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Winston-Salem Astronomical League

Messier Marathon Practice (2/03) Sequence

We recommend the following observing sequence. This sequence was developed by Paul Jones and Robert Thompson, and takes into account the date and location for this session, as well as the horizons at the WFU cabin. Note that this sequence is not optimum for other dates or locations.

  • # - the recommended sequence number
  • Start Time/End Time - the recommended approximate times to view the object. Don't worry too much about falling behind (or getting ahead). There's time to catch up if you fall behind, and many objects available to view if you get ahead.
  • Time Logged - When you actually identify and log the object.
  • Messier Object - the Messier # of the object
  • YRMM Feb # - the sequence number of the object for February in Pennington's book, The Year-Round Messier Marathon.
  • YRMM Chart - the chart number(s) for the object in The Year-Round Messier Marathon.
  • Guide Const - the constellation from which Pennington recommends locating the object.
  • Rise - the time when the object rises
  • Culm - the time when the object reaches culmination (the highest point it reaches)
  • Set - the time when the object sets (a dash indicates the object never sets)
  • AL Bin - an "Easy" in this column means the Astronomical League rates this an easy object in 7X50 binoculars
  • Instr - a brief recommendation as to the appropriate instrument and power for locating and logging the object
  • Notes - comments about locating the object and links to star charts (at the time listed) for each object.

This sequence is currently a work-in-process. Latest version is 26 December 2002.

Seq Start End Time Messier YRMM YRMM Guide AL
# Time Time Logged Object Feb # Chart Const Rise Culm Set Bin Instr Notes
Telrad circles are 4*; Finder circles are 5*; binocular is 7*
Instr: "Low" = ~30X; "Med" =~ 90X - 125X; "Bin" = binocular
1 19:15 19:25 45 18 11 Tau 10:19 17:39 0:58 Easy Bin look WSW at about 64* altitude; naked eye or binocular
2 19:25 42 12 7 Ori 13:40 19:27 1:14 Easy Med look dead south at 49* altitude; in central star of sword below belt
3 19:35 43 13 7 Ori 13:40 19:27 1:15 Med look dead south at 49* altitude; in central star of sword below belt
4 19:35 19:45 74 1 1 Pis 8:38 15:28 22:19 Med use Hamal->Shartan pointer to 99 Eta Psc; see m74.gif (Telrad)
5 19:45 19:53 77 2 2 Cet 10:31 16:34 22:37 Med see m77.gif (finder)
6 19:53 31 3 3 And 5:50 14:34 23:18 Easy Low see m31.gif (finder)
7 110 4 3 And 5:45 14:32 23:19 Low see m31.gif (finder)
8 20:00 32 5 3 And 5:53 14:34 23:16 Low see m31.gif (finder)
9 20:00 20:05 33 6 4 Tri 7:39 15:25 23:12 Bin Just off a line from the tip of Triangulum to Mirach; see m33.gif (binocular)
10 20:05 20:10 52 7 10 Cas CP 13:15 CP Easy Bin see m52-m103.gif (binocular)
11 20:10 20:15 103 8 10 Cas CP 15:25 CP Easy Bin see m52-m103.gif (binocular)
12 20:15 20:22 34 9 5 Per 7:38 16:34 1:29 Easy Bin just off the Algol->Almaak line; see m34.gif (binocular)
13 20:22 20:30 76 10 5 Per 4:54 15:34 2:14 Med halfway Almaak->Ruchbah; center Phi Per (4.0m); see m76.gif (finder)
14 20:30 20:38 79 11 6 Lep 14:31 19:16 0:01 Med touch 4* Telrad circle to line from 13 Gam Lep to 2 Eps Lep (Telrad); see m79.gif
15 20:38 20:46 78 14 7 Ori 13:35 19:38 1:41 Med finder just off Alnitak->Betelgeuse line; see m78.gif (finder)
16 20:46 20:49 41 15 9 CMa 15:38 20:37 1:37 Easy Bin see m41-m93.gif (binocular)
17 20:49 20:52 93 16 9 CMa 16:48 21:36 2:24 Easy Bin see m41-m93.gif (binocular)
18 20:52 21:00 1 17 11 Tau 12:14 19:26 2:38 Med use Telrad with 123 Zet Tau and Saturn; see m1.gif (Telrad)
Saturn Log Saturn
19 21:00 21:03 50 19 8 CMa 15:16 20:55 2:33 Easy Bin see m50.gif (binocular)
20 21:03 21:06 47 20 8 CMa 16:09 21:28 2:48 Easy Bin see m46-m47.gif (binocular)
21 21:06 21:09 46 21 8 CMa 16:15 21:33 2:52 Easy Bin see m46-m47.gif (binocular)
22 21:09 21:12 36 22 12 Aur 11:25 19:28 3:30 Easy Bin m36/37/38 visible in one binocular field; see m36-m37-m38.gif (binocular)
23 21:12 21:15 37 23 12 Aur 11:49 19:44 3:39 Easy Bin m36/37/38 visible in one binocular field; see m36-m37-m38.gif (binocular)
24 21:15 21:18 38 24 12 Aur 11:09 19:20 3:31 Easy Bin m36/37/38 visible in one binocular field; see m36-m37-m38.gif (binocular)
25 21:18 21:21 35 25 13 Gem 12:40 20:00 3:21 Easy Bin just off center of Alhena->Alnaath line; see m35.gif (binocular)
26 21:21 21:24 48 26 14 CMi 16:20 22:05 3:51 Easy Bin follow Gomeisa -> Procyon line to 29 Zet Mon; see m48.gif (binocular)
27 21:24 21:27 44 27 15 Cnc 15:27 22:32 5:36 Easy Bin use Jupiter; see m44-m67.gif (binocular)
28 21:27 21:30 67 28 15 Cnc 16:04 22:42 5:20 Easy Bin use Jupiter; see m44-m67.gif (binocular)
Jupiter Log Jupiter
21:30 22:00 break
See leo-overview.gif (finder)
29 22:00 22:06 95 31 17 Leo 17:58 0:36 7:13 Low see m95-m96-m105.gif (finder); key on 52 Leo and 53 Leo
30 22:06 22:12 96 32 17 Leo 18:00 0:38 7:16 Low see m95-m96-m105.gif (finder); key on 52 Leo and 53 Leo
31 22:12 22:18 105 33 17 Leo 17:59 0:39 7:20 Low see m95-m96-m105.gif (finder); key on 52 Leo and 53 Leo
32 22:18 22:24 65 34 16 Leo 18:29 1:10 7:52 Low see m65-m66.gif (finder); key on Chort and 73 Leo
33 22:24 22:30 66 35 16 Leo 18:30 1:12 7:53 Low see m65-m66.gif (finder); key on Chort and 73 Leo
34 22:30 81 59 22 UMa CP 23:47 CP Low see m81-m82.gif (finder)
35 22:40 82 60 22 UMa CP 23:47 CP Low see m81-m82.gif (finder)
36 22:40 22:43 97 61 22 UMa CP 1:06 CP Low see m97.gif (finder)
37 22:43 22:46 108 62 23 UMa CP 1:03 CP Low see m108.gif (Telrad)
38 22:46 22:49 109 63 23 UMa CP 1:09 CP
39 22:49 22:59 106 64 21 UMa 16:35 2:11 11:46
40 22:59 23:02 40 65 21 UMa CP 2:14 CP
41 23:02 23:05 63 66 25 CVn 18:18 3:07 11:57
42 23:05 23:08 94 67 25 CVn 18:00 2:42 11:25
43 23:08 23:11 51 68 20 UMa 17:47 3:21 12:56
44 23:11 23:14 101/102 69 20 UMa CP 3:56 CP
45 23:14 23:17 102 70 24 UMa CP 4:58 CP
See eastern-horizon-2330.gif and coma-virgo-overview.gif
46 23:17 61 37 27 Vir 19:58 2:13 8:29
47 49 38 28 Vir 19:55 2:21 8:48
48 58 39 28a Vir 19:51 2:29 9:07
49 59 40 28a Vir 19:56 2:34 9:11
50 60 41 28a Vir 19:58 2:35 9:12
51 84 42 28b Vir 19:35 2:17 8:58
52 86 43 28b Vir 19:36 2:18 8:59
53 87 44 28b Vir 19:43 2:22 9:02
54 88 45 28b Vir 19:37 2:24 9:10
55 89 46 28c Vir 19:47 2:27 9:07
56 90 47 28c Vir 19:46 2:28 9:10
57 91 48 28c Vir 19:41 2:27 9:13
58 98 49 28d Vir 19:18 2:05 8:53
59 99 50 28d Vir 19:24 2:10 8:56
60 100 51 28d Vir 19:24 2:14 9:05
61 64 52 19 Com 19:38 2:48 9:59
62 85 53 19 Com 19:18 2:17 9:15
63 3 54 18 Com 19:57 3:34 11:10 Easy
64 53 55 18 Com 20:06 3:04 10:03
65 0:45 104 36 27 Vir 21:03 2:32 8:00
0:45 2:15 Nap Time
66 2:15 2:25 68 29 26 Cor 21:54 2:31 7:00
67 2:25 2:35 83 30 26 Cor 23:04 3:29 7:53
68 2:35 2:40 13 80 29 Her 22:15 6:29 14:44 Easy
69 2:40 2:45 92 81 29 Her 22:07 7:05 16:02 Easy
70 2:45 2:50 5 58 33 Opi 23:01 5:10 11:19 Easy
71 2:50 2:54 10 75 34 Oph 0:54 6:45 12:35 Easy
72 2:54 2:58 12 76 34 Oph 0:38 6:35 12:32 Easy
73 2:58 3:03 107 77 34 Oph 0:56 6:20 11:44
3:03 3:30 Break
74 3:30 3:33 4 56 39 Sco 1:37 6:15 10:53 Easy
75 3:33 3:37 80 57 39 Sco 1:17 6:09 11:00
76 3:37 3:42 14 79 35 Oph 1:32 7:25 13:18
77 3:42 3:45 57 99 30 Lyr 0:44 8:41 16:38
78 3:45 3:51 56 98 30 Lyr 1:20 9:04 16:48
79 3:51 3:57 27 101 31 Cyg 2:33 9:47 17:01 Easy
80 3:57 4:03 71 100 31 Cyg 2:41 9:41 16:42
81 4:03 4:07 29 102 32 Cyg 1:45 10:11 18:38 Easy
82 4:07 4:12 39 103 32 Cyg 1:31 11:20 21:09 Easy
83 4:12 4:20 9 78 35 Oph 2:00 7:07 12:13
84 4:20 4:28 19 73 38 Sco 2:11 6:50 11:29
85 4:28 4:36 62 74 38 Sco 2:25 6:49 11:12
86 4:36 4:40 11 96 36 Scu 2:54 8:39 14:23 Easy
87 4:40 4:46 26 97 36 Scu 2:58 8:33 14:08
88 4:46 4:49 16 88 37 Scu 2:45 8:06 13:28 Easy
89 4:49 4:52 17 89 37 Scu 2:54 8:08 13:23 Easy
90 4:52 4:55 18 90 37 Scu 2:56 8:07 13:19 Easy
91 4:55 4:58 24 86 41 Sgr 2:58 8:04 13:11 Easy
92 4:58 5:01 23 85 41 Sgr 2:40 7:44 12:49 Easy
93 5:01 5:04 25 87 41 Sgr 3:15 8:19 13:23 Easy
94 5:04 5:07 21 84 40 Sgr 2:59 7:52 12:45
95 5:07 5:10 20 83 40 Sgr 2:59 7:50 12:41
96 5:10 5:13 8 82 40 Sgr 3:05 7:51 12:37 Easy
97 5:13 5:16 22 94 42 Sgr 3:36 8:24 13:12 Easy
98 5:16 5:19 28 95 42 Sgr 3:28 8:12 12:56
99 5:19 5:20 6 71 38 Sco 3:13 7:28 11:42 Easy
100 5:20 5:21 7 72 38 Sco 3:39 7:42 11:44 Easy
101 5:21 5:23 54 91 43 Sgr 4:21 8:43 13:05
102 5:23 5:25 69 92 43 Sgr 4:05 8:19 12:33
103 5:25 5:27 70 93 43 Sgr 4:17 8:31 12:45
104 5:27 5:35 15 104 46 Peg 4:38 11:18 17:57 Easy
105 5:35 5:40 75 n/a 45 Sgr 4:59 9:54 14:49 Off Venus
106 55 n/a 44 Sgr 5:08 9:28 13:47 Easy
107 72 n/a 47 Aqu 5:15 10:41 16:07
108 73 n/a 47 Aqu 5:21 10:46 16:12
109 2 n/a 47 Aqu 5:21 11:21 17:22 Easy
110 30 n/a 48 Cap 6:38 11:28 16:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004 by Robert Bruce Thompson. All rights reserved.