Messier catalogue - a personal review

[acr_astro]

Hi all,

two weeks ago, I finalized my personal walk-through of the Messier catalogue! Therefore, I took my observation notebooks to compile a few lines. So here's my personal review of ten years Messier object observation:

It all started with a 70/700 refractor (the Skylux) on equatorial mount. With that scope, I started my journey to the Messier objects with a first observation of the Pleiades M45 in January 2005. Even though M45 didn't fit completely into the FOV of that scope but it was impressive anyway. Soon after that, I had my first telescope view on the Great Nebula in Andromeda M31 - as probably most of you have observed very early in the astronomical "career".  And of course the Orion nebula M42 which I'm observing every season since then.

But as well in summer I had great observation evenings with that telescope. Just to mention the ring nebula M57, the dumbbell nebula M27 and of course the Hercules globular cluster M13. (I returned to M13 last summer with the Skywatcher Startravel 102/500 with just magnification of 20. There the globular appeared as a wonderful bright ball hanging in the dark sky).
 

Then about three years ago, the era of the 70/700 came to an end when I bought a 5" Celestron MAK which extended my chances to see further objects of  Messier's list. I took that scope often with me during vacation too. Some filters found their way into my equipment bag as well.

There's one particular evening of these holiday observations which I often recall: In spring 2012 I set up the MAK in southern Netherlands, just two kilometers away of Westkapelle lighthouse. Having my car parked between me and the lighthouse, its rotating cone of light didn't trouble me. On that evening I first saw the celestial wonders of the crab nebula M1, the galaxy M49, the whirlpool galaxy M51, the owl nebula M97, the pinwheel galaxy M101 and as well M104 and M106. The beehive cluster M44 was visible with naked eye.

During summer of that year, I took the MAK with me to the Alps and had my first encounter with the globular M4 in Scorpion, the Omega Nebula M17 and the small dumbbell M76. One year later in Brittany, I could add the Lagoon Nebula M8, the Trifid nebula M20 and the pretty faint galaxy M109.

And always after these holiday observations, I was pretty disappointed of my light polluted urban sky here at home. But even in this area, I could spot further of Messier's wonders, mainly globulars and open clusters. Just a few galaxies.

The situation with the galaxies from Messier's catalogue improved a lot after I made a good deal getting a used 10" f/5 truss tube Dobsonian. With the larger aperture, I could see them from my slightly darker observation place at the outskirts. I'll always remember my first trip to Virgo cluster where I could add a handful of Messier galaxies to my personal list.

By and by, the amount of open targets from the list became smaller but they became tougher too. So I was always happy after an observation evening when I could tick just one or sometimes even better two objects of the list.

Yeah and in the end I was literally crawling submissively just inches above the grass to get at least a glimpse on the globular M68 and the southern pinwheel galaxy M83 to complete my list. They just come up a few degrees here and thus were REALLY hard to indentify in the greyish sky near the horizon.

Summary:

I hold Messier in high esteem for observing all of these objects with comparably poor and small optics 250 years ago.

Messier's catalogue of 110 objects translated into ten wonderful years to me. Many of the standard objects, I observe and enjoy occasionally (M42 is great with all scopes at nearly all magnifications, with and without filter, comparing the different views ...).

What's next? I think Herschel 400 or NGC are even harder. Maybe I focus on the Lunar 100 next.

Clear skies!

Achim

[Norfolk star gazer]

Well done on completing the list.

I've only had my scope just over a week and haven't seen any yet!

Tried M51 last night, but sky was to bright (what with a nearly full moon).

I do get very dark skies where I live, so once I get going, I should be able to tick them off quickly

[Scott]

great report there. I'm an imager myself, but I do enjoy a good report and those rare occassions I get to look through someone elses scope. Big congrates on finishing the m catalog......Now get cracking on the other thousands of objects out there .

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very nice report! Congrats on finishing the Messier list. The Caldwell list, Herschel 400, and Brightest Planetaries are lists worth looking at. I am even going for the Herschel 2500 (a man can dream )

[cotterless45]

Great report, just missing the southern ones. Looks like packing some curry gravy and red splash and head south,

Ok'd Nick.

[acr_astro]

Hi all,

thank you all for the nice feedback

Tried M51 last night, but sky was to bright (what with a nearly full moon).
 

M51 is definitely an object which doesn't like the moon. Try at new moon or crescent moon.

great report there. I'm an imager myself, but I do enjoy a good report and those rare occassions I get to look through someone elses scope. Big congrates on finishing the m catalog......Now get cracking on the other thousands of objects out there .

No hurry. I know there's much objects left and I've already seen many of the NGCs for instance. The nice thing with the Messier catalogue is that I could observe all of them from central or western Europe. So no need to travel to the southern hemisphere. Maybe I'll go for completion of the Lunar 100 and observe deep sky objects without the aim of comleting any list.

Clear skies!

Achim

[Macavity]

Splendid job!

The "list" question is an interesting one? As ever, I am aware that M. Messier saw them

as objects to avoid. lol. Not overly enamoured with the "Caldwells" - Not least because of

the ordering... I can only see half of them. The Herschell 400 seem "alright"... but the

current season of (200+) galaxies might seem a little daunting to many of us!

Me? I bought then "O'Meara Books". A VIDEO Astronomer with some (limited) observing

skills, these seemed to extract a good subset number of the "Herschell 400"? 

But recently, I have been seduced my other things... Hicksons Groups, Quasars etc.

Easy enough for the "electronically assisted" (so no enormous kudos here!). Fine,

but sometimes one can feel slightly overwhelmed by sheer object numbers...

[Paul73]

Not sure how I missed this post.

Congratulations! M83 was my last one too. And well done for taking the long route and enjoying the sights rather than haring through the list for the sole purpose of completing the list. That was the mistake that I made. I'm enjoying it a lot more second time around.

Paul

[laudropb]

Great report. I love reading these and +1 for Paul. I enjoy finding these, but never set out to find as many as possible in one session. I like to find one then just scan about the general area to see what else is there

[Davesellars]

Nice report and very well done!  You're at pretty much the same latitude to me - I know how tough these low ones are...   I'm on 95 of the 110 - I managed to just get some of really low ones including M83 (this was a mere wisp of a galaxy even with averted vision) a few weeks agi with one exceptionally clear and transparent night right down to the horizon but I'm still missing a few of them including M7 - How did you get on with this?   I attempted this on the same clear night but it was already just starting to break twilight at 3.30am ish i'm fairly sure I could make out a few of the brighter stars in the cluster - this is going to be a darn tough one to observe well though from here.   I've really enjoyed doing the Messier list though and now working through the Herschel 400 list now - at least all of these are at a more reasonable declination to observe from the UK!

[faulksy]

nice one fella, not completed it yet but i estimate im over half way

[acr_astro]

but I'm still missing a few of them including M7 - How did you get on with this?  

Hi Dave,

actually M7 was one of the objects which I observed during vacation. In particular this one was in Brittany and end of July and around midnight. Done with a 5" MAK.

Good luck!

Achim