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[Relativist]

As part of the EAA rules Monthly challenge objects are defined. This post is an index of past challenge objects to form a library for users to reference as they develop as EAA observers. It also will link the yearly volunteer thread. The post that follows provides guidance for the monthly challenge.

 

2016:

 

February 2016 Arp 214
March 2016 easy Leo Triplet, March 2016 challenge NGC 4676
May 2016 Solar System Object: Mercury Transit
June 2016 target suggestions
June 2016 Challenge NGC 5701
July 2016 Easy & Challenge DSO & Solar System objects: Makemake, NGC 4725 and NGC 4747
July 2016 Easy target discussion
October 2016 Easy & Challenge Easy: NGC 83 group, Challenge: Shakhbazian 364
November 2016 Arp 145
December 2016 Southern challenge: Silver Dollar N253, Northern challenge: NGC 7265, Northern easy: M45.

 

2017:

 

*2017 Volunteer thread*

January 2017 Easy: NGC 1333, Challenge: NGC 1129
February 2017 Solar System object: Comet 2P/Encke (alternate: 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak), Southern NGC 2207 and IC 2163, Easy: NGC 2537/Arp 6, Challenge: NGC 2377
March 2017 Southern easy: NGC 2359, Southern challenge: NGC 2438, Northern easy: NGC 1931, IC417, Northern challenge: Arp 296/PGC 35345 & Arp 299/NGC 3690, Solar system object: Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova
April 2017 Southern easy: M68, Northern easy: M53, Southern challenge: NGC 6357, Northern challenge Abell 21, comets: P/2010 H2 Vales, C/2015 V2 Johnson, C/2017 E4 Lovejoy.
May 2017.  NGC4535, Shakhbazian 10, Abell Galaxy Cluster 3558
June 2017. NGC7023, NGC4707, NGC6334, Barnard 72,  C/2015 V2 (Johnson), 71P/Clark, Makemake
July 2017.  M17, NGC6543, NGC602, NGC1850
August 2017.  NGC1300, NGC2359, NGC2149, NGC5907, NGC7538, NGC6207, NGC6826,  NGC7331/35/36/37/40
September 2017.  NGC7662, IC 5146, M15, NGC7479, NGC7741, NGC7293, NGC45, NGC288
October 2017.  NGC246, NGC672, Arp 229, NGC1073, Jupiter, Comet 96P/Machholz
November 2017. NGC206, IC 443, Arp 273, Arp 282, Comet C/2017O1, NGC1097
December 2017 Easy: NGC 7635 and M52; Intermediate: IC 1396a/ LBN 452; Challenge: Sh2-188/LBN 633; Southern: Arp 318/ Hickson 16; Solar System: Uranus and its largest "Shakespearean" moons.

 

2018:

 

*2018 Volunteer Thread*

January 2018 M42, NGC 2169, Hickson 34, NGC 2022.
February 2018 Ceres, C7, C67, Abell 21
March 2018 Markarian's Chain, HCG 57, NGC4861, Mice Galaxies

April 2018  Easy: NGC4631; Challenge: Hickson 44; How-low-can-you-go: M83, Centaurus A, Omega Centauri; Southern: NGC3132, nova AT2018anm; Solar System: Jupiter/moon transits

May 2018  Mars, M17, globulars, etc.

June 2018  M102, Draco Triplet, Hickson 57, Moon, NGC6744

July 2018   M27, M20, NGC7331, Stephan's Quintet, Mars, Milky Way

August 2018  M2, Sharpless 2-101, NGC6822, Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner

September 2018  NGC6888, NGC7056, NGC7640, M92, M30, NGC6744/A, Pavo Triplet, Comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels, Comet C/2016 M1 PANSTARRS

October 2018  NGC7023, Sharpless 2-105, NGC7008, NGC7479, Arp 278, PGC67235/239/243/244/246, Comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels (again), M83, M84, Arp 321

November 2018  Arp 22, Arp 244, Arp 289, NGC604, NGC1514, NGC40, NGC891, NGC925, Arp 273, NGC1275, Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma

December 2018  M42, M43, NGC1973-75-77, NGC1999, IC 430, NGC1990, IC 434, NGC2023, NGC2024, IC 431/432, Comet 46P/Wirtanen

 

2019:

 

*2019 Volunteer Thread*

 

January 2019 

February 2019  Juno, NGC2683,  NGC2419, NGC1514, Rosette Nebula, NGC104, Small Magellanic Cloud

March 2019  Comet C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto), NGC2903, M95 & M96, M63, M51, M87, Medusa Nebula, NGC2359, IC 2948, NGC2070

April 2019  All Messier Objects

May 2019  M57, M13, Flora, M101, Hickson 44,  C6 Cat's Eye, M87's jet, Arp 23, NGC3918, NGC1763, NGC3576, NGC6188, NGC7552

June 2019  M57(again), M92, NGC6543 Cats Eye Nebula (again), NGC6946, NGC4568, M97, Barnard 72, Jupiter Red Spot 

July 2019

August 2019

September 2019

October 2019  Arp 244, Arp 245, Arp 252, Arp 292, Arp 321, Arp 28, Arp 113, Arp 170,  Arp 249, Arp 319

November 2019  NGC206, NGC604, NGC1003, NGC1275, NGC7129, NGC7139, NGC7479

December 2019

 

 

2020:

 

*2020 Volunteer Thread*

 

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020  NGC4242, NGC4144, NGC3338, NGC4157, NGC3917, NGC4088, NGC4217, NGC4220, NGC4449, M97

May 2020  3C273, NGC6888, NGC6960, NGC6946, NGC7023, M13, NGC6543

June 2020  Comet C/2017 T2 Panstarrs, NGC2841, NGC4038/4039, NGC3643, M61, NGC4435/38, M88, M91, NGC4567/68, NGC4676A/B

July 2020  M51, M27, M8, NGC7000, M57, IC 1396a

August 2020  Clavius Crater (Moon),  Jupiter,  M17,  M5, M102,  NGC7662,  M33, IC 59 / 63

September 2020  NGC7331, Stephan's Quintet,  NGC281,  M2, NGC7009,  Saturn

October 2020  M29, M52, NGC7023, NGC40,  NGC6826, NGC7008, NGC7139, Arp28, Arp113, Arp278

November 2020  NGC7635, M33, NGC891, M76, NGC1003, NGC925, NGC7479, NGC1275, Arp273, Arp31,  Arp143, NGC1514

December 2020 Mars, NGC2264, supernova 2020uxz in  NGC514, M78, NGC2174, NGC1579, Comet C/2020 M3 Atlas, NGC2170

 

 

2021:

 

*2021 Volunteer Thread*

 

January 2021  M42, NGC2024, NGC1977, The Trapezium, Horsehead Nebula, NGC1980, NGC1788, Barnard's Loop, IC 2118

February 2021 C10/NGC663, C25/NGC2419,  C30/NGC7331,  C23/NGC891, C2/NGC40,  C17/NGC147,  C24/NGC1275, C18/NGC185

March 2021 M67, M106, M108, NGC2903, NGC3180, NGC2392, NGC3190 group, M94, NGC3227

April 2021 NGC2419, NGC3242, Leo Triplet, NGC2261, M104, M96, M97, Sh2-290, NGC2403, Antenna Galaxies, Vesta, W UMa, M95, 3C-273, NGC2366, NGC4618, NGC4681, NGC4214, M99

May 2021  M3, M101, M67, Markarian's Chain, C40/NGC3626, Ras Elased Borealis, Abell 21

June 2021  M5, M27, M64, M16 & Pillars of Creation, M17, IC1470, NGC6543, M1-92

July 2021  M29, NGC4631/4627,  M20 and M8; NGC4567/4568, NGC5394/5395, M100 and NGC6888; IC1340, NGC7380 and Sh2-132; NGC6334 and NGC6357

August 2021 M57, M27, M97, M76, NGC6826, NGC7009, NGC6302, NGC6818, M1-64, NGC6781, NGC7008, NGC6894, Abell 39,  and M4-17

September 2021 M45, M13, M3, M56, NGC7023, IC5070, HCG10, HCG93, and Palomar10

October 2021 M29, M52, NGC6995, Sh2-155, Arp28, Arp319, NGC40, NGC672, NGC7008, NGC7139, NGC7479, Arp6, Arp113, Arp170, Arp229, Arp249,

Arp278, PGC67235 group, Shakhbazian 364

November 2021  IC5146, M33, M76, NGC891, NGC7331, NGC7635, Arp273, M74, NGC1275, NGC1501, NGC1514, NGC7129, UGC12914, NGC206, NGC708, NGC772, NGC925, NGC7662

December 2021 M81 & M82, NGC2683, M1, NGC1975, M77, NGC2392, NGC660, NGC7640, Horsehead Nebula in IC434, IC284

 

 

2022:

 

*2022 Volunteer Thread*

 

January 2022  NGC2244, NGC891, NGC1275, NGC7479, NGC7822, IC342, NGC2403, NGC300, NGC253, NGC247, NGC1097, JWST

February 2022  M1, M81, M82, IC405, M76,  NGC40,  NGC1501,  NGC1514, NGC2392,  NGC2841,  Arp6,  Arp25,  Arp145,  HCG10,  NGC2336,  UGC369, The Twin Quasar

March 2022 M46, NGC1999, M108, NGC4889, NGC3718, NGC1435, Arp16, Arp1 (NGC2857), 3C 232, LB 2126

April 2022 M97, NGC3242, NGC2022, Abell12, NGC2438, NGC2392, NGC2346,

NGC2440, NGC2371/72, NGC1535, NGC1514,  NGC1501, Calabash Nebula, Minkowski 1-7, Minkowski 1-8, Abell33,  Abell34, NGC3583, NGC2841, NGC5390, UGC4277

May 2022 M5, M57, M82, M83, NGC40, NGC5466, Comet 19P/ Borrelly,  Stephenson 1,  NGC7023

June 2022 M13, M11, M106, M27, C-399, NGC6888, NGC6210,  IC5146,  NGC6946, NGC5574/76/77

July 2022 51 Pegasi, Proxima Centauri, Gliese C, IC1318,  IC1805, IC1848, IC59 & IC63, LDN906, M16, M24, Large Sagittarius Cloud, M8, M20, C/2017  K2 (PanSTARRS), C/2020  K1  (PanSTARRS)

August 2022 M11, NGC6334, NGC7789, NGC6302, NGC6537, NGC6590,  NGC6822,  Henize2-438 (PK64+5.1), Parsamian 21, Djorgovski 2 (ESO 456-SC38), UGC378, PK80-6.1

September 2022 M39, NGC6960, NGC457,  NGC884 & NGC869, NGC7380, NGC7331, Stephan's Quintet, IC10

October 2022 NGC6995, NGC2261, Sh2-155, NGC7635, NGC7293, NGC281, NGC7479,  NGC7814, M33, NGC206

November 2022 M36, M38, The Trapezium, M45, NGC925, NGC1055, NGC660, NGC253, IC410, NGC1931, IC405, NGC2024, Sh2-240, IC443, Sh2-224, M1

December 2022 M15, Sh2-129, NGC7640, LBN534, NGC7793, NGC7790/NGC7788, G1/G2, M74, NGC680/NGC678/IC167, Arp276, NGC1499, NGC1491, NGC2487, Jn 1, Mars/Moon Occultation

 

 

2023:

 

*2023 Volunteer Thread*

 

January 2023 NGC2273/73A/73B, NGC2340, NGC1762, NGC1886, NGC2403, IC342, NGC2392, Abell21, NGC2371, IC2149, ARO220, NGC2022, NGC2346, Sh2-261, IC2177, IC2118, IC2087+Dust, 79, M41, Castor

February 2023 C/2022 E3 (ZFT), NGC2633/34, NGC4244, NGC4559, AT 2016blu, NGC4565, IC3355, NGC404, Sirius B, IC5076

[Relativist]

The following provides general guidance for the monthly challenge and is primarily written to help volunteers. First, here is the quote from the EAA forum rules that establishes the monthly challenge:

 

Monthly Challenges:

 

Each month there will be both solar system and deep sky targets at both a challenge/expert and easy/beginner level. Adding annotations to the captures shown are not considered post processing and are allowed.
 

In addition to this post establishing the framework for the Monthly Challenge an EAA Object of the Month Library post will serve as an index post that will link to all past challenges and other threads relevant to the Monthly Challenge.

 

During November of each year the moderator team will create and temporarily pin a volunteer thread for the following year. One volunteer per month will be recruited. The volunteer shall indicate which month they would like and if they do not indicate a month then they will be assigned in order. In addition a stand-by list will also be formed. Once the volunteers have been recruited for the following year the thread will be un-pinned and linked in the library post for future reference. The moderator team may also opt to allow a volunteer to run the yearly volunteer thread.

 

• Each month the challenge thread will be pinned that month until the next months thread is started. Then the previous months thread will be unpinned.

 

• The monthly challenge thread is semi-official simply because it is pinned, there is no prohibition implied that other objects can’t be posted by other participants in the EAA forum.

 

• The volunteer shall ensure that the original post(s) starting the monthly challenge is compliant with all CN TOS and EAA forum rules, including the image guidelines.

 

• The volunteer has the freedom to suggest as simple (one object for everyone that month) or as complex (an observing list for that month) of a challenge as they would like to propose. The guideline given in the EAA rules is meant as a suggestion and is a good starting point for volunteers making their selection.

 

• All Observations using EAA techniques of any type are equally welcome in the monthly challenge, including NV descriptions of observed targets. In addition please remember that we have worldwide participation, so selecting objects observable from either hemisphere can increase participation.

• The volunteer shall PM a moderator when their thread is ready to be pinned.

 

• The volunteer can make his post anytime prior to the month he’s assigned, but will only be pinned for that month. If a volunteer creates a post well ahead of the month they are assigned to, they are to PM the moderator team a reminder immediately prior to their assigned month with a link to their post.

 

• If the volunteer cannot make their post and have not done so by the first week of that month the backup team shall create the thread for that month and PM the moderator team and the original volunteer when it is ready. The original volunteer can always add their objects to the thread made by the backup team for consideration by EAA observers.

 

• The following links provide previous suggestions & ideas from forum members on how a volunteer might make his challenge.

 

• The volunteer can create separate threads for separate objects if they wish, but a single post will be pinned with links to those threads.

[alphatripleplus]

Just to update this thread since its inception several years ago:

 

1) As Night Vision now has its own forum separate from EAA, please do not post NV entries as part of the monthly EAA  Challenge. 

 

2) Each volunteer may choose as many or as few objects as he/she wishes for the monthly challenge, but please do not repeat a target from the last month unless it was poorly placed the prior month. Also keep in mind that if the challenge involves many objects, it is possible that some will not be attempted by any participants. In that case, fewer targets would be preferable to too many targets.

 

3) We ask each volunteer to start the original post in each monthly challenge with a summary list of all targets. Thanks.

 

4) Please post only your own EAA images of the target objects for illustrative purposes. Any post-processed images may be included only as links per the forum guidelines. If you wish to include illustrative images that are not your own, the CN Terms of Service requires that you include permission from the owner of such images before posting.

 

5) If a member posts a challenge before the last day of the prior month, the moderator staff may temporarily remove the post until the  last day of the prior month, so that members can focus on the current month's challenge.

[alphatripleplus]

Another update to this thread:

 

As we currently do not have a back-up volunteer team in the event that a volunteer is not able to make a selection for his/her chosen month, any volunteer who is no longer able to post their chosen challenge should PM the mod team as soon as they can. This will hopefully give us time to find another volunteer for that month. Please do not wait until the start of the month before sending a PM if you wish to withdraw. Thanks.