Messier List Attempt

[JamesK]

I've decided that I'm going to try and observe and record (with notes - unusual for me) all 110 Messier Objects through my 15x70s. Can see this is going to be hard, and may need to by a dob before it gets finished but I'm going to try anyway.

Will be starting from zero as I've not made permenant notes thus far, hopefully this should get me into the habit.

I have made a list of the objects, with their type and constellation in excel, with several blank fields for me to fill in. If anyone would like a copy PM me and I will send it by email. Feel free to edit it, it's just set up for the type of notes I want to take.

Also can someone confire that M102 cannot be observed because no one knows exacly what it is - Wikipedia seemed to give that impression?

[Ben Ritchie]

M102 is the subject of much debate - there are assorted candidates, NGC 5866 is the most common one, or you can treat it as a duplicate of M101 (another theory).

M73's another one where there's not really anything as such there, just a small asterism of four unrelated stars.

I'm working my way through the list too, although i've seen many at one time or another already. Fun observing project.

[Doc]

Great project James. I'm up to 49 Messiers now but am restarting again to sketch each one.

[Mark at Beaufort]

James

It is a wonderful project to attempt. I started my second go at the list in December 2006 and have now seen 109 of the objects mainly using a 5" SCT and a 4" APO refractor. I just have not been successful at M70 low in sagittarius but I might have another go this Saturday if the sky is clear at Salisbury. By the way I treated M102 as NGC5866 as Ben mentioned.

With the 15x70 binos some objects will be difficult especially those below -25/-30 Dec but you will get to know the sky very well in the process.

Good luck with your observing.

Mark

[Talitha]

Excellent project, James! I also counted the ngc# as M102.

[acey]

They're all theoretically do-able with 15x70 from Britain but it might be a challenge, depending where exactly you are.

From northern England I did most of them with my 8-inch dob, but couldn't get some of the more southerly ones (e.g. M83, which never rises more than 5 degrees above my horizon), nor could I manage decent views of the Sagittarius-Scorpius objects that are visible in summer, when skies are lightest (mine don't actually get fully dark at all). For those I took my 15x70s (or 80mm refractor) on holiday to southerly climes (mainly Greece) and completed the set there, as well as getting as far down the Caldwell list as I could manage.

I used Stephen O'Meara's book on the Messier objects as my guide - I can highly recommend it.

Whether or not you complete the set, it's a brilliant challenge, and a great way to develop your observing and note-taking skills. And if you do get to the end, ticking off that last object will be a very nice feeling!

[Ben Ritchie]

I used Stephen O'Meara's book on the Messier objects as my guide - I can highly recommend it.

Yeah, I love this book too - on a few occasions i've realized that i've been sitting by the 'scope for ten minutes reading the book with a red head-torch rather than observing.

My current attempt through the list is a technology-free one, just a dob, star-chart and star-hopping. Takes longer, but ultimately I find it much more fun (and satisfying) than hitting GOTO.

[JamesK]

Well the plan was to build skills and learn the sky and I reckon I'm going to have a job with the southern objects, being up North in a rather hilly area I have a rather poor southern Horizon - but I do have a quiet hill nearby I could set up on, to catch the low objects.

Still, even if I can't get some of them... there's plenty of sky and plenty of time.

Must take the binos with me next time I go south for a holiday...

[ashenlight]

Fantastic project James, you're going to learn alot from this. How about start a Messier #/110 count in your signature (like Mick's) so we can see your progress?

Good luck with it

[albedo0.39]

Great project and I like the idea of you taking your time (unlike the Messier marathon where it seems like a hit and run). Even better that the challenge is with binoculars. Keep us posted - looks like fun !

Steve

[Catanonia]

I am doing the same but imaging and putting them on my website. I have 15 of them so far in 2 months.

But keep getting sidetracked by some of the NGC's

[acey]

Getting sidetracked by NGCs is one of the pleasures of the project.

The Messiers aren't distributed evenly across the sky so there are more of them visible on some nights than on others. Often you find that after "bagging" one you've got to go and hunt in a completely different part of the sky. As you near the end, you may find that none of your targets are visible when you want them. So the brightest NGCs make a very nice alternative.

[arad85]

Good luck - I'm just starting to try and formalise my observations - without a formalisation, it can be tempting to go to the Messier objects you've seen before and not really push yourself. You may also find this software useful:

The Ultimate Messier Object Log

[mike.brightmore]

A really interesting project. Keep us posted won't you. You can get a lovely poster from Astronomy Now magazine (called The Messier Catalogue) which shows images of all the Messier objects all on one sheet. A good way to keep focussed on the objective perhaps.

[JamesK]

Will keep your all posted. And yes, I'm bound the get distracted by nearby planets, comets, and nice NGCs but I suppose that is part of the fun! And I downloaded the log, thanks arad85!