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Messier Marathon. Possible in UK?

kirkster501

By kirkster501
in Observing - Deep Sky

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Double Kick Drum

Double Kick Drum

Posted
Posted

It is possible.

I think February / early March is the best time to attempt it.

It requires quite a bit of planning to fit those objects which have a very short viewing window.

It also requires a very good sky and Southern horizon to bag the low stuff like M83, M68 in Hydra and a couple of the more southerly Sagittarius objects.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I'm really not sure that it's possible at all from the UK.

The biggest problems are going to be the likes of the two remaining in my signature -- M79 and M83. They're both fairly low on the southern horizon, one in the summer and one in winter. They're not quite opposite each other on the celestial sphere, but they are eight hours apart and may not both make it into the sky during darkness.

James

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JamesF

JamesF

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I've always taken "Messier Marathon" to mean all in one night. Over the course of a year isn't too difficult at all given decent weather. If the weather would play ball I'd have done that easily by now :(

James

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Double Kick Drum

Double Kick Drum

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I'm really surprised by that. You must have to pick your dates fairly carefully and then have the good fortune to get a very good clear sky very close to the horizon.

James

Can't say i've done it myself but have heard it is just about possible. Hence my date / horizon / planning / dark sky caveat..... and it is still difficult.

The most i've managed in a night is just over thirty, though if I put my full efforts into it, I reckon i'd be able to do a fair few more.

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Naemeth

Naemeth

Posted
Posted

I've always taken "Messier Marathon" to mean all in one night. Over the course of a year isn't too difficult at all given decent weather. If the weather would play ball I'd have done that easily by now :(

James

Both around 10 degrees above the horizon aren't they? Do you have a dark site you can go to to get them?

I suppose if the weather was clear all night tonight, and assuming it would be possible, you could get M79 now, then wait until about 5:00am and catch M83, not very far above the horizon though..

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James

James

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The real killer is M7 at about 32 degrees south. From where I am it would barely scrape above the horizon. It'd be a rare night that would allow me to see an object that close to the horizon!

I had to go to France to cross off the last of the Messiers...

James

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Capricorn

Capricorn

Posted
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Not sure all in one night is possible although I know there are a few MM's in tha states, but a more southern aspect is possible. I jhve always assumed that it is a meet to nail as many as possible on a night when you should get a high percentage. As in get 80 of them.

Sounds the sort of thing that NLO should organise, southern, observatory, good grounds.

Not sure how they would arrange the clear, stable skies however.

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JamesF

JamesF

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I'm hoping to get M79 this winter, but the weather really has been against me. M83 is a real pig though. I've had a couple of times when I knew it was in the centre of the eyepiece but I just coudln't pick it out because there was insufficient contrast. I think Mike73 said he managed to find it, but only by going to a site on the south coast so the horizon was completely clear.

James

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JamesF

JamesF

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Not sure all in one night is possible although I know there are a few MM's in tha states, but a more southern aspect is possible.

Pretty much all of the USA is south of the mainland UK which helps. IIRC the border between the USA and Canada is the 49th parallel and only a very tiny bit of Cornwall is south of 50N.

I bet Olly (in the south of France) or Sara (somewhere in Spain) could have a pretty good crack at it were they of such a mind.

James

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cantab

cantab

Posted
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M7 is far south but bright. M83 looks like the toughest perhaps.

I believe in America people have attempted (and perhaps managed) Messier Marathons from memory - no star charts or computers at all! The remaining challenge for some is the imaging Messier Marathon, with a quick Google turning up 104 objects as a probable record.

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JamesF

JamesF

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James, you're right, somehow I keep thinking that it is on pretty much the same latitude as us but it isn't.

Must make a mental note to remind myself before engaging this miserable lump I have for a brain.

I think it's quite a natural mistake to make when you consider that our winter weather is often far milder than many of the northern states. It's so tempting to assume that we're further south.

James

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James

James

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When trying to do a Messier Marathon March is the best time to get all the objects... but unfortunately in the UK M30 (which is about the last object to get) is usually drowned out by the increasing glow from the sun... I've tried twice with a goto scope trained on the right spot (I think) but the skyglow washed anything out on both occasions...

James

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Astralstroll

Astralstroll

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Ive just got the MM guide for Christas, so I will be having a few goes to increase my tally of Messier objects throughout the year. I guess one thing to bear in mind though is that astronomy is a hobby to be enjoyed, so its about enjoying what you can see even more than seeing all there is to see in a given timescale. There will always be another night to see the last few elusive objects.

Dave.

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ronin

ronin

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That's fun.

If NLO held one on March 20 - A Spring Equinox Star Party and Messier Marathon - and I have guessed at 50N 4W then there are 8 that are not possible that day/night.

That would be a pretty good set to try for.

Wonder what an attendance it would get if anyone organised such a gathering.

P.S. Thanks for the link to the tool.

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acey

acey

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Because the Messiers aren't distributed evenly over the sky it's possible to see them all in one night at the right time of year, with the window falling in March at a time of the month when the Moon won't be visible. But you need to be at a site that's sufficiently far south so that all the objects will rise far enough above the horizon. It should be theoretically possible from the southernmost part of UK but I don't know if anyone's ever done it. In U.S. lots of people do it every year. Can't say I've ever been tempted - I was happy to spread it over a couple of years (and in any case I viewed the southern-most objects from the continent). In UK, apart from latitude, you're also up against light pollution and weather. I suppose there could be a UK "half marathon" or the like, if people really wanted to enter into the spirit of it.

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the rev

the rev

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Sounds the sort of thing that NLO should organise, southern, observatory, good grounds.

Not sure how they would arrange the clear, stable skies however.

We generally arrange one at the NLO for end of Feb beginning of March depending on moon calendar fora Saturday night, but have been clouded out for the last 2 years and back in 2010, we only made it util 1am dye to incoming fog and cloud.

Will sort a date and post.

Kate

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JamesF

JamesF

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This is a bit nifty...

Put in your Long and Lat and it gives you a plan to gwt through them all; the correct viewing order.

Even though I agree that DSOs should be given time, if you're doing a 'Messier Marathon' the whole point is to do it in one night.

Anyways...

http://members.shaw....sierplanner.htm

That looks rather handy. Thanks for posting the link.

James

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