Date: April 19, 2018
From: Jim K
Subject: 2018 Messier Marathon Report

Members of The Albuquerque Astronomical Society (TAAS) had observing sessions 
scheduled at GNTO (our club observatory - the General Nathan Twining 
Observatory, in Belen, NM) for Friday night, March 16th, and Saturday night, 
March 17th, and Sunday night, March 18th. However, Friday night was 
cloudy/overcast, Saturday night was a partial success, and Sunday night had 
70% cloud cover and winds were above 25 mph.
 
On Saturday. although winds were brisk before sunset, they settled down some 
and a number of people took part in the Messier Marathon. About 9:30pm, the 
wind was picking up and clouds encroached from the western horizon. 
By 10:30, there was 75% cloud coverage, so observers headed home after 
recording around 30 objects before the clouds took over. Also on Saturday, 
but from his yard in the Manzano Mountains east of Albuquerque, fellow TAAS 
member John Laning located over 100 objects, mostly with an 11" Edge f/7 SCT 
and a 25mm eyepiece, and a couple using 80x20 binoculars because of nearby 
trees (M6, M7). The bright city light-dome precluded three early evening 
objects (M74, M33, and M110), and he did not view M69, M83, M55, M75, and M30 
due to morning thin clouds and trees.
 
Yet on Monday, March 19th, the skies were clear and winds gentle, so a few 
TAAS observers made it to GNTO for observing. With a 2.5 day (7%) Luna setting 
at about 9:40pm, a few objects were joined by a thin crescent of light. 
Using a 80mm, f/7 refractor on a manual alt-az mount and a single eyepiece 
(17mm Plossl), I was successful in viewing all 110 Messier objects (the 
zenith SQM-L reading was 21.6 at midnight and the temperature started at 50 F 
with 8-12 mph wind, but was 25 F at 6am with 1-3 mph wind). Throughout the 
evening, seeing was good and transparency was very good, with the Pleiades 
(M45) being the first object seen at 7:50pm (in twilight). The most difficult 
was Globular Cluster M30, with its visibility being a race against sunrise, 
finally capturing it at 6:09am, just above the distant horizon. It was my 
first complete Messier Marathon; in 2014 I only viewed 109 objects, missing 
galaxy M74 because of low clouds. Fellow observer Martin Hilario saw 
109 Messier objects visually in an 11" SCT and imaged all 110 using Gen-3 
nightvision; only M30 eluded his visual grasp.
 
Although on New Moon night April 14th a marathon technically could be 
completed, fellow club members at a GNTO observing session looked upon other 
sights.
 
Jim K
The Albuquerque Astronomical Society