MnAstro Forums

Greetings photo-starved observers,

It's time to begin preparation for the Messier Marathon, being held at CGO on Friday, April 8th, with the alternate night being Saturday, April 9th. The goal of a Messier Marathon event is to observe - without the aid of GOTO or DSC - as many of the Messier objects as possible. All of the necessary information can be found on the Messier Marathon page: http://www.mnastro.org/messier-marathon/ .

As is true w/ the Virgo Venture and the Mini-Messier Marathon, this event will be CANCELLED IF CLOUDY. The GO or NO GO decision will be posted both here, the Events forum, as well as the Observing SIG forum and on the information line: 952-467-2426 by 4:00 pm of that day.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them on the Observing SIG forum - "The observing session begins: The Messier Marathon".

It' time to dust off those scopes!

So excited. Hoping the weather is better than last year so I can beat my personal most in one night of 15 objects.

I'll be there! I'll probably be chasing Herschel-400 objects rather than Messier Objects, but it's always a fun time.....unless we get clouded out!

Here is a link to The Ultimate Messier Object Log.
http://www.1america.com/astronomy/pdf/messier_ref.pdf

Nice! Thank, Ray.

I especially like the bino-viewing rating. It fits w/ the viewing topic of last month's meeting.

Greetings Photon-starved observers,

The NOAA is predicting about 45% cloud cover and very cool temps (in the 30's) for Friday and Saturday. (The Clear Sky Chart only predicts 18 hrs ahead - I'll include that info beginning Thursday). In the past, I have used the 30% rule when calling major star parties ON or OFF: There needs to be 30% or less predicted cloud cover. When attempting a Messier Marathon, clear skies for the entire night are pretty crucial. Even if I wind up calling the Messier Marathon OFF for Friday, Saturday will still be an option. And, even if both are officially called OFF, you are certainly welcome to drive to CGO (or LLCC) and 'takes your changes'. Beyond the actual goal of nabbing as many Messier objects as you can, the real value is just getting out under the stars with friends.

I'll keep you up to date as the week progresses.

Some of us are photo-starved, too. I'll be in a corner of the field imaging Messier galaxies and maybe M97 as well.

Well said, Dave. Can I cover my proverbial backside by saying that some of us observe using electronic methods instead of bionic methods, but that it's all essentially the same?

I've attached the 'official' Messier Marathon form. Maps and such can be found on the Messier Marathon web page.

Go Charles!

[quote="jjones7777"]Well said, Dave. Can I cover my proverbial backside by saying that some of us observe using electronic methods instead of bionic methods, but that it's all essentially the same? :oops:[/quote]
Here's an alternative: No matter the detector type (including biologic ones), photons, especially ones gathered by a telescope, are required.

Call me an optimist, but over the past two days the forecast for Friday night at CGO has been improving. As of right now (noon Wednesday), NOAA is saying "Mostly clear" with hourly charts showing clearing from 28% cloud cover to as low as 12% overnight. Keeping my fingers crossed and packing my car.......

You are an optimist.

I hope you are right. I am looking forward to some telescope time.

I think I will wimp out tonight, too cold. I was hoping this would be the coming-out party for my 29-inch but it looks like I'll have to wait until next month. Or whenever...

Despite the snow this morning (gotta love Minnesota), I am calling the Messier Marathon a GO for tonight.

Both the NOAA and the Canadian Clear Sky Chart agree (how often does that happen?). NOAA is predicting 20% cloud cover at 9:00 pm (astronomical twilight is at 9:34 pm) with cloud cover diminishing to 3% by 2:00 am.

The winds will be stiff (14 mph) until about 10:00 pm when they will drop to about 8 mph. The temps will be in the mid 20s with the wind chill in the mid teens. Consequently: DRESS WARMLY! Rule of thumb: prepare for temps 20º lower than expected. Thus, dress for temps around ZERO.

The CGO field will no doubt be soggy, so dob owners might want to bring a ground cloth. Also, Vic has requested that NO ONE drive on the field; be prepared to haul stuff.

Feel free to arrive as soon as you desire, although the warming house might not be open until 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm.

LET THE OBSERVING SEASON BEGIN!

Go Charles.

(somebody call Dick Jacobson and encourage him to come! Who doesn't want to see a brand new 29" scope!!)

Greetings all,
In an effort to encourage the spirit of competition, I'm going to use the following rules for tonight's Messier Marathon:

Rules for the Messier Marathon Competition:

Without a doubt, there are two reason for us to hold a Messier Marathon.
1. Because it's cool that you can do it in one night!
2. Because it's cool to just get out under the stars with friends whether or not you 'compete'.

Both are GREAT reasons. For those of you who intend to 'compete', here are the rules and the PRIZES (sorry, no pins - at least not YET...):

1. All Messier objects MUST be found MANUALLY – no GOTO or DCS (digital setting circles).
2. Any equipment is acceptable: binoculars, telescope, naked eye, etc.
3. In order to claim a prize, you must observe at least 15 Messier Objects:
-For the most Messier Objects observed: you can choose between any prize: t-shirt, hat, sweatshirt, mug – if we have it, you can have it.
-For 2nd place: you get to choose what's left
-For 3rd place: you get to choose what's left
4. ANYONE who hands in a Messier Marathon form with AT LEAST 5 Messier Objects, get a lanyard (thanks to Merle, I've got lots of them)

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you tonight. DRESS WARMLY!

Go Charles!

At least the mosquitoes won't be a problem tonight. :)

Weather looks like we're still on, I'm heading out in a few minutes from Saint Cloud

I logged 46 objects last night during the marathon. 21 of those objects I saw for the first time. My ongoing Messier total is now 74 (all with a 6" F5 dob). I hope to get the Virgo and Coma Berenices galaxies the next time I am out. I only verified a couple of the easier outliers in that grouping even though I could see several others.

Thanks again for putting this together. It was great fun.

Congratulations Intrepid Photon Gatherers,

You made last night's Messier Marathon one of the best in recent years!

First off, it was COLD. When the last of us left at 3:15 am, it was 21º. Luckily, the wind had died down to almost nothing by around 11:00 pm and we were treated to some of the best, clearest skies I've ever seen at CGO. It was especially nice that our dear neighbors to the west were gone for the evening, thus their security lights never came on.

It was great to have SO MANY brave, crazy, COLD people show up – at least 15 (there where many times when it was standing room only in the warming house). Special thanks to the newcomers! And, thanks to the amazing skies, many of you DID REALLY WELL AT FINDING MESSIER OBJECTS (Lots of MAS lanyards were earned). We also had a few younger ones – it's always a delight to watch them become mesmerized with the night sky; a special thanks to their parents for bringing them out.

So. well done all of you! Thank you for braving the COLD and coming out. Hopefully we can make the assumption that the weather will be a little bit warmer for the Virgo Venture in May.

My car had it at 19°, so there might be a couple more degrees of bragging rights.

That was really a fun night, at least what I can recall of it in my current fog of sleep deprivation. Congratulations to the M hunters and everyone else whether they were working other lists or just out to enjoy an April night's sky.

For myself I added images of six Arp galaxies (Messier objects every one of them) and a planetary (also an M) to the lists I'm working. And I got a lanyard. Can't beat that.

Thanks Jerry, Vic and everyone!

Every trip out with my scope, it seems like I learn something or reinforce earlier learning. In this case, when my feet are cold I can't see faint fuzzies very well. I did log about 6 new Herschel 400 objects, and , like Kris, I saw a lot of galaxies up in the Virgo Cluster but didn't bother trying to identify many of them other than the easy Messiers up there (84,86, 98,99,100). Sky conditions were great except for soup around the edges in the south. One of these years, I want to do a MM someplace warm.........I think my highlight for the night was a brilliant Mercury as high and bright as I have ever seen it, next to the slender crescent moon just after sunset.

I was excited to see so many new marathoners in addition to some more familiar folks. Great kick-off to the observing season at Cherry Grove.

My wife and I only got 10 last night, but we both had a great time. We would have stayed much later but she had to work early this morning and we had a 2 hour drive home. It was my first time bringing my scope out beyond my back porch, though, and I think I left the accessory tray from my mount behind. If anyone sees this and is already planning on going back out at some point, it would be near the two small pads by the fence. I think I need to make a packing checklist or something for next time.

My car also showed 19° when I left.

In my binders full of charts, I have an interesting Virgo map made from a photograph I found on the "project nightflight" website. I know I mentioned it in talking last night, but never shared it. Here's a link to that map.

http://project-nightflight.net/virgo_ga ... er_map.pdf

I'd love to see this done for other areas of the sky.

I had a really fun night with all of you out there - thank you - I learned a lot. As a first timer with a new scope, I wasn't expecting to find too many and was really slow at first. I know more than a few times I thought I was on a specific star and couldn't figure why i couldn't find what I was looking for, then eventually realize I was starting at the wrong star. Once I got the hang of comparing what was in my finder vs. what was on the maps I started to be able to find things much faster. I stuck it out until about 1:00 am and managed to get 26, far more than I expected. Seeing Mercury was a great bonus!