Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 00:00:39 +0000
From: Jessie Doguiles <bvskywarn@bigbear.net>
To: spider@seds.org
Subject: My first Messier Marathon (solo)

After visiting your website about a year ago, I decided to brush up on my
Messiers using "The Messier Album" by Mallas and Kreimer and the Sky &
Telescope Messier card. I have over 33 years of deep-sky observing experience
and so this was just recreation to me. Last weekend, members of the San
Bernardino Valley Amateur Astronomers met at Owl Canyon Campground to engage
in a club Messier marathon. I had originally planned to attend and compete but
due to a mix-up in communication and a work schedule, I did not make it. I did
decide to see how many Messiers I could see in one night with of all things -
binoculars! So last even and morning the night of April 3-4, I went to a
remote dark spot here in the Big Bear area with nothing more than the Messier
Card, my 20X80 binoculars, and a comfortable chair and began to rip up the
night sky. Beginning with M31, 32 and 110, which were in the glow in the
northwest, I continued through the Winter sky. I saw objects that I had never
seen before, but should have due to their ease of location. I finished this
section of the sky in about an hour. keeping a good pace. Continuing on to the
Spring sky, I found galaxies in Ursa Major that were surprisingly bright and
easy to spot. The Virgo Cluster really deserves the name "Heartbreak Ridge"
and I am still wondering if I really saw everything there! I broke for the
evening at Corvus and went home for a nap. Rising at 2:00AM, I continued the
hunt with M-104 and introduced myself to M-83. I had never seen it before- it
reminds me of M-33! I next ripped through Scorpius, Ophiuchus and Saggittarius
without a hitch. Even M-19 was easy to find - compared to the extreme hassle I
had finding it last year! I continued until dawn put a stop to my hunting. I
was not able to see M-74, M-77, M-30 or M-76 - too much skyglow and or horizon
light. Of course, using binoculars presents certain limitations - I found them
easier than a telescope because of the correct left-right - rightside up
orientation. Most hunting time is complicated by the reversal and inversion of
directions.M-57 looked like a barely discernable hazy spot. M-40 is just two
tiny stars. M-69, M-70 and M-54 are tiny and faint. M-72 and M-73 nearly
evaded my glass. I am still not sure that I saw M-73! NGC objects servt to gum
up the works. I wish that I could just "switch them off!" Living in the
mountains at 6767' above sea level helps but the cold is torturous! This was
my first attempt but hopefully next time around, I will have a better result.
I will just keep practicing and trying new ideas out. Until next year...

Paul Littlecoyote
Big Bear City, CA