Introduction
We convened in the observing field at around 6pm with the sun below the horizon and a clear evening sky punctuated by sinuous contrails extending overhead. Andy had very kindly brought along his own telescope - a 6" Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount - which would allow for maximum flexibility and ease of use during the night ahead. By the time we had got ourselves sorted with maps, charts and logbooks, Venus, a bright point of light twinkling in the gathering twilight could be seen in the West and as we observed this through the telescope the first stars of the evening, Sirius in Canis Major, and Capella in Auriga began to appear in the sky.
The Winter Sky (6pm - 10:30pm)
The early part of the marathon is a race against the setting stars of winter, dominated by the constellations of Auriga, Orion and Gemini that are filled with Milky Way jewels from the Great Orion Nebula to dazzling star clusters.
| Time |
Messier Number |
Type |
Magnitude |
Comments |
| 18:39:00 |
M42 |
Nebula |
3.7 |
No nebulosity due to twilight |
| 18:47:00 |
M45 |
Open Cluster |
1.5 |
|
| 18:54:00 |
M41 |
Open Cluster |
4.5 |
|
| 19:00:00 |
M43 |
Nebula |
6.8 |
Extended nebulosity around star |
| 19:12:00 |
M47 |
Open Cluster |
4.4 |
|
| 19:16:00 |
M44 |
Open Cluster |
3.1 |
|
| 19:23:00 |
M46 |
Open Cluster |
6.1 |
|
| 19:32:00 |
M35 |
Open Cluster |
5.1 |
Very nice cluster - used UWF to see extent |
| 19:42:00 |
M31 |
Galaxy |
3.4 |
|
| 20:07:00 |
M93 |
Open Cluster |
6.2 |
Dense, washed out - close to horizon |
| 20:24:00 |
M33 |
Galaxy |
5.7 |
Very, very faint, no detail just lightness |
| 20:30:00 |
M32 |
Galaxy |
8.2 |
|
| 20:30:00 |
M110 |
Galaxy |
10 |
|
| 20:44:00 |
M103 |
Open Cluster |
7.4 |
Compact |
| 20:49:00 |
M52 |
Open Cluster |
6.9 |
Compact and dim - similar to 103 |
| 20:56:00 |
M76 |
Planetary Nebula |
10.1 |
Very faint - AV required |
| 21:06:00 |
M34 |
Open Cluster |
5.2 |
Bright - filled FOV |
| 21:15:00 |
M78 |
Nebula |
8 |
|
| 21:23:00 |
M1 |
Super Nova Remnant |
8 |
One of the best examples of a PWN - Jayne |
| 21:45:00 |
M50 |
Open Cluster |
5.9 |
Vert scattered cluster - extended to 3 FOVs |
| 21:51:00 |
M38 |
Open Cluster |
6.4 |
Dense and dim |
| 21:59:00 |
M36 |
Open Cluster |
6 |
|
| 22:02:00 |
M37 |
Open Cluster |
5.6 |
Dim- very fine clustering |
| 22:10:00 |
M48 |
Open Cluster |
5.8 |
Dispersed bright stars |
| 22:15:00 |
M67 |
Open Cluster |
6 |
Very compact |
The Spring Sky (10:30pm - 4:45am)
| Time |
Messier Number |
Type |
Magnitude |
Comments |
| 22:35:00 |
M65 |
Galaxy |
8.8 |
Dim galaxy - no detail |
| 22:35:00 |
M66 |
Galaxy |
9 |
Dim galaxy - no detail |
| 22:51:00 |
M95 |
Galaxy |
9.7 |
Originally confused for 105 |
| 22:51:00 |
M96 |
Galaxy |
9.2 |
Blatantly visible |
| 23:10:00 |
M105 |
Galaxy |
9.3 |
Seemed dimmer than listed mag |
| 00:00:00 |
M81 |
Galaxy |
6.9 |
Bright |
| 00:00:00 |
M82 |
Galaxy |
8.4 |
Distinct edge hinting at dust lane |
| 00:13:00 |
M109 |
Galaxy |
9.8 |
Very dim - no definition |
| 00:33:00 |
M108 |
Galaxy |
10 |
Very dim and very thin |
| 02:10:00 |
M97 |
Planetary Nebula |
9.9 |
Faint - eyes just visible to AV |
| 02:19:00 |
M51 |
Galaxy |
8.4 |
Definite spiral structure in main interacting arm |
| 02:25:00 |
M40 |
Double Star |
9.0/9.6 |
Just a double - Garlic Twit |
| 02:38:00 |
M104 |
Galaxy |
8 |
Faint - elongated |
| 02:54:00 |
M61 |
Galaxy |
9.6 |
Very, very dim, barely perceptable |
| 03:05:00 |
M49 |
Galaxy |
8.4 |
Obvious disc |
| 03:07:00 |
M59 |
Galaxy |
9.6 |
Elongation |
| 03:07:00 |
M60 |
Galaxy |
8.8 |
Elongation - bright nucleus |
| 03:14:00 |
M58 |
Galaxy |
9.6 |
Very diffuse - eliptical? |
| 03:21:00 |
M89 |
Galaxy |
9.7 |
Distinct shape |
| 03:24:00 |
M90 |
Galaxy |
9.5 |
Face on spiral - low surface brightness |
| 03:28:00 |
M87 |
Galaxy |
8.6 |
Distinctly eliptical |
| 03:34:00 |
M84 |
Galaxy |
9.1 |
Distinct nucleus - oval shape |
| 03:34:00 |
M86 |
Galaxy |
8.9 |
Distinct nucleus - elongation? |
| 03:42:00 |
M91 |
Galaxy |
10.1 |
Very faint - required AV |
| 03:50:00 |
M88 |
Galaxy |
9.6 |
Squashed shape - got brighter |
| 04:09:00 |
M99 |
Galaxy |
9.9 |
On edge of vision - dim with no detail |
| 04:14:00 |
M98 |
Galaxy |
10.1 |
Stupidly dim |
| 04:23:00 |
M100 |
Galaxy |
9.3 |
Very dim - no detail |
| 04:29:00 |
M64 |
Galaxy |
8.5 |
Bright - nucleus and extensive inner area |
| 04:35:00 |
M85 |
Galaxy |
9.1 |
Distinct - small - bright nucleus |
| 04:43:00 |
M53 |
Globular Cluster |
7.7 |
Compact - could resolve stars |
The Summer Sky (4:50am - 5:19am)
Our time spent in the Virgo cluster, though epically fast, had not been enough to make up time against the rapidly advancing dawn, and those two lost hours now came back to haunt us as the first vestiges of the approaching morning appeared low in the East.
| Time |
Messier Number |
Type |
Magnitude |
Comments |
| 04:51:00 |
M13 |
Globular Cluster |
5.8 |
Stunning |
| 04:55:00 |
M92 |
Globular Cluster |
6.5 |
Fine grainy - uneven brightness |
| 04:58:00 |
M57 |
Planetary Nebula |
8.8 |
Ring shaped - tiny with 25mm |
| 05:00:00 |
M5 |
Globular Cluster |
5.7 |
Dense cluster |
| 05:02:00 |
M56 |
Globular Cluster |
8.4 |
Very faint - dusting of light |
| 05:05:00 |
M29 |
Open Cluster |
6.6 |
Bright but sparse |
| 05:09:00 |
M39 |
Open Cluster |
4.6 |
Very sparse |
| 05:15:00 |
M71 |
Globular Cluster |
8 |
Not visible due to twilight but had correct FOV |
| 05:17:00 |
M27 |
Planetary Nebula |
7.3 |
Twilight - a patch of haze in FOV |
| 05:19:00 |
M4 |
Globular Cluster |
5.4 |
Caught with binoculars - starlike object |