Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 12:58:29 -0700
From: Green, David
Subject: Messier Marathon 2000 Report

Hi Hartmut,

Following is a report for my Messier Marathon attempt of 4/1/2000, of your
page at http://www.seds.org/messier/xtra/marathon/results.html#mm2000.
Although I missed the first several objects of the night, and stopped
relatively early (about 2 a.m.) I was able to view 74 objects.

Clear skies,

David Green

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I participated in my first marathon at the L.A. Astronomical Society's
Lockwood Valley observing site, about an hour north of Los Angeles, on April 
1. This is only my fifth year of star gazing, and although I had viewed 102
Messier objects over the years, I looked forward to an intense evening of
star-hopping, as well as catching the eight remaining objects on my list!

The observing site's one shortcoming was immediately apparent: A bad, hilly
western horizon, littered with trees that rose above the viewing plane. On
the good side, the eastern and southern horizons were clear, elevated and
unobstructed, while the northern view faces some low hills far enough away
that they don't get in the way.

The mountain atmosphere reflected enough of the setting sunlight that it
seemed there was absolutely no chance of grabbing the first 3 objects on the
list before they set, and I actually missed the first 5 due to frustration
and confusion. Quickly adjusting for what was happening, I set my sights
ahead, starting with M34.

My copy of H.C. Pennington's "Year Round Messier Marathon" book immediately
proved to be an instrument second in value only to my scope and Telrad.
Watson's Telrad finder charts also proved an immense aid, and I can't
describe many times I pointed at an "empty" spot in the sky, then looked
into the eyepiece to see the desired object bulls-eyed in my glass. I was
almost giddy with excitement!

With alacrity, and slowly increasing confidence, I began nailing every
single object on the list in rapid succession. At times, I was doing so
well, I had to jump ahead in Pennington's sequence to compensate for objects
that had not risen yet. (For example, viewing some Southern objects where
Northeastern objects were not up.) There was no way I could have done it
without the books.

Without a doubt, the worst object of the evening for me was M40, the double
star in Ursa Major. As the evening wore on, and I had "caught up" with the
viewing schedule, I revisited this object many times, to confirm I had
really seen what I was supposed to see. I must admit, I am no longer sure
what truly constitutes a double star! Or rather, there were many things that
looked like doubles to my eyes. Fortunately, I was able to verify I had
viewed M40 by comparing the surrounding stars with my atlas, and again,
checking the Pennington book.

On the other hand, when the Virgo Cluster (which contained the only eight
Messiers I had not yet seen) finally rose, I greeted it with not a little
trepidation, knowing the difficulty inherent in this area of the sky.
Fortunately the Pennington book saved the day. I was able to view each
object and compare it with the images in the book, quickly confirming that I
was seeing the right thing. The inclusion of the nearby NGC objects in the
images was invaluable, and saved me many minutes of double-checking and
doubt.

I finally got to a stretch of evening where so far as I could tell, I had
viewed every object there was to view, and there would be short wait before
the next and final batch of objects would begin to rise. I wandered around
the observing site a little, and heard a gentleman with a 17" Coulter
announce, "Hey, anyone want to look at Omega Centauri?" I was shocked that
this Southern object was visible at this latitude, but he assured me that
yes, for about a month a year, the giant globular is visible a few degrees
above the horizon for a couple of hours a night. "Where is it?" I asked, and
he pointed to a naked-eye smudge visible just above a tall pine to the
south. I looked through his scope. What a stunning object! I ambled over to
my scope, and keeping the smudge in sight, brought it into the Telrad.
Perhaps the most beautiful object that has graced my eyepiece. Still a
little suspicious of what I was seeing, I checked the planisphere to confirm
that yes, Omega Centauri was visible in that part of the sky at that time of
the night and year. Wow.

It was nearing 2 a.m., and I was getting tired enough to stumble here and
there as I walked. Recovering from a cold, I was probably reaching my
physical limits anyway. Someone with a thermometer announced the temperature
at 32 degrees. I double-checked my charts to make sure there was nothing on
the list now visible that I hadn't already charted, then I broke down my
equipment and drove home as the radio announced it was time to set the
clocks forward for daylight savings time.

Before I went to bed, I tallied up my list: 74 Messier objects plus Omega
Centauri. Not bad for a night's work.

All in all, a great experience. I hope to find a site with a better Western
horizon and go for all 110 in 2001.

David Green
Castaic, CA
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