MESSIER MARATHON REPORT Messier Marathon - March 15-16, 1996 Evening 12 mid-night - - Clouds opened at 9 when a small suckerhole enabled me to see Venus and a few outer stars for a brief instant. Sky was totally cloudy until 1 AM local M-3 CVN Globular Cluster M-13 HER The comet was visible before the sky clouded a second time. I used 6" telescope, 70 x VIRGO GALAXIES M-98, M-88, M 84 & 86, 87 Cen A!, M-90, M-58, M-61 I was very cold. When the sky finally cleared out the comet C/1996 B2 was magnificient. I also observed Galaxies in Leo: M-65, M-66, M-105, M 95 & 96 I observed Globular Clusters M-4, M-80 at 2:45 Hyakutake Observation We spent a lot of time looking at Hyakutake because the weather had made it impossible to do the Marathon anyway. The comet displayed a pronounced nucleaus, very stellar. It was hard to define it's edges, but it seemed to be a hugh fan-shaped object My first impression: Coma had a very stellar nucleus. The coma very large, its extent hard to determine. Paul Leopold's 10" f/6 revealed a small star near the nucleus. Binoculars showed a bright blob with a fanshaped "tail". In between 6th magnitude stars in Libra. Much brighter than these 6 mags, very beautiful and striking. The naked eye view of this comet is screaming! Brighter than any comet I've seen! Marathon Continues: Bob Kihm found some objects with his computer on a 6" f/8: M5, M 104 Sombrero, M83 Eric Hall found M81 & M82 in his 8" f/6. I was then able to see it in my 7 x 50's and find it in the scope. Eric also found 5897 in Libra. Unfortunately, for me the Marathon was over early because of cold and fatigue, I was unable to find the objects that I knew were up and waiting for me. The night had been too long and the hunt was too short! So there you have it! -- Dawn Jenkins Visit Astra's Star Gate! http://www.en.com/users/cygnus