Messier Marathon
A Messier Marathon is an attempt to find as many Messier objects as possible during one night and is scheduled for the new moon weekend nearest the spring equinox with Friday being the primary night and Saturday being the backup night. Cherry Grove Event Schedule
Check out more information on the Cherry Grove Observatory, including maps and directions.
About
the Event
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 first MAS Messier Marathon was held on March 13, 1999 (April Gemini, page 4), and has been held annually at the Cherry Grove Observatory.
Set your Sights
Clear skies? We’re on.
The marathon is held only if the skies are clear and will be CANCELLED IF CLOUDY. See the Cherry Grove event schedule for the date of the next Messier Marathon.
Additional Resources
Observing Lists
Below are observing lists in Excel and PDF format. It can be tricky to set up an optimum sequence, so feel free to jump around within the list.
- For those who want to prepare, you can download the suggested observing order and log (Excel download) or in PDF format
Other Resources
- Set of basic maps using a Telrad finder
- Greg Haubrich’s Virgo Cluster Asterism Chart
- SED’s “The Messier Marathon” web page
- You can also use Larry McNish’s Messier Marathon Planner to customize an observing list for your location and date of event
Books
-
The Year-round Messier Marathon Field Guide by Harvard C. Pennington
-
The Observing Guide to the Messier Marathon by Don Machholz