A Messier Marathon is a sprint from object to object. You won't have a lot of time to enjoy them. This kind of observing is often not very fun and you're not required to participate. But marathoning does offer some benefits to those who participate. It challenges you as an observer, develops your star hopping technique and your familiarity with the night sky. When you're done, you will have observed most--possibly every--Messier object. Some amateur astronomers never get that far, even after years in the hobby. Finally, a Messier Marathon can be a great social activity. There's nothing like an all-night observing session with a hundred backyard observers to cement a lifelong interest in the hobby.
A well thought out observing list is essential to a well-run marathon. It will allow you to observe all or part of the night. If you want to break for a snack, to chat with some friends or simply to gaze at the stars with the unaided eye, you can easily rejoin the hunt at any place on your list. Additionally, your observing list can be used any clear night of the year. I keep mine always at the ready with my other charts. There's nothing better than observing a few bright Messier objects to recharge the batteries after hunting down 13th magnitude galaxies all night.
My list is a combination of one published in Don Machholz's Messier Marathon Observer's Guide and another published in the March 1994 issue of Astronomy magazine. It should be suitable for any observer located between 30 degrees and 40 degrees north latitude. The list is divided into seven sections or stages according to the time of night each group of objects is best observed. My list also includes a scheduled nap break.
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 1 M45 Tau 3h 47.0m 24 07' OC 1.2 110 2 M42 Ori 5h 35.4m -5 27' DN --- 66x60 3 M43 Ori 5h 35.6m -5 16' DN --- 20x15 4 M103 Cas 1h 33.2m 60 42' OC 7.4 6 5 M52 Cas 23h 24.2m 61 35' OC 6.9 13 6 M76 Per 1h 42.4m 51 34' PN 12.2P 1 7 M34 Per 2h 42.0m 42 47' OC 5.2 35 8 M31 And 0h 42.7m 41 16' Gal 3.5 178x63 9 M32 And 0h 42.7m 40 52' Gal 8.2 8x6 10 M110 And 0h 40.4m 41 41' Gal 8.0 17x10 11 M33 Tri 1h 33.9m 30 39' Gal 5.7 62x39 12 M77 Cet 2h 42.7m -0 01' Gal 8.8 7x6 13 M74 Psc 1h 36.7m 15 47' Gal 9.2 10x10My evening sequence is unconventional and a bit risky. It is based on the order in which the Messier objects emerge through the darkening sky. This sequence has worked well for me during past marathons. However, getting hung up on any of the first ten objects could result in M74 and M77 slipping below the horizon before you get to them. First-time marathoners, observers at sites with an obstructed northwest horizon, and late-season marathoners may be better served by a more traditional sequence.
The Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Messier Marathon section includes links to pages with more traditional search orders. Check these out and see which one works best for you.
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 14 M79 Lep 5h 24.5m -24 33' GC 8.0 9 15 M78 Ori 5h 46.7m 0 03' DN --- 8x6 16 M1 Tau 5h 34.5m 22 01' DN --- 6x4 17 M35 Gem 6h 08.9m 24 20' OC 5.1 28 18 M38 Aur 5h 28.7m 35 50' OC 6.4 21 19 M36 Aur 5h 36.1m 34 08' OC 6.0 12 20 M37 Aur 5h 52.4m 32 33' OC 5.6 24 21 M41 CMa 6h 47.0m -20 44' OC 4.5 38 22 M93 Pup 7h 44.6m -23 52' OC 6.2 22 23 M50 Mon 7h 03.2m -8 20' OC 5.9 16 24 M47 Pup 7h 36.6m -14 30' OC 4.4 30 25 M46 Pup 7h 41.8m -14 49' OC 6.1 27 26 M48 Hya 8h 13.8m -5 48' OC 5.8 54 27 M44 Cnc 8h 40.1m 19 59' OC 3.1 95 28 M67 Cnc 8h 50.4m 11 49' OC 6.9 30
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 29 M95 Leo 10h 44.0m 11 42' Gal 9.7 7x5 30 M96 Leo 10h 46.8m 11 49' Gal 9.2 7x5 31 M105 Leo 10h 47.8m 12 35' Gal 9.3 5x4 32 M65 Leo 11h 18.9m 13 05' Gal 9.3 10x3 33 M66 Leo 11h 20.2m 12 59' Gal 9.0 9x4 34 M81 UMa 9h 55.6m 69 04' Gal 6.9 26x14 35 M82 UMa 9h 55.8m 69 41' Gal 8.4 11x5 36 M108 UMa 11h 11.5m 55 40' Gal 10.1 8x3 37 M97 UMa 11h 14.8m 55 01' PN 12.0P 3 38 M109 UMa 11h 57.6m 53 23' Gal 9.8 8x5 39 M40 UMa 12h 22.4m 58 05' DS 8.0 1 40 M106 CVn 12h 19.0m 47 18' Gal 8.3 18x8 41 M94 CVn 12h 50.9m 41 07' Gal 8.2 11x9 42 M63 CVn 13h 15.8m 42 02' Gal 8.6 12x8 43 M101 UMa 14h 03.2m 54 21' Gal 7.7 27x26 44 M51 CVn 13h 29.9m 47 12' Gal 8.4 11x8 45 M102 UMa 15h 06.5m 55 46' Gal 9.8 5x2 46 M53 Com 13h 12.9m 18 10' GC 7.7 13 47 M64 Com 12h 56.7m 21 41' Gal 8.5 9x5 48 M3 Com 12h 40.0m -11 37' Gal 8.3 9x4
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 49 M98 Com 12h 13.8m 14 54' Gal 10.1 10x3 50 M99 Com 12h 18.8m 14 25' Gal 9.8 5x5 51 M100 Com 12h 22.9m 15 49' Gal 9.4 7x6 52 M85 Com 12h 25.4m 18 11' Gal 9.2 7x5 53 M84 Vir 12h 25.1m 12 53' Gal 9.3 5x4 54 M86 Vir 12h 26.2m 12 57' Gal 9.2 7x6 55 M87 Vir 12h 30.8m 12 24' Gal 8.6 7x7 56 M89 Vir 12h 35.7m 12 33' Gal 9.8 4x4 57 M90 Vir 12h 36.8m 13 10' Gal 9.5 10x5 58 M88 Com 12h 32.0m 14 25' Gal 9.5 7x4 59 M91 Com 12h 35.4m 14 30' Gal 10.2 5x4 60 M58 Vir 12h 37.7m 11 49' Gal 9.8 5x4 61 M59 Vir 12h 42.0m 11 39' Gal 9.8 5x3 61 M60 Vir 12h 43.7m 11 33' Gal 8.8 7x6 63 M49 Vir 12h 29.8m 8 00' Gal 8.4 9x7 64 M61 Vir 12h 21.9m 4 28' Gal 9.7 6x6 65 M104 Vir 12h 40.0m -11 37' Gal 8.0 8x3 66 M68 Hya 12h 39.5m -26 45' GC 8.2 12 67 M83 Hya 13h 37.0m -29 52' Gal 8.0 11x10
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 68 M5 Ser 15h 18.6m 2 05' GC 5.8 17 69 M13 Her 16h 41.7m 36 28' GC 5.9 17 70 M92 Her 17h 17.1m 43 08' GC 6.5 11 71 M57 Lyr 18h 53.6m 33 02' PN 9.7P 1 72 M56 Lyr 19h 16.6m 30 11' GC 8.3 7 73 M29 Cyg 20h 23.9m 38 32' OC 6.6 8 74 M39 Cyg 21h 32.2m 48 26' OC 4.6 32 75 M27 Vul 19h 59.6m 22 43' PN 7.6P 6 76 M71 Sge 19h 53.8m 18 47' GC 8.3 7 77 M107 Oph 16h 32.5m -13 03' GC 8.1 10 78 M12 Oph 16h 47.2m -1 57' GC 6.6 15 79 M10 Oph 16h 57.1m -4 06' GC 6.6 15 80 M14 Oph 17h 37.6m -3 15' GC 7.6 12 81 M4 Sco 16h 23.6m -26 32' GC 5.9 26 82 M80 Sco 16h 17.0m -22 59' GC 7.2 9 83 M9 Oph 17h 19.2m -18 31' GC 7.9 9 84 M19 Oph 17h 02.6m -26 16' GC 7.2 14 85 M62 Oph 17h 01.2m -30 07' GC 6.6 14 86 M7 Sco 17h 53.9m -34 49' OC 3.3 80 87 M6 Sco 17h 40.1m -32 13' OC 4.2 15 88 M11 Sct 18h 51.1m -6 16' OC 5.8 14 89 M26 Sct 18h 45.2m -9 24' OC 8.0 15 90 M16 Ser 18h 18.8m -13 47' DN --- 35x28 91 M17 Sgr 18h 20.8m -16 11' DN --- 46x37 92 M18 Sgr 18h 19.9m -17 08' OC 6.9 9 93 M24 Sgr 18h 16.9m -18 29' OC 4.5 120x40 94 M25 Sgr 18h 31.6m -19 15' OC 4.6 32 95 M23 Sgr 17h 56.8m -19 01' OC 5.5 27 96 M21 Sgr 18h 04.6m -22 30' OC 5.9 13 97 M20 Sgr 18h 02.6m -23 02' DN --- 29x27 98 M8 Sgr 18h 03.8m -24 23' DN --- 90x40 99 M28 Sgr 18h 24.5m -24 52' GC 6.9 11 100 M22 Sgr 18h 36.4m -23 54' GC 5.1 24 101 M69 Sgr 18h 31.4m -32 21' GC 7.7 4 102 M70 Sgr 18h 43.2m -32 18' GC 8.1 8 103 M54 Sgr 18h 55.1m -30 29' GC 7.7 9 104 M55 Sgr 19h 40.0m -30 51' GC 7.0 19 105 M75 Sgr 20h 06.1m -21 55' GC 8.6 6
Order Messier Const. RA Dec. Type Mag. Size # # (2000.0) (V) (arc min) 106 M15 Peg 21h 30.0m 12 10' GC 6.4 12 107 M2 Aqr 21h 33.5m -0 49' GC 6.5 13 108 M72 Aqr 20h 53.5m -12 32' GC 9.4 6 109 M73 Aqr 20h 59.0m -12 38' OC 8.9P 3 110 M30 Cap 21h 40.4m -23 11' GC 7.5 11Tom Polakis, a regular contributor to Astronomy magazine, suggests a somewhat altered order in his Morning Sequence. Tom suggests observers at higher latitudes consider moving M15 ahead of the Sagittarius objects. M15 is at a much higher declination than the Sagittarius objects. This makes M15 attainable earlier than the southern-most Messiers in Sagittarius. Also, Tom suggests you consider moving M55 closer to the end. His order places this globular cluster next to last, right before M30. M55 is at a southerly declination and is a difficult morning object for observers at latitudes of 40 degrees north or higher.
Layout, design & revisions © W.D. Ferris
Revised: March 29, 2002 [WDF]