March 07-08, 2008
Temple Bar Messier Marathon
March is
Messier Marathon Time
by John Heller
With the coming of Spring comes the time for Messier Marathons. For those new members who may be scratching their heads at this article’s title, a messier Marathon is an effort to observe all of the objects in the Messier Catalog in one night. I won’t try to educate you here regarding Charles Messier, except to say that he was an 18th century French comet hunter who cataloged 110 non-comet objects. To modern amateur astronomers, those 110 objects represent some of the most beautiful and interesting deep-sky objects visible from the Northern Hemisphere. Among the 110 objects are 40 galaxies, 28 globular clusters, 31 open clusters, four planetary nebulae, and 3 emission nebulae. The list also includes one (or two?) duplicate objects (M101/102) and two “mistakes” (M40/M73) that are marked by a double star and a grouping of four stars. It is largely serendipity that makes March the best time to conduct a marathon. There are more hours of darkness from October through February, so one might think that more objects could be seen during the longer night. However, March is best because of the distribution of the objects across the sky. The most optimal dates are considered to be March 21 or 22. This year we’ve chosen March 7/8 for our annual event at Temple Bar Marina on Lake Meade, because it is the weekend of the New Moon.
Most sources say that all of these objects should be observable in an 80mm refractor. Charles Messier actually cataloged most of them using a 90mm refractor of much lower quality than most of our instruments. I’ve also heard our past club president modestly remark that he has viewed all but one in his 4.5-inch StarBlast. There are even Messier binocular observing clubs. Large apertures have actually had disadvantages for me, because I tend to spend too much time observing each object and I get absolutely lost in the galaxies when the number of NGC objects exceeds the Messiers.
In my experience, the most difficult aspects of the marathon are observing those objects that are nearest the western horizon at dusk, observing those that are nearest the eastern horizon at dawn, and positively identifying the 13 Messier Objects in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. The key to success is to have an observing plan and doing some advance practice to find the items that will be on the horizon. The sequence for attempting the Marathon is very important, although the technique is generally to move from west to east and take in the circumpolar objects as they become best aligned. There are many good resources available for making an attempt at the Marathon. A sequenced list is available at http://www.geocities.com/sftonkin/messier/messmara.pdf . One popular reference is Don Machholz’s The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon (1). The sequenced list that he proposes is available at http://seds.org/Messier/xtra/marathon/marath1.txt, but the charts and tips provided in the book are invaluable. My personal favorite guide is Harvard Pennington’s The Year- Round Messier Marathon Field Guide (2). I like it because of the easy to use finder charts and simple illustrations, the fact that all of the charts are designed for using a Telrad, and the excellent detail pages for navigating the Virgo Cluster.
The early dates this year will make observing the western most objects at dusk significantly easier than most previous years, and should offset the nuisance created by the distant sky glow from Las Vegas. Conversely, the numerous objects in Sagittarius that will not rise until about 4AM will pose a significant challenge. (Nautical twilight begins at 0505 in Boulder City on March 8). In fact, according to my MegaStar program, it will not be possible for us to observe M30 in Capricornus before dawn. Oh well, 109 objects will still provide for serious bragging rights!
The traditions for a Messier Marathon discourage the use of go-to systems and digital setting circles, so this is the perfect opportunity to practice your star hopping and chart reading skills. However, if you are a techno-addict or just can’t tell the difference between Ursa Major and Canis Major, be comforted by the fact that LVAS has never revoked anyone’s membership for using a computer on Marathon weekend. I would personally congratulate anyone who gets close to 100 positively identified
objects – even with a go-to system. My personnel best was 103 objects with my 10” Meade LX-50 some years ago. I easily hit 80+ a couple of times since. The Messier Catalog of objects is widely considered the starting point for amateurs wanting to demonstrate their serious interest in the hobby by systematically documenting observation of a collection of objects. If you are serious about documenting your observations, the Astronomical League offers a certificate for manually locating and observing 70 or more Messier objects. For additional information and log requirements, go to the Astronomical League website at http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/messier/mess.html.
The great thing about our Messier Marathon weekend is that we have two nights to attack this challenge! Weather permitting, everyone making the effort should be able to observe a significant portion of the Messier Catalog. A Messier Marathon makes for a great observing opportunity whether you are making a run at the entire catalog, testing the waters to see if you enjoy an astronomical challenge or are just out for leisurely observing and to watch the antics of the marathoners. Cindy and I already have our reservations at the Temple Bar Marina and look forward to seeing you all there.
Clear skies!
John Heller