From: Sid Leach
Date: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 3:10 AM
Subject: 2010 Messier Marathon Results

Results:  109 of the 110 objects on the Messier list (missed M30 -- it was
 not possible).  14-1/2 inch f4.3 Dob with go-to-then-track drive system.
 
 Report:  I attended the 2010 All Arizona Messier Marathon on March 13/14,
 2010, sponsored by the Saguaro Astronomy Club.  This was my first Messier
 marathon, after many years as an amateur astronomer dedicated to
 astrophotography and astroimaging.  (My website of images is at
 www.sidleach.com.)
 
 I had never taken my StarMaster 14-1/2 inch Dob out to a dark sky site for
 visual observing, so I decided to do the Messier marathon using the Sky
 Tracker go-to-then-track drive system on the StarMaster telescope.  My
 objective was merely to enjoy visually observing all Messier objects in a
 single night. That turned out to be a lot of fun for me, and it was a
 memorable night out under the stars.
 
 In the beginning of the night, I used Nagler Type-2 20mm and 9mm eyepieces,
 except that I used a Takahashi LE 50mm eyepiece on M45, M44 and M41. Later
 when I got to the Virgo galaxy cluster, I pulled out my Denkmeier
 Binoviewer, and it made the remainder of the night a lot more fun because I
 find it easier to observe with both eyes. I use two Takahashi 30mm LE
 eyepieces on the binoviewer most of the time, but to view Saturn and Mars, I
 used Takahashi 18mm LE eyepieces.  I used photographs in the "Atlas of the
 Messier Objects," by Ronald Stoyan, to confirm objects when necessary,
 especially to match star patterns and confirm the open star clusters on the
 Messier List that I do not have memorized, and I used star charts in the
 book to confirm nearby NGC objects not on the list.
 
 This is the first time I have ever visually seen NGC 604 in M33. Now I
 understand why it has its own NGC number. It was very obvious through the
 14-1/2 inch scope using the 20mm Nagler. The cluster of stars in the arm of
 the galaxy on the other side of M33 was also very obvious. I spent a lot of
 time on M42. It was incredibly dramatic that night. I could trace the
 nebulosity in the teacup shaped part of the nebula for a long way. The E and
 F members of the trapezium were easy using the 9mm Nagler. Usually the part
 of M42 around the trapezium is over-exposed in astroimages, so this was the
 first time I noticed how that star cluster had created a void in the nebula
 which was very apparent visually. NGC 2438 in M46 was very dramatic in the
 20mm Nagler. In the 9mm Nagler, NGC 2438 showed faintly detectable filaments
 of structure.  I admit that most nebulae and galaxies look better in long
 exposure images, but globular star clusters have a unique beauty all their
 own that can only be fully appreciated visually.
 
 Every one of the Messier objects was an easy target with 14-1/2 inches of
 aperture. M77 and M74 were easy to confirm with that scope in the dusk
 twilight. Initially when I was attempting to confirm M74, I tried the 9mm
 eyepiece to magnify and darken the sky background a little, but ultimately
 did not need it because as the twilight dimmed, M74 became easy to confirm
 with 14-1/2 inches of aperture.  I was surprised at how good the view of M76
 was.  I expected M76 to be more difficult.  Like I said, this Messier
 marathon was not much of a challenge given the way I went about it using a
 go-to system and a large aperture scope.  But for me, this was fun.  I have
 a great deal of respect for the guys who were star-hopping to find
 everything on the list.  And a few of the observers at the All Arizona
 Messier Marathon were doing it completely from memory without any star
 charts.  Wow!
 
 While I was in the Virgo cluster, I used star charts to track down more than
 35 additional galaxies that were near the Messier objects. During the course
 of the star party, in addition to NGC 604 and NGC 2438, the other NGC
 objects that I logged that night included galaxies NGC 2976, 3077, 3384,
 3389, 3593, 3628, 4290, 4220, 4387, 4413, 4425, 4458, 4476, 4461, 4487,
 4531, 4551, 4618, 5195, 5198, 5474, 5907, 5879, 5053, 4394, 4388, 4402,
 4435, 4438, 4478, 4550, 4647, 4638, 4567, 4568, 4526, 4324, 5061, and 6207;
 and star clusters NGC 1907, 2158, 6356, 6144, 6293, 6284, 6712, 6642, and
 5139 (Omega Centauri).
 
 The people I met at the star party were very friendly. Most of them were
 either members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club or the East Valley Astronomy
 Club. I had never attended a meeting at either astronomy club, so there was
 only one person at the star party who I already knew before I arrived.
 However, at least 7 people came by to visit me during the star party, and
 several of them looked through my scope. As a group, amateur astronomers are
 some of the friendliest people on the planet, especially the members of the
 Saguaro Astronomy Club and the East Valley Astronomy Club.  I want to
 expresss my thanks to A.J. Crayon & Rick Tejera of the Saguaro Astronomy
 Club for their work in organizing the event.  This event reminded me of the
 fun I have been missing by not getting out more often.  I hope it will not
 be so long before I am able to get out to a dark sky site again.
 
 Sid Leach
 http://www.sidleach.com