1. NOVAC MESSIER MARATHON 2011

2. CHARLES MESSIER (French, 1730- 1817) COMET HUNTER, FOUND 20 IN HIS LIFETIME FIRST LIST OF FAINT CELESTIAL OBJECTS THAT WERE NOT COMETS 1758 to 1782 THE RECONSTRUCTED LIST INCLUDES 110 OBJECTS SUCH AS….

3. Tarus

4. Perseus

5. NOVAC MESSIER MARATHON 2010 WHAT IS A MESSIER MARATHON? IN MARCH – APRIL ALL 110 MESSIER OBJECTS ARE VISIBLE IN ONE NIGHT (EXCEPT FOR M30 AT THIS LATITUDE) OBSERVE AS MANY MESSIER OBJECTS AS YOU CAN IN 1 NIGHT USING ONLY MEMORY AND STAR CHARTS TO LOCATE EACH OBJECT OFFICIALLY NO GOTO BUT THIS IS FOR FUN SO USE YOUR OWN RULES!

6. LOCATION AND DATE : NOVAC PUBLIC EVENT CROCKETT PARK – MARCH 12 (RAIN DATE MARCH 26) BUT THE MARATHON CAN BE DONE ANY WHERE NEW MOON ON MARCH 5, MOS AT GREAT MEADOW

8. STRATEGIES USE STAR CHARTS (ON WEB), RED DOT FINDER AND MAGNIFYING FINDERSCOPE TO LOCATE OBJECTS (EXCEPT FOR SMALL WIDE FIELD REFRACTORS) http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

13. ASTROPLANNER (FREE DOWNLOAD VERSION INCLUDES MESSIER CATALOG) http://www.ilangainc.com/astroplanner/ Cartes du Ciel Sky Charts http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/

14. STRATEGIES VIRGO CLUSTER - MANY FAINT GALAXIES CLOSE TOGETHER USE VIRGO CLUSTER STAR CHARTS A(ON WEB) CHARTS ARE INTENDED TO BE USED WITH LOW POWER WIDE FIELD TELESCOPE OR FINDERSCOPE (10X 7-4 DEGREE FOV) http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

16. virgo reverse horizontal.pdf

17. virgo.pdf

18. virgo-reverse- horizontal- vertical.pdf

19. SAGITTARIUS MANY MESSIER OBJECTS TO CLOSE TO CLEARLY SEE ON A STAR CHART OF THE ENTIRE SKY http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

20. SAGITTARIUS

22. STRATEGIES GET THERE EARLY READY TO OBSERVE AT DUSK USE A LIST TO CHECK OFF OBJECTS IN PROPER ORDER (marathon-list-worksheet.pdf) http://www.novac.com/messier/messier_marathoners.php

24. My Messier Marathon =================== Date: ___. ____ _____ Observer: ______________ Location: ____________ Lat: _____ Long: ______ Time Zone: ______ Instruments used: _______________________________________________________ General Comments: _______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ The Object List: ================ No. M# NGC# Con Type Your# Time Comments 1. M77 1068 Cet G S _____ __:__ ________________________________ 2. M74 628 Psc G S _____ __:__ ________________________________ 3. M33 598 Tri G S _____ __:__ ________________________________

26. STRATEGIES WHAT TO BRING? WARM CLOTHING (DO NOT FORGET THE FEET- INSULATED BOOTS ) ALARM CLOCK PROVISIONS