Contributed by AJ Crayon (acrayon at primenet.com)

also available as ascii file

Messier Plus Marathon List

by Wally Brown & Bob Buckner

This list was used by members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club located in Phoenix, AZ for the Messier Plus Marathons of 1981 and 1982. The Messier Plus Marathon was designed to take place during September to provide a second marathon to follow the spring Messier Marathon.

This list includes 75 Messier, 34 NGC and 1 Collinder object, were selected and sequenced for observing site by Wally Brown and Bob Buckner. Of the 34 NGC objects, 30 came from Alan Dyer's "110 Finest NGC" found in the Royal Astronomical Observers Handbook of 1981 and the remainder (+ in OBJ column) being Wally's and Bob's picks. Rise and set times were also bracketed for each section for the site and date.

Certificates of Record of Achievement awarded to top 5 and all ties.

The Messier Plus was not intended to be difficult like the Messier list as early setter and late rise type objects were not included. In addition M40 and M73 were dropped to make list more enjoyable.

The details like constellation, type, location, mag, size and notes added by AJ Crayon and are from the SAC v6.2 database.

Constellation abbreviations are the IAU standard. Type abbreviations: GC= globular cluster, OC= open cluster, PN= planetary nebula, BN= bright nebula, SNR= supernova remnant, Galaxies are identified by their Hubble type. Columns with no entries indicate no data available.

Sizes are in arc minutes, unless noted otherwise.

OBJ       CON  TP  R.A.(2000) Dec  Mv    SIZE           NOTES

Section 1 M 3 CVN GC 13 42.2 +28 23 06.4 16.2 Rosse saw dark marks M 5 SER GC 15 18.6 +02 05 05.8 17.4 Section 2 M107 OPH GC 16 32.5 -13 03 08.1 10.0 M 12 OPH GC 16 47.2 -01 57 06.6 14.5 Somewhat loose struct. M 10 OPH GC 16 57.1 -04 06 06.6 15.1 Rosse saw dark lane M 9 OPH GC 17 19.2 -18 31 07.9 9.3 Dark neb B64 to west M 6 SCO OC 17 40.1 -32 13 04.2 15.0 Butterfly cluster M 7 SCO OC 17 53.9 -34 49 03.3 80.0 Fine naked eye cluster Section 3 M 22 SGR GC 18 36.4 -23 54 05.1 24.0 one of finest globs M 28 SGR GC 18 24.5 -24 52 06.9 11.2 * mags 14... M 69 SGR GC 18 31.4 -32 21 07.7 7.1 M 70 SGR GC 18 43.2 -32 18 08.1 8 * mags 14... M 54 SGR GC 18 55.1 -30 29 07.7 9.1 * mags 15... M 55 SGR GC 19 40.0 -30 58 07.0 19.0 * mags 15... Section 4 M 8 SGR CN 18 03.1 -24 23 05.0 80X40 Lagoon Nebula M 20 SGR CN 18 02.3 -23 02 06.3 28.0 Trifid nebula M 21 SGR OC 18 04.6 -22 30 05.9 13.0 36 members to 12th mag M 25 SGR OC 18 31.6 -19 15 04.6 32 Stars mags 6...10 M 24 SGR OC 18 17.0 -18 35 04.0 120X90 Sm Sgr * Cloud M 23 SGR OC 17 56.8 -19 01 05.5 27.0 100 members to 13th mag M 18 SGR OC 18 19.9 -17 08 06.9 9.0 M 17 SGR CN 18 20.8 -16 11 06.0 11.0 Omega or Swan Nebule M 16 SER CN 18 18.8 -13 47 06.0 6.0 Star Queen, Eagle Neb M 14 OPH GC 17 37.6 -03 15 07.6 11.7 many vF stars 14... M 11 SCT OC 18 51.1 -06 16 05.8 14.0 Wild duck M 26 SCT OC 18 45.2 -09 24 08.0 15.0 70 * to 14 m NGC6712 SCT GC 18 53.1 -08 42 08.2 7.2 M 75 SGR GC 20 06.1 -21 55 08.6 6.0 * mags 17... NGC6818 SGR PN 19 44.0 -14 09 10.0 5" Little Gem Nebula Section 5 M101 UMA Sc 14 03.3 +54 22 07.9 28X28 NGC5907 DRA Sb+ 15 15.9 +56 19 10.3 12.8X1.8 M102 DRA E6p 15 06.5 +55 45 09.9 6.5X3 NGC6503 DRA Sb 17 49.4 +70 09 10.2 8X2.6 NGC6543 DRA PN 17 58.6 +66 38 08.3 22"X16" Cats Eye Nebula M 13 HER GC 16 41.7 +36 28 05.9 16.6 Hercules cluster NGC6207 HER Sc 16 43.1 +36 50 11.6 3.3X1.2 30' NE from M13 NGC6229+ HER GC 16 47.0 +47 32 09.4 4.5 M 92 HER GC 17 17.1 +43 08 06.5 11.2 Rosse saw spiral struct M 57 LYR PN 18 53.6 +33 02 09.4 86"X62" Ring Nebula M 56 LYR GC 19 16.6 +30 11 08.3 7.1 Stars 11... NGC6826 CYG PN 19 44.8 +50 31 08.8 27"X24" Blinking Planetary M 39 CYG OC 21 32.2 +48 26 04.6 32.0 Large but loose cluster M 29 CYG OC 20 23.9 +38 32 06.6 7.0 Abt 20 stars mags 8... NGC6960 CYG SNR 20 45.6 +30 43 99.9 70X6 Veil Neb, 52 Cyg inv NGC6940 VUL OC 20 34.6 +28 18 06.3 31.0 100 * mags 9... Section 6 M 27 VUL PN 19 59.6 +22 43 07.3 480"X340" Rosse drew 18* invl Cr399+ VUL OC 19 25.4 +20 11 03.6 60.0 Brocchis, Coathanger M 71 SGE GC 19 53.8 +18 47 08.3 7.2 NGC6934+ DEL GC 20 34.2 +07 24 08.9 2 M 15 PEG GC 21 30.0 +12 10 06.4 2.3 Stars mags 13... M 2 AQR GC 21 33.5 -00 49 06.5 12.9 Rosse-Dk area near core NGC7293 AQR PN 22 29.6 -20 48 06.3 960"X720" Helical Nebula M 72 AQR GC 20 53.5 -12 32 09.4 5.9 3 deg WSW of N 7009 M 73 AQR OC 20 59.0 -12 38 08.9 2.8 NGC7009 AQR PN 21 04.2 -11 22 08.3 28"X23" Saturn Nebula M 30 CAP GC 21 40.4 -23 11 07.5 11.0 Herschel ellip. shape Section 7 NGC 40 CEP PN 00 13.0 +72 32 10.7 60"X40" Rosse saw spiral struct M103 CAS OC 01 33.2 +60 42 07.4 6.0 Cas OB8 NGC 663 CAS OC 01 46.0 +61 15 07.1 16.0 Cas OB8 NGC 185 CAS dE0 00 39.0 +48 20 09.2 12X10 Dwarf eliptical, N 396 NGC7789 CAS OC 23 57.0 +56 44 06.7 16.0 1000 sts 11...18 mag M 52 CAS OC 23 24.2 +61 35 06.9 13.0 NGC6939 CEP OC 20 31.4 +60 38 07.8 8.0 N6946 38' SE NGC7331 PEG gl 22 37.1 +34 25 09.5 11.4X4.0 Brightest in group NGC7662 AND PN 23 25.9 +42 33 08.6 17"X14" Blue Snowball Nebula M 31 AND Sb 00 42.8 +41 16 03.4 178X40 Great Andromeda Galaxy M 32 AND E2 00 42.8 +40 52 08.1 8X6 M31 Companion M110 AND E6 00 40.4 +41 41 08.1 17X10 M31 Companion Section 8 M 33 TRI Sc 01 33.9 +30 40 05.7 73X45 Pinwheel Galaxy M 74 PSC Sc 01 36.6 +15 48 09.4 12.0X12.0 Fine face on spiral M 77 CET SBp 02 42.7 -00 02 08.9 9X8 NGC 936 CET SBa 02 27.7 -01 09 10.1 5.6X4.5 Thick central bar NGC 253 SCL Scp 00 47.5 -25 18 07.2 25X7 M 45 TAU CN 03 47.0 +24 07 01.2 100 Pleiades M 34 PER OC 02 42.0 +42 47 05.2 35.0 sevral D* inv. NGC 891 AND Sb 02 22.6 +42 21 09.9 14.0X3.0 Rosse drawing w/dk lane NGC1023 PER E7p 02 40.5 +39 03 09.4 9X4 faint tuft on E tip M 76 PER PN 01 42.4 +51 34 11.0 163"X107" Little Dumbbell, Cork Neb NGC869/84 PER OC 02 19.0 +57 09 05.3 30.0 Double Cluster NGC1501 CAM PN 04 07.0 +60 55 12.0 56"X48" Section 9 M 38 AUR OC 05 28.7 +35 50 06.4 21 Greek letter Pi NGC1907 AUR OC 05 28.0 +35 19 08.2 7.0 M 36 AUR OC 05 36.1 +34 08 06.0 12 Aur OB1 inc Struve 737 M 37 AUR OC 05 52.4 +32 33 05.6 24.0 500* M 35 GEM OC 06 08.9 +24 20 05.1 28.0 Rosse counted 300* NGC2158 GEM OC 06 07.5 +24 06 08.6 5.0 F* on edge of M35 M 1 TAU SNR 05 34.5 +22 01 08.4 6X4 Crab Nebula NGC2371/2+GEM PN 07 25.6 +29 29 13.0 74"X54" double lobed NGC2392 GEM PN 07 29.2 +20 55 08.6 47"X43" Clown Face, Eskimo Neb Section 10 M 78 ORI BN 05 46.8 +00 04 08.0 8X6 Comet shaped 2 sts inv NGC2024+ ORI BN 05 42.0 -01 50 99.9 30X30 Tank Track Neb NGC1973// ORI BN 05 35.1 -04 44 99.9 20X10 42 Ori etal, incl /5/7 M 42 ORI CN 05 35.3 -05 23 04.0 66X60 Trapezium M 43 ORI BN 05 35.5 -05 16 09.0 20X15 detached pt of Ori Neb M 79 LEP GC 05 24.2 -24 31 08.4 8.7 Stars vF NGC1535 ERI PN 04 14.2 -12 44 10.4 20"X17" Section 11 M 81 UMA Sb 09 55.6 +69 04 06.9 26X14 brightest in group M 82 UMA Ip 09 55.8 +69 41 08.4 13X6 M81 group, eruptive NGC2403 CAM Sc 07 36.8 +65 37 08.5 17.8 in M81 group M108 UMA Sc 11 11.5 +55 40 10.0 8.8X2.2 M97 is 48' SE M 97 UMA PN 11 14.8 +55 01 11.0 202"X196" Owl Nebula M 40 UMA 2S 12 21.9 +58 06 09.0 D* 9.0 & 9.3 50" sep Section 12 M 44 CNC OC 08 40.1 +19 59 03.1 95.0 Beehive, 200 sts ...14 M 67 CNC OC 08 50.4 +11 49 06.9 30.0 500 sts to 16 mag M 48 HYA OC 08 13.8 -05 48 05.8 54.0 M 50 MON OC 07 03.2 -08 20 05.9 16.0 About 100 sts 9...14m M 47 PUP OC 07 36.6 -14 30 04.4 30.0 M 46 PUP OC 07 41.8 -14 49 06.1 27.0 PN N 2438 on N edge M 41 CMA OC 06 46.0 -20 44 04.5 38.0 150 sts to 13 mag M 93 PUP OC 07 44.6 -23 52 06.2 22.0 63 sts to 13 mag

Of course, the best observing sequence and relative event times are location and date dependent. Data here (for model purposes) is for Phoenix AZ,112W04 33N28, Sep 15/16, 2001, LMT. Time brackets are for first and last event in each section. Sequence is not based solely on rise/set times but on logical, facile rolls through the sky.

Setters:

Section 1    2157-2214
Section 2    2247-2336
Section 3    2339-0057
Section 4    2344-0155
Section 5    0129-0737
Section 6    0310-0452
Stayers:
Section 7    #########
Risers:
Section 8    1838-2128
Section 9    2218-0115
Section 10  2333-0119
Section 11  0033-0102
Section 12  0228-0336

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    Last Modification: May 20, 2006