MESSIER MARATHON
A Messier Marathon is an attempt to find as many Messier objects as possible during one night. The Messier catalogue was compiled by French astronomer Charles Messier during the late 18th century and consists of 110 relatively bright deep sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters).
The MAS Messier Marathon is held annually at the Cherry Grove Observatory. The marathon is scheduled for the new moon weekend nearest the spring equinox with Friday being the primary night, and Saturday being the backup night.
As with all Cherry Grove events, the marathon is held only if the skies are clear and will be CANCELLED IF CLOUDY. See the MAS home page for the latest information regarding the star party status. You can also call the MAS Message Service at 952-467-2426, after 4:00 pm the day of the event for the ''Go / No-Go'' decision.
Additional information on the Cherry Grove Observatory, including map and directions, can be found at the Cherry Grove webpage. Information regarding weather at Cherry Grove can be found on the MAS home page or HERE.
Check the Cherry Grove Event Schedule for the date of the next MAS Messier Marathon.
For those who want to prepare, you can download the suggested observing order and checklist.
Here is a set of
basic maps using a Telrad finder.
And finally, a map to Greg Haubrich's ever popular, and challenging,
Virgo Cluster Asterism Chart
Other resources:
SED's "The Messier Marathon" web page
Larry McNish's Messier Marathon Planner
Books:**
The Year-round Messier Marathon Field Guide by Harvard C. Pennington
The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon by Don Machholz
**Locally, these may be found at Radio City in Mounds View.
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