
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A couple of friends and I (and our wives) are going to North Carolina's Outer Banks for our first Messier marathon.
I will be cheating, though  My little grab-n-go 80mm does not have a finder (my friend with the big Dob says it *is* a finder) so I bought an Argo Navis for it.
Besides, after I did the AL Messier club and a few others I've given in to convenience and only use GOTO or push-to. I've been completely corrupted 
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Regards,
Louis Marchesi
TMB 152, WO ZSFD80 Anniversary
AP 1200GTO
SBIG ST-2000XM, CFW9, Astrodon LRGB
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 2069
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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I will definitely be trying again. 2008 was a totally clouded out. I caught 109 in 2007 in spite of 4 1/2 hours of total whiteout (not a single star visible). I don't think I'll ever best that from here as at 35°N, M30 is really, really difficult!
This year, the evening Messiers will be more difficult than in 2007, but as time goes on, I also get better at finding them so I'm always game for a replay! And if it's warmer than 2007 (was some 17°F at the end) that'll be a big plus too!
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Americal
super member
Reged: 09/14/07
Posts: 144
Loc: Under the L. A. lightdome
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I think 7 of us are going to run it in the north Mojave, it's really good to just get out and it'll be my son's first time with his "new" 13" Coulter. If Los Angeles fogs in the sky is really dark up there but it is almost 36N soooo...
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Tom
Some's good, more's better...too much is just right
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4 1/4" f/5 homebuilt Newt
6" f/8 homebuilt Newt
8" f/5.1 homebuilt Newt
C11 ASGT (no, it's not homebuilt)
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4037
Loc: ohio
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what days?
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12 inch Truss Reflector "John"
102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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tmcd
newbie
Reged: 02/24/07
Posts: 3
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Each year the Astronomy Club Of Tulsa holds its marathon at the TUVA club site near Checotah OK. We always have at least 20 attend and everyone brings food, so even if conditions are not ideal, we always have a great time.
We encourage first-timers to come to the event, even though they feel intimidated by the challenge, by stressing that it's about the fun and not competition.
Each year I provide log sheets and finder charts which this year are plotted for March 28, 36°N, CDT
http://astrotulsa.com/pub/Messier/MessierMarathon2009.pdf
Good hunting,
Tom McDonough
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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This year the best weekend is March 27-28. New Moon is on the 26th.
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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stevek
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/16/06
Posts: 1289
Loc: west michigan
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Hey Tom McD. - thats a pretty nice chart you put together!
and the font is big enuff to work with.
Clear skies
Steve
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DSO 8" f6 DOB w/ 8x50 RACI & 2"Crayford
1958 Sears Discoverer 76mm Refractor
GSO SV 30mm 2",21mm Hyp,13mm Strat,BO/TMB 6mm&4mm
1.25"Filters: DGM-NPB, 25%ND
1.25" plossls: 25mm,20mm,15mm,9mm
Orion 2X Shorty Barlow
Garrett Gemini LW 11x56mm binocs
cheap $10 green laser pointer(hongkong express)
"What is that burning in the sky? Tell me y'all..." Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
I will attend the All Arizona Messier Marathon this year. Lot of fun folks and scopes, some of the usual gang on CN and many more.
Me too! Looking forward to seeing quite a few folks from CN at the AAMM. 
Scott, I thought your name was familiar. Your signature's on a couple of the AL Observing Club certificates that I proudly display on my office wall! 
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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Yup, that's me!
ohhhh, and it should already be known, but to everyone else out there.......
you can't use your Messier Marathon check-off list to get the League's Messier certificate. Running a Messier Marathon and completing the Astronomical League's Messier Observing program are two completely different things.
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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My goal, an ambitious one, is to do the Marathon this year with my 15x50 binoculars. I'm currently at 87 so far, not at one sitting, but I've barely stepped into Virgo. I know I can't get them all, M30 is impossible at my latitude. But it will be fun to try.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
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Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
My goal, an ambitious one, is to do the Marathon this year with my 15x50 binoculars. I'm currently at 87 so far, not at one sitting, but I've barely stepped into Virgo. I know I can't get them all, M30 is impossible at my latitude. But it will be fun to try.
Excellent goal, I've tried it a couple times with 20x80's and if I remember correctly I located 103 objects. My favorite Messier Marathon "weapon" is still my ST80 on a UA Unimount Light Basic, the wide FOV and ease of movement makes locating them fairly effortless.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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SanDiegoPaul
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 07/22/05
Posts: 1330
Loc: San Diego
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Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
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Meade 10" Lx200-R with Mitty Evolution Wedge
Moonlight SCT Focuser
Stellarvue Raptor 90 Triplet
SBIG ST2000 XM Imager
SBIG ST402ME CCD Guider
Canon Digital Rebel DSLR
Meade DSI-c CCD Guide Cam
Please visit my gallery!
http://www.pbase.com/sandiegopaul/
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I don't want to start a flame war but I have a hard time understanding that attitude, and yes, it is one that I've encountered also. I figure if you get one more person looking through a scope it is better.
But, with that said, the goto/non-goto divide will be with us always. So what I did with my club (which does NOT prohibit goto scopes) was to start up an October NOVICE messier marathon, where goto was actually encouraged and novices were encouraged to show up. (I even snarkily said the experienced members could show up and help!)
Sadly I moved away from that area so we only did it once and it was clouded out 15 minutes after it started, but we had a good time anyhow.
And if you are using a Celestron goto scope with a NexStar hand controller, check out the NexStar 50 list, I just finished it in marathon format at the Winter Star Party, see http://notthepainter.com/2009/02/nexstar-50-marathon/ for details.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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kroum
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/28/08
Posts: 630
Loc: Santa Clara, CA
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Quote:
Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
Letting go-to equipped people enter would be like letting a person on a motorcycle enter in the Tour de France. That being said, I don't see the motivation to jump from object to object all night instead of lingering and enjoying them.
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10in Hardin Optical Dob
100mm f6 Orion Achromat
6in Orion Short Tube Reflector
15X70 Barska Binoculars
32mm Astrola (Boo!)
25mm, 12.5mm Sterling Plossls
20mm Orion Expanse
9mm Hardin (GSO) Plossl
7.5mm Orion Ultrascopic
Ultima 2X shorty barlow
Turn on, tune in, and look through the eyepiece.
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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ahhhh yes, but the rest of the year is time for lingering and pulling out everything you can of an object.
We only allow GO-TO telescopes out in the field because it gets them out under the stars and instead of being plopped down in front of a television set. The more people we get out there, the better!
Like someone said before me here, I don't want a flame war of star-hopping vs GO-TO.
and then don't get me started on the people who are imaging with CCD's - they aren't really observing either 
.....to each his own! Just have fun at whatever you are doing.
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
I feel for ya man. Personally, I believe this hobby is exactly that and should be taken as that. People need to let others enjoy themselves the way they want to. As long as your happy, let freedom ring.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
Quote:
Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
Letting go-to equipped people enter would be like letting a person on a motorcycle enter in the Tour de France.
Korum,
Not quite. To each their own in choosing however they want to observe. If someone wants to look at the Messiers in 30 minutes, who am I to tell them? Let's keep this a hobby and exactly that. Thanks.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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okiestarman56
super member
Reged: 04/10/08
Posts: 498
Loc: 36.9'33" N 95.23'29" W
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So is it called a goto if I use a computer program ie stellarium to get Alt/Azm readings to aim my scope, 9 x out of 10 I can be in the ep. Whats the verdict. Also my Azm. reading on scope is a circle on base and Alt. is from an inclination gauge.
Jerry
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305mm f/5 GSO 12" DSO
114mm f/7.8 Tasco 4.5" Red Tube
76.2mm f/15.7 Tasco 10te #771027
80mm f/15 Sears 3.1" Refracor #412.4454
60mm f/15 Sears 2.3" Refractor #4 6305-A
60mm f/15 Sears 2.3" Refractor #4451
Plenty of EPs? .965 to 2"
2 LPI's
Home made Denver chair
3-7'x10' light panels
yada yada yada
Edited by okiestarman56 (03/12/09 08:14 PM)
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bherv
sage
Reged: 03/10/06
Posts: 308
Loc: WMass
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I may travel to coastal Rhode Island to join a friend and his club for a marathon on March 21st. The most I ever logged is 107. I missed M74,77 and 30.I am also hoping to get a glimpse of Omega Centauri just above the horizon in the early morning hours.
Barry
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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I just got back from a practice session. I'm at 42N. Sunset was at 6:44 (and it was gorgeous over the water). Venus was easily seen around 5 of 7, Sirius about 5 after. Around 7:30 or so you could make out many stars. Around 8:45 I bagged M42, M45 and M41 just to see and I then I started in on M74 and M77. Both were more than 20 degrees above the horizon. I found M74 pointers stars after a struggle. M77 was even worse, couldn't make out that damn sea monster at all! But I found the bright star and check the pattern against Astromist and I struggled mightly with both, but never saw either.
I spent about an hour. That seems excessive but at 50mm I am really aperture challenged here. I found M31 easily along with M110. (32 was a no show), M33 was also a there.
How much do I risk the rest of the evening objects by taking this much time on 74 and 77?
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
I may travel to coastal Rhode Island to join a friend and his club for a marathon on March 21st. The most I ever logged is 107. I missed M74,77 and 30.I am also hoping to get a glimpse of Omega Centauri just above the horizon in the early morning hours.
Barry
Is Omega Centauri viewable from coastal Rhode Island? I've never tried here in NY @ 42º lat. and thought that it's just too low. If so, I'm excited that I may have a chance after all!
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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kroum
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/28/08
Posts: 630
Loc: Santa Clara, CA
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
Letting go-to equipped people enter would be like letting a person on a motorcycle enter in the Tour de France.
Korum,
Not quite. To each their own in choosing however they want to observe. If someone wants to look at the Messiers in 30 minutes, who am I to tell them? Let's keep this a hobby and exactly that. Thanks.
No, I completely agree with you, but if there is some sort of competition or contest associated with this "marathon", then it really gives an unfair advantage to those equipped with goto. It might take someone (especially someone new to astronomy) all night to locate all the objects while someone else can sip their coffee/tea/beer, and see all of the messiers in half an hour, with the only effort they put in it being punching in the targets on their hand controller.
I do agree with you that this is a hobby and that is what it should stay as, and everyone should be encouraged to come out and observe in whatever way thy wish instead of sitting infront of the infernal idiot box.
I am not anti goto or against the people who have and use it, if I could afford it, I'd have it and I'd love it! 
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10in Hardin Optical Dob
100mm f6 Orion Achromat
6in Orion Short Tube Reflector
15X70 Barska Binoculars
32mm Astrola (Boo!)
25mm, 12.5mm Sterling Plossls
20mm Orion Expanse
9mm Hardin (GSO) Plossl
7.5mm Orion Ultrascopic
Ultima 2X shorty barlow
Turn on, tune in, and look through the eyepiece.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Our club has it every year in our dark sky site east of San Diego by about 80 miles. It's a lot of fun. They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
I do always have a blast though.
Letting go-to equipped people enter would be like letting a person on a motorcycle enter in the Tour de France.
Korum,
Not quite. To each their own in choosing however they want to observe. If someone wants to look at the Messiers in 30 minutes, who am I to tell them? Let's keep this a hobby and exactly that. Thanks.
No, I completely agree with you, but if there is some sort of competition or contest associated with this "marathon", then it really gives an unfair advantage to those equipped with goto. It might take someone (especially someone new to astronomy) all night to locate all the objects while someone else can sip their coffee/tea/beer, and see all of the messiers in half an hour, with the only effort they put in it being punching in the targets on their hand controller.
I do agree with you that this is a hobby and that is what it should stay as, and everyone should be encouraged to come out and observe in whatever way thy wish instead of sitting infront of the infernal idiot box.
I am not anti goto or against the people who have and use it, if I could afford it, I'd have it and I'd love it!
Korum,
Gotcha. Thank you for explaining that.
Cheers.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3469
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
So is it called a goto if I use a computer program ie stellarium to get Alt/Azm readings to aim my scope, 9 x out of 10 I can be in the ep. Whats the verdict. Also my Azm. reading on scope is a circle on base and Alt. is from an inclination gauge.
No, that's setting circles, not Go To. Setting circles have been around for more than a century, though they only became practical on alt-az mounts with the advent of computers.
But any competition that outlaws Go To will probably also outlaw setting circles. Setting circles and Go To are much more like each other than either one is like star-hopping.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1237
Loc: Estonia
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I think part of the thing is that the messier marathon isn't really about seeing the objects, but rather the navigational challenge, which just isn't there with goto.
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3469
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I just got back from a practice session. ... I started in on M74 and M77. Both were more than 20 degrees above the horizon. ... I struggled mightly with both, but never saw either.
I'm not surprised! M74 is one of the few Messier objects that's not easy through IS 15x50s even under ideal conditions, and your conditions were extremely far from ideal. First, you have to contend with light pollution, then with haze, then with low altitude.
Realistically, you need to perform triage. Accept the fact that you're not going to see all 109 or 110 objects, and plan accordingly.
You should be able to see M32, by the way. Check the area carefully with a detailed star map, and it will become quite obvious that one of those "stars" around M31 is distinctly fuzzier than the rest.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3469
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
They won't let ya enter the contest though if your using a computerized mount. They want you to star hop - something I barely know.
Quote:
I don't want to start a flame war but I have a hard time understanding that attitude
As others have said, a contest is a contest, and all contests have arbitrary rules. I can certainly imagine two different contests side by side, one with Go To and one without.
But it seems to me that the fact that this particular contest motivates San Diego Paul to star-hop is justification enough.
It's one thing to use Go To most of the time, and another thing entirely to be completely dependent on it. Sort of like arithmetic. If I want to divide 1003 by 17, I use a calculator -- assuming that I have one at hand. I have no need to prove, to myself or anyone else, that I can do long division. But I would feel pretty bad if I were completely dependent on a calculator to do long division.
Ideally, people with Go To would set aside a certain amount of time to learn to star-hop -- just as people with cars should, once every while, walk to the store instead of driving. But human nature being what it is, it often takes external forces to make people take the slow route rather than the convenient way.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
Is Omega Centauri viewable from coastal Rhode Island? I've never tried here in NY @ 42º lat. and thought that it's just too low. If so, I'm excited that I may have a chance after all!
I've talked with friends about viewing it from the south shore of Cape Cod, very similar to RI. It was either 3 or 5 degrees up, which makes in theoretically possible. Our advantage, over you, is that we'd be looking out over the ocean, so no city lights would hinder us. The disadvantage is that there is usually a few degrees of sea haze. But still, I might try for it somenight. (For me that would be about an hours drive though!)
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
No, I completely agree with you, but if there is some sort of competition or contest associated with this "marathon", then it really gives an unfair advantage to those equipped with goto.
If it is a competition there needs to be rules and possibly competing classes.
I prefer to view the marathon both as a exercise for myself but more importantly, the chance to hang out with dozens of friends from my club, drinking diet coke and eating whatever anybody brought.
Last one I went to the max anyone got without goto was 3, but we had a great time in the house eating and talking until about midnight when we gave up.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
I'm not surprised! M74 is one of the few Messier objects that's not easy through IS 15x50s even under ideal conditions, and your conditions were extremely far from ideal. First, you have to contend with light pollution, then with haze, then with low altitude.
Realistically, you need to perform triage. Accept the fact that you're not going to see all 109 or 110 objects, and plan accordingly.
You should be able to see M32, by the way. Check the area carefully with a detailed star map, and it will become quite obvious that one of those "stars" around M31 is distinctly fuzzier than the rest.
I've seen M32 before with these binoculars, sadly the haze was bad and I waited so long it was lower than I would have liked. I guess you are right about the triage, if I had started sooner on it I might have done better.
I'll have my sky and telescope pocket Atlas with me, which isn't detailed enough, but I'll also have my Palm Pilot running Astromist, which is very detail, down to mag 11 I think. It certainly has more stars than I can see with the Canons.
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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Hrundi
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/06/08
Posts: 1237
Loc: Estonia
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I didn't know it was possible to see m110 and not see m32. The former always looks to be far dimmer of the two.
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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Actually, for me through 10x50 binos, M110 stands out better than M32 does. Maybe because M32 is washed out a bit by the nearby glow of M31.
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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BillFerris
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/04
Posts: 2910
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I'll second (or is that, thrid ) the enthusiastic recommendations of the All-Arizona Messier Marathon. It's a great event under clear--most years--and dark skies. If you visit the SEDS Messier Marathon Results page (SEDS is the unofficial site of record for the marathon.), you'll find that most of the folks who've observed all 110 in a single night have done so from AAMM.
It's been several years since my last marathon but, having done a few, I'm of the opinion that GoTo isn't as big an advantage as some would suggest. The first obstacle to getting all 110 is location. Unless you're observing at the right latitude, it doesn't matter if you can wish your scope to the right coordinates. You'll miss M74 or M30, if you're too far south or too far north. If you are observing at the right latitude, the biggest challenge is just visually detecting some objects. It's pretty easy to starhop to M74 and M31 in the evening and to M30 in the morning. But the twilight sky is going to make seeing these objects a real challenge. GoTo can't do anything about that.
Personally, unless prize money is involved, I see no reason to exclude GoTo or any other technology from a marathon event. Marathons should be organized to encourage as many members--and potential members--as possible to attend.
Bill in Flag
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Grand Canyon Adventure
Lowering the Threshold
18" Obsession
4.5" Meade 4500
10x50 Swift Audubon
Cosmic Voyage
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
If you visit the SEDS Messier Marathon Results, you'll find that most of the folks who've observed all 110 in a single night have done so from AAMM.
Personally, unless prize money is involved, I see no reason to exclude GoTo or any other technology from a marathon event. Marathons should be organized to encourage as many members--and potential members--as possible to attend.
Yep, my personal best at AAMM is 107, seems like I always have difficulty with 74, 77, & 30 depending on the consitions. I'm happy with what I've "scored" every year though.
And I agree totally that GoTo is a personal preference, at the AAMM they give out scope plaques and certificates depending on how many objects an individual can locate. I don't see it as a contest, it's just a personal achievement. I prefer star-hopping with a small scope, but I'm sure it's just as fun and challenging to use a GoTo or try imaging as many as possible.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
If you visit the SEDS Messier Marathon Results, you'll find that most of the folks who've observed all 110 in a single night have done so from AAMM.
Personally, unless prize money is involved, I see no reason to exclude GoTo or any other technology from a marathon event. Marathons should be organized to encourage as many members--and potential members--as possible to attend.
Yep, my personal best at AAMM is 107, seems like I always have difficulty with 74, 77, & 30 depending on the conditions. I'm happy with what I've "scored" every year though.
And I agree totally that GoTo is a personal preference, at the AAMM they give out scope plaques and certificates depending on how many objects an individual can locate. I don't see it as a contest, it's just a personal achievement. I prefer star-hopping with a small scope, but I'm sure it's just as fun and challenging to use a GoTo or try imaging as many as possible.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2642
Loc: Arizona, USA
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Let's see, I would like to calculate the year when a Messier Marathon will be held and this insipid conversation about GOTO versus Star hopping will NOT get started. Seeing as how I am a fan of Babylon 5, I will choose the year the of the "Great War"--2260.
Folks, there are few enough people on this world who understand the real meaning of "star" or "galaxy", much less where to find them. I think breaking up observers into camps because of the type of mount they have chosen will not serve serve amateur astronomy well.
Clear skies;
Steve Coe
--------------------
TeleVue 102 refractor on CGEM mount
10 inch f/4.7 Newtonian
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Good to see folks are on the same thinking level. I'm not a GO-TO user and have always star-hopped myself, but as someone mentioned above, I think we need to keep folks encouraged; let alone scare them away with something so silly as not letting them observe simply because they have a go-to design. These are memorable moments that allow us to get together with friends and family out under the stars. Let's keep the fun in observing.
Fun is For you and For me.
Clear Skies.
--------------------
Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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I was originally considering trying a 15x70 binocular marathon. But then I got a message from Jack Jones with the Saguaro Astronomy Club, saying that he was going to attempt a sketch marathon. I think I'm going to switch gears and follow his lead on that. They certainly won't be attractive drawings, but I'm excited to give it a try. Just hoping I can make it out there this year--and that a vault of cirrus doesn't plaster us like the 2006 Marathon.
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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BillFerris
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/17/04
Posts: 2910
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Quote:
I was originally considering trying a 15x70 binocular marathon. But then I got a message from Jack Jones with the Saguaro Astronomy Club, saying that he was going to attempt a sketch marathon. I think I'm going to switch gears and follow his lead on that. They certainly won't be attractive drawings, but I'm excited to give it a try. Just hoping I can make it out there this year--and that a vault of cirrus doesn't plaster us like the 2006 Marathon.
Great idea, Jeremy. Has that even been attempted? Of course, you'll be walking around with "claw fingers" for a few days after that night
Bill
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Grand Canyon Adventure
Lowering the Threshold
18" Obsession
4.5" Meade 4500
10x50 Swift Audubon
Cosmic Voyage
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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That's a good question--I don't know if it's been tried before. I think we joshed around about it a couple years ago at one of the CAS meetings, but I only briefly considered doing it this year. I eventually decided I'd do the binocular stress-test instead. Jack got me inspired though, so I'm pointing any credit at him if we can make it happen. Hopefully the intermission around 1-2 am will give the finger tendons a chance stretch back out
Anyone else want to try? 
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
Edited by Jeremy Perez (03/13/09 02:22 PM)
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34574
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Now that's a challenge I will freely and honestly admit that I'm not up to. At least, not this time 'round.
However, at this year's AAMM I do intend to observe while pushing a pencil around. (Might even hit the paper with it this time.) I've had the AL Messier Club on hold for over a year, and although it's usually not my style to observe and sketch as many objects as possible in one session, I'm planning on pushing it this time. I'd like to make significant progress, and that particular night and event lend themselves well to that purpose. It would be nice to finish the thing in this lifetime. 
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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Quote:
I've had the AL Messier Club on hold for over a year, and although it's usually not my style to observe and sketch as many objects as possible in one session, I'm planning on pushing it this time.
Just remember that if you intending on working on your Messier Program for the League, take your time and don't hurry through it. Take good descriptive(!) accurate notes and not just "dim and fuzzy".
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34574
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Oh, don't worry. I've got that part down pat. (In fact, if I take my time any more thoroughly I'll likely die of old age before I finish it! ) I'm not doing the marathon, just using a night with lots of Messiers available to make some progress, so there will be no conflict with the AL's rules for that club.
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2642
Loc: Arizona, USA
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I like the idea of a drawing marathon, I do hope that some folks take that on--ignore the cramping.
I have on the wall of my RV a certificate for getting more than 50 objects observed at the 2002 AAMM. It is signed by AJ Crayon and Jack Jones, so it must be the truth;-)
I am still the person with a certificate using the smallest aperture. I used my 8X42 binoculars and saw 80 Messier objects on that evening.
Lots of great ways to view the sky;
Steve Coe
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TeleVue 102 refractor on CGEM mount
10 inch f/4.7 Newtonian
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
Edited by stevecoe (03/13/09 04:56 PM)
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
Let's see, I would like to calculate the year when a Messier Marathon will be held and this insipid conversation about GOTO versus Star hopping will NOT get started. Seeing as how I am a fan of Babylon 5, I will choose the year the of the "Great War"--2260.
"Zathras warn, but no, no one listen to poor Zathras, no."
--------------------
60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Quote:
I am still the person with a certificate using the smallest aperture. I used my 8X42 binoculars and saw 80 Messier objects on that evening.
Oh no! Do I have bring my 10x30s?
Actually, I'm planning to. My idea is to keep a toolbox with some reusable hand warmers in them to keep the binocs slightly warm. In theory, this will help prevent the dew that I know forms. (In my case, usually on the eye end, not the objective end.)
I'll work with one pair until it dews up and then switch to the other.
At least that's the theory!
--------------------
60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
-
Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
I got a message from Jack Jones with the Saguaro Astronomy Club, saying that he was going to attempt a sketch marathon. I think I'm going to switch gears and follow his lead on that.
Now that's a great idea! Like Tom, I don't think I'd be up for it but I wish you guys the best. Godspeed!
And now you've all got me mulling over the idea of using 10x50's or 20x80's instead of the trusty ST80 
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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I bet it'll be a satisfying challenge, Scott! M74 and M30 in twilight were my biggest binocular worries--I wasn't too worried about the rest.
If I do a sketching marathon with my 8" Dob, I expect the biggest stress will be over the final 5 or so objects in the morning. I remember trying to find all the right holes in the clouds as twilight started scorching the sky in 2006. That was a pretty wild astronomy adrenaline rush. I bet it'll be the same, with each quick drawing taking the place of waiting for a cloud sucker hole. 
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2642
Loc: Arizona, USA
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Painter;
I wish you luck with 10X30's, but you will need to be at the All Arizona Messier Marathon to get the certificate. I think I am safe for another Spring.
It does sound like folks have some great plans for this years marathon. I look forward to it.
Clear skies to us all;
Steve Coe
--------------------
TeleVue 102 refractor on CGEM mount
10 inch f/4.7 Newtonian
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
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edosaurusrex
super member
Reged: 01/30/07
Posts: 179
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I'll Marathon with anybody! For me it is a night(s) spent with good people and with a common interest. GoTo does not guarantee you will see anything. Just being where M74 is supposed to be doesn't count as seeing it IMO.
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Tom Polakis
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/20/04
Posts: 767
Loc: Tempe, Arizona
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I had thought all of the Messier Marathon challenges had been used up until Brent Archinal suggested this one:
Observe all of the Messier objects... in numerical order!
Brent probably didn't expect anybody to take the bait, but I couldn't resist firing up the planetarium software to see how many nights this would take. From Arizona's latitude in cloudless, dark conditions, one could observe all 110 Messier objects in numerical order in five nights.
The humor may be lost in the translation, but in case anybody wants to see the graphics, I have uploaded the PowerPoint presentation (1.6 Mb) to this site.
Messier Marathon In Numerical Order
OK, now who is going to be the first to try it?
Tom
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Tom Polakis
Tempe, AZ
Visual observing, DSLR photography, lunar & planetary imaging
http://www.pbase.com/polakis/
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 2069
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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Quote:
I had thought all of the Messier Marathon challenges had been used up
That's definitely a good one. There's always new challenges to look at. I had suggested a Messier Sprint on the binocular forum a couple of years ago - I caught 23 objects in 60 seconds with a pair of 18x50 Canons, and still missed a few that I should have also been able to get 
Nice thing is you can re-run it several times and practice to pump up the score!
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stevecoe
"Astronomical Tourist"
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2642
Loc: Arizona, USA
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Tom;
Does your numerical order MM also allow for collapsing into bed at some point during the 5 nights? Maybe some Prozac would be in "order" as this marathon progresses.
Crazy, man, crazy;
Steve Coe
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TeleVue 102 refractor on CGEM mount
10 inch f/4.7 Newtonian
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Quote:
Tom;
Does your numerical order MM also allow for collapsing into bed at some point during the 5 nights? Maybe some Prozac would be in "order" as this marathon progresses.
Crazy, man, crazy;
Steve Coe
--------------------
Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
Observe all of the Messier objects... in numerical order!
OK, now who is going to be the first to try it?
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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desertstars
Please stand by...
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 34574
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
Crazy, man, crazy...
What he said! I'd have a better chance of getting through Jeremy's sketching marathon intact! 
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Tom W.
Collinder's Catalog
Jewels in Dark Settings
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Bill Weir
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 1297
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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This will be the first year I've done the marathon dispite being in this hobby for some time. It seems I've always been away or just wasn't wanting to give up a good dark weekend.
I came close to doing one of those binocular sprints in a way a couple years ago when I was high in the hills above San Jose Costa Rica. I had arrived that day and while my family had already gone to bed I was on a lounge chair that I had dragged into a dark corner of the little hotel's grounds scanning the sky with my 10X50 binos. While I was reminding myself of some of the better southern objects I remembered it would be a MM night. With that in mind I scanned around and within a minute or two had rounded up 27 objects. That was enough then I pointed my glass south.
This year my club has decided to hold a marathon party. At first I wasn't going to go because where they are holding it isn't really an ideal location by my standards. I'd rather head out to the Bortle 2 zone not all that far away. In the end I decided it would just be fun to hang out with the group. What I've set as a goal is to get as many as I can from memory and no chart. As is right now I could get 92. The other ones are those that are low to the horizon from Canada, many of which I haven't bothered with for years.
Adding sketches to the mix might make it interesting.
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar ED II
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2008, 121.
So far in 2009, 92
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4345
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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"Letting go-to equipped people enter would be like letting a person on a motorcycle enter in the Tour de France."
Actually, not using GOTO is like insisting on entering horse drawn carriage in the Indy 500.
I was actually thinking of instead going for the brightest 600+ DSOs visible from the Northern Hemisphere, including all of the Messier Objects. Star hop *that* in a night.
Regards,
Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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kroum
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/28/08
Posts: 630
Loc: Santa Clara, CA
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You won't get away that easily , my analogy is far superior. The Indy 500 is more like your brightest 600+DSO in one night challenge, where satate of the art performance and split second timing is required. The tour de France is a marathon overcoming long distances and harsh conditions using modern equipment powered by sheer human effort, just as a the messier marathon is a challenge of locating deep space objects using modern telescopes powered by human effort as Messier did in his day
If you are doing it for fun, anything goes! How about a messier astrophotography marathon? Think anyone can manage that? Or your indy 500 err... DSO 600 challenge.
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10in Hardin Optical Dob
100mm f6 Orion Achromat
6in Orion Short Tube Reflector
15X70 Barska Binoculars
32mm Astrola (Boo!)
25mm, 12.5mm Sterling Plossls
20mm Orion Expanse
9mm Hardin (GSO) Plossl
7.5mm Orion Ultrascopic
Ultima 2X shorty barlow
Turn on, tune in, and look through the eyepiece.
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marcink
member
Reged: 08/01/07
Posts: 99
Loc: Lombard (Chicagoland), IL
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I'll be doing the marathon in Green River Wildlife Area, near Dixon, IL, if the weather permits. I scored 100 Ms in 2007 and wasn't planning to do this again, but my friend insists and he's eager to get into the hobby soon.
I don't think that someone with GOTO can brag about completing the Messier Marathon. Sure, they can have fun, but there is no challenge.
Anyone planning MMM? No maps, charts - just from memory?
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SaberScorpX
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/12/05
Posts: 4220
Loc: illinois, usa
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I ran a warm-up M-Cubed after February's New Moon (105).
Late March and early-April Marathons can start us in the hole, and I'll swap
a decent view of 74, 77, and 33 for a poor/unavailable view of 72, 73,
and 30 anytime.
Also, as I've been asked about this more than a few times, the classic
M-Cubed only requires the target positions to be memorized, not the entire
search sequence.
Saber Does The Stars at
www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10494
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Can you see M30 from Illinois during the Messier Marathon time frame? I was under the impression that one had to be at a latitude of 35 degrees north or less.
Dave Mitsky
--------------------
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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SaberScorpX
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/12/05
Posts: 4220
Loc: illinois, usa
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The best northern IL can score is 109.
M30 can be detected in early April but we sacrifice
the evening target altitudes.
Saber Does The Stars at
www.astronomyblogs.com/member/saberscorpx
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marcink
member
Reged: 08/01/07
Posts: 99
Loc: Lombard (Chicagoland), IL
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Yeah, sure, you can have the sequence written down.
I haven't managed to see last few objects, including M30...
--------------------
8" Chest Newtonian
Lombard - orange skies of suburban suburbia
Green River - where I breathe stardust
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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From 38.22 North, we are able to see all 110 during the last week of March and first week of April. M30 will be a little tough, but should be do-able this year
--------------------
Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4037
Loc: ohio
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I found a copy of the mini messier marathon from the now defunct nightsky magazine.It has all four map pages in high color and the article. I and some freins will probably try to find all 25 seems doable for a newbie with less than 5 nights under his belt and a pair of 80mm binos, and another with an 80mm refractor.
Im gonna try it this weekend the sky gods willing.
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12 inch Truss Reflector "John"
102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Bruce MacDonald
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/12/06
Posts: 1078
Loc: Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
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We did the marathon last night (got in just after 5 a.m.). The UK is a terrible place to attempt a Messier marathon due to cloud and light pollution. I only have my 80mm Short Tube so I'm limited on the aperture front. But I still managed 80 objects (2 I saw in someone else's 80mm scope). This would have been nearer 90 had not cloud intervened and blotted out the low objects in Sagittarius and M2. I'm tired but happy with that haul.
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Bruce MacDonald
Devizes, Wiltshire, UK
Per Mare Per Terras
Viz Top Tip: Don't waste money buying expensive binoculars. Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.
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MessierScott
sage
Reged: 06/18/07
Posts: 294
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Well so much for our club's Messier Marathon. We are in the middle of a ice storm! We are supposed to have 4-6 inches on the ground by tonight!
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Scott Kranz
20-inch f/4.3 Starmaster w/Zambuto mirror
7-inch Starmaster
H-alpha Coronado PST
Denkmeier II binoviewers w/24mm Panoptics
16x80 binos
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
Powell Observatory with 30-inch f/4.9 EQ newtonian
Astronomical League Messier, Meteor, Sunspotter, & Asteroid Observing Programs Coordinator
ASKC Dark Sky Site
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4037
Loc: ohio
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We were under thin clouds untill nearly midnight.So we didnt even bother.
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12 inch Truss Reflector "John"
102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Bill Weir
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 1297
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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Wednesday night was the only predicted clear night so those who didn't have to work (man I want to be retired) went to the planned location on the hill where the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory of Canada is. That didn't fit with my life that day. So here is the report I filed to our email list Thursday morning:
It was more of a sprint than a marathon actually. Early on I hadn't expected much of the evening after being shut out of a viewing of the thin crescent Venus by thin clouds to the west. Then there was my son's band concert that I needed to attend. With arriving home at 2100hrs and seeing the sky perfectly clear I threw my 6inch dob, a simple atlas and the Messier marathon order list into my truck and headed out. I drove straight to the Metchosin cricket pitch, which has the best 360º view of the sky in the area. I was dismayed to see that the parking lot light for the little Community house was on. This is the most retardedly designed light they could possibly think of installing. It beams like a death ray into the sheltered spot where I like to set up. I'd never noticed it before. This is a spot that is usually sheltered from the lights on the municipal and fire halls.
My aim for the night was to see how many Messier objects I could find using only the marathon order list and no maps. I set my time limit at midnight because I had to work today. By 2130 I was aiming my scope towards the west. I decided to bypass the first two objects on the list (M77 and 74) and went straight on from there. It was only after I had finished up in Perseus that I realized the part of Pisces that I needed had been still above the horizon. Taking a shot I pointed the scope directly where I knew M74 should be. I was greeted with the small core of the galaxy along with the outline of the distant hill also in the FOV. M77 was gone below the horizon but I now wonder that if I had tried right in the beginning, it might have been a go.
It was a wildly successful evening. My grand total was 67 Messiers seen, by the time I ran out of sky at 2315hrs. The final object was M92 in Hercules. It was totally in the hazy muck over top of the city off to the east. I had to sweep it up first with my 10X50 binos because there were no stars visible close to it. All that I could make out was the "Keystone". This is object #70 on the order list. The objects I couldn't see were M77 & M83 both below the horizon and M79, which was blocked by some trees at the SW side of the field. I have a feeling that M79 might have been possible if I'd have gone for it earlier or remembered to try for it a little later when it might have moved past the trees.
I only had to look up 3 objects, M93, M61 and M68, so I was very pleased with that.
By the time I threw everything back into my truck the black metal tube of my little dob was totally frosty white. I was home and totally unpacked by 2330hrs. Man that was a very productive 2hrs well spent.
I'm hoping to hear that the crew who went up on the hill had an even better night, seeing as they were planning on an all-nighter. I expect to see high number counts. I'm looking forward to next year. If I make any progress on the lighting in the area, perhaps were could do the Marathon out here.
Bill Weir
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar ED II
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2008, 121.
So far in 2009, 92
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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103 objects at the All-Arizona Messier Marathon, using 20x80's. I'm very pleased with that!
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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rocco13
Got Milk?
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 2648
Loc: Phoenix, Arizona
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Congrats, Scott! That's pretty amazing. I was there Friday night and got off to a slow start, spending too much time looking for 77, 74, and 33. Never did nab 74. From there on was a relative cakewalk until about 12:30, when I got so cold I couldn't focus the scope because I was shivering so much. The falling temps, coupled with being up since 5am Friday morning, totally wiped me out, and I called it a night. I regretted not being prepared for the cold, as the summer Messiers were just starting to rise. I'm embarrassed to say I only got 49 of them before wimping out.
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Rocco
Zhumell Z12
Super C8 (1984 vintage)
Celestron 102 f/5
and a cheap pair of binoculars
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Wish I had been there to meet you Rocco, hopefully you got a chance to say hello to some of the other CN'ers. 49 is nothing to hang your head about, that's a great accomplishment!
I remembered to bring and wear long underwear, and had plenty of stuff to layer on my upper half, but I forgot some sweatpants and extra socks. I know it didn't get that cold compared to other parts of the country, but I'll admit my dang feet didn't warm up until I was well on my way back to Phoenix!
Oh, forgot to mention that some light clouds early Sun. morning made those summer constellations a bit of a challenge, but I managed to get everything but one glob in Sag by "cloud-holing"!
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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molniyabeer
Confused and Asleep
Reged: 01/08/05
Posts: 2556
Loc: Central Coast, California
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Our club had five folks out on Saturday night to Figueroa Mt, in the Los Padres National Forest. Two of us stayed the course. My final tally was 107 with M74 and 33 lost due to low clouds early and M30 which just didn't crest a low ridge to the east early enough in the morning. But I grabbed a bunch of other stuff along the way so had a fun time, and that's the whole point in my book. One day I'll get to a site with a flat horizon and bag them all.
And for the record I hopped with my 16" dob. I prefer to do the marathon manually but can't thumb my nose at someone who uses GOTO since at least they're out there actually observing!
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Steve
16" Meade LightBridge (Beowulf)
10" Hardin DSH, StarMax 127mm Mak, PST H-a
Oberwerk 11 x 70 binocs, Tasco 10 x 50 binocs
Santa Maria Clear Sky Clock
Figueroa Mt Clear Sky Clock
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 1209
Loc: Pacifica, CA, USA
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I was invited to attend the OFLI Messier Marathon up at Cobb Mountain in Lake County, Northern California (about 40 min N of Napa).
As this was my first Marathon and not knowing what to expect, I fully planned on using my GOTO scope mainly because I have only seen a couple handfuls of Messier's and figured even if I "cheated" I was going to see more in one night than I have in several weeks of observing at home. I want to at least see the objects before attempting a more challenging marathon. And I was not disappointed. Of course, the conditions were really good at Cobb(nice and dark, though seeing was average and transparency changed up all night long), though there were clouds that threatened the early part of the evening.
I ended up with 99 total, 98 viewed through my C925, 2 through my 10x50 binocs (M31 was behind a tree, and I just had to look at M45 through my binocs!), and I'll double check the count but I think it was high 80s with my 80ED. The first two (M74, M77) were too difficult because of the transparency and nearby trees. Same with M31/M32/M110.
Our Southern exposure was dominated by a hill with trees, so we couldn't catch a handful of the southern Messiers, though M30 was high enough it might've been visible had the mountain not obstructed the horizon.
It was also the first time I've been observing from sundown to sunup.
Jeremy's sketching marathon seems quite an ambitious undertaking, not sure even if I were a talented sketcher I'd be up for that kind of effort in a single night. I can't imagine doing the Virgo Cluster galaxies that way, but at least you probably have time to sketch them all.
I recall reading a post last year that some imagers were considering doing an imaging marathon. Someone mentioned that you'd probably fall too far behind with capturing those initial objects just based on exposure time, but I can't seem to find the post to see if anyone attempted it.
I did have a great time, and I took enough notes on some objects that I hadn't seen before so I can revisit them.
Unfortunately I tend not to have good enough skies at home to view most of the galaxies, so I'll have to wait to get out to dark skies to observe those.
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Clear Skies,
Jim
--
"Do, or do not. There is no try."-Jedi Master Yoda
Scopes: CGE925, 80ED, NP127is (w/ADM acc.)
EPs: Naglers: 31, 22, 17, 9, 3.5 Pan’s: 15
Misc: Telrad, 2x&4x Powermate, Sol/OIII/UHC/Var Pol. Filters
Imaging Gear: Pentax K100D, SPC900NC
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palsing
super member
Reged: 08/11/05
Posts: 137
Loc: Poway, CA
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Quote:
I was invited to attend the OFLI Messier Marathon up at Cobb Mountain in Lake County, Northern California (about 40 min N of Napa).
What is OFLI?
My brother lives at the base of Cobb Mt. and I visit him often. Is this an observing group local to that area?
Thanks in advance.
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Paul
25" Obsession
5.5" Newt - finder (Cometcatcher)
Hutech 22 X 100 binos w/LPS-P2 filters
Canon 10 X 30 IS binos
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 1209
Loc: Pacifica, CA, USA
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Quote:
Quote:
I was invited to attend the OFLI Messier Marathon up at Cobb Mountain in Lake County, Northern California (about 40 min N of Napa).
What is OFLI?
My brother lives at the base of Cobb Mt. and I visit him often. Is this an observing group local to that area?
Thanks in advance.
Sorry, I should've clarified. OFLI stands for "Off Fisher Lane Irregulars." It's an informal astro-observing group started by cuzimthedad who lives "off fisher lane" in Sonoma, CA. He has a nice open field on his land that he organizes monthly observing sessions. You could PM him if you're interested in joining him sometime, the group is very laid back and just enjoys looking up and doing astro-type stuff.
He knows someone who has access to a private plot up that way and they organized access for the marathon. I must say it's definitely beautiful country back there.
The gentleman who gave us access to the plot mentioned a local astro group, but I can not recall the exact name. Lake County Astronomical Society or something like that.
Hope this helps.
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Clear Skies,
Jim
--
"Do, or do not. There is no try."-Jedi Master Yoda
Scopes: CGE925, 80ED, NP127is (w/ADM acc.)
EPs: Naglers: 31, 22, 17, 9, 3.5 Pan’s: 15
Misc: Telrad, 2x&4x Powermate, Sol/OIII/UHC/Var Pol. Filters
Imaging Gear: Pentax K100D, SPC900NC
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Congratulations on what sounds like a great marathon, Jim!
It does sound counter-intuitive, but the Virgo Cluster was actually the least stressful part. Nudging from galaxy to galaxy in such a tight area saved lots of time, and the sparse star fields made the drawings a lot simpler. The Winter Milky Way open clusters were the tough part! M74, M32 and M110 ditched me too. I hope you get another dark sky opportunity soon.
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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varmint
I invite more abuse
Reged: 02/10/07
Posts: 1209
Loc: Pacifica, CA, USA
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Quote:
Congratulations on what sounds like a great marathon, Jim!
It does sound counter-intuitive, but the Virgo Cluster was actually the least stressful part. Nudging from galaxy to galaxy in such a tight area saved lots of time, and the sparse star fields made the drawings a lot simpler. The Winter Milky Way open clusters were the tough part! M74, M32 and M110 ditched me too. I hope you get another dark sky opportunity soon.
Thanks Jeremy, yes it was a great outing. So were you able to sketch the marathon? Did I miss a post with your sketches?
This was some of the best observing (although super rapid) I've had. If only I could've brought my scopes to Sedona last Feb...
I can definitely see how the Virgo cluster would be less stressful, they were up most of the night in good viewing position. What made them stressful for me was the fact there were about 4-5 galaxies in the same FOV so ID'ing them (which for me was a first time event) was quite stressful knowing I had so many to get through...but not realizing that this was the "break" point in the evening before things slowed down...
Then one of the other guys with us recommended pumping up the magnification to limit the FOV (I was using my TermiNagler 31mmT5), that helped a lot, though in some cases there would still be 2-3 in the FOV of my 17mm.
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Clear Skies,
Jim
--
"Do, or do not. There is no try."-Jedi Master Yoda
Scopes: CGE925, 80ED, NP127is (w/ADM acc.)
EPs: Naglers: 31, 22, 17, 9, 3.5 Pan’s: 15
Misc: Telrad, 2x&4x Powermate, Sol/OIII/UHC/Var Pol. Filters
Imaging Gear: Pentax K100D, SPC900NC
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5529
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ
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Quote:
Jeremy's sketching marathon seems quite an ambitious undertaking, not sure even if I were a talented sketcher I'd be up for that kind of effort in a single night. I can't imagine doing the Virgo Cluster galaxies that way, but at least you probably have time to sketch them all.
I've gotta give Jeremy a lot of credit and a huge applause for his sketching talent, he was well-prepared with nicely printed forms/templates and his sketches were phenomenal for a full night of work. I was pretty shocked ya pulled that off Jeremy!
You sir, are the master! 
Nice tallies folks, thanks for sharing your reports and experiences, it's nice to know we all enjoyed it.
Oh and we had a treat at AAMM. A visit from Don Macholz, one of the creators of the Messier Marathon. He even made the rounds in the evening to say hello and check on everyone's progress. A very nice guy and a pleasure to meet.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1930
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Hi Jim, I did post a bit about it down in the other AAMM thread in the Star Parties section. I found & sketched 104 of them, but haven't scanned the sketch sheets yet. Hopefully in the next couple days...
Missing M74 and M30 I blame on poor preparation to deal with the murky horizon. The other 4 I missed (M32, M110, M72 & M73) are just a cryin' shame. I've got my excuses (clouds/humongous Phoenix LP dome), but Don Machholz, Rick Tijera and a few others managed to get them. It was still a great night, and awesome that Scott grabbed 103 with his binoculars!
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/5.9 Dob) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars || Coronado PST
The Belt Of Venus || Sketch Gallery || Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
Edited by Jeremy Perez (03/31/09 02:27 PM)
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NotThePainter
sage
Reged: 06/02/07
Posts: 370
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Ok, so I'm almost a month late, but here's my report...
http://notthepainter.com/2009/03/messier-marathon-spring-2009/
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60mm Swift Refractor
5 inch Burgess 1278 Refractor
6 inch Edmund Scientific Reflector
8 inch Celestron SCT
Celestron ASGT mount
Canon 15x50is
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Cape Cod Astronomy Society
New Hampshire Astronomy Society
My astronomy blog: http://www.NotThePainter.com
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