Contributed by: Tom Hoffelder
Date: Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 9:23 PM
Subject: 2021 Messier Marathon

It has been nine years since I completed a Marathon, and 44 years since 
my first.  Neither the weather in Maine nor my age/health are conducive 
to conducting marathons here, but I decided to try my best this year.  
I (not my telescope, an 8-inch f/6 Newtonian) found 58 Messier Objects 
from 8:15 to 11:30 in Norway Maine on 8 April 2021.  

Back in the good old days, meaning when I was at least nine years younger 
and hadn't been on chemo for four years, I completed 20 marathons ranging 
from 99 to 109 objects over the years 1977 through 2012.  Back then if I 
didn't get at least 99, which would only have been caused by clouds 
interfering, I didn't count them as completed.  Now, all things 
considered, I'm planning on counting, or I should say reporting, any 
marathon where I find at least half the objects, 55.

The six galaxies at the end of evening twilight were too low, as was M79.  
From there, I found all of the winter nebulae and clusters.  Next of 
course came all the spring galaxies, of which I located all except M106 
(directly overhead), 104 and 84 (too low) and 61 and 102 (too tired).  
Next came the globulars; I found M5,13 and 92 but 68 was too low.  Other 
than that, it was wait for the sky to catch up with me, and I was too 
tired to wait. I did see M97 and 40 when in UMa and last but not least, 
M57, barely, as it was low in the northeast at 11:30. 

Tom Hoffelder