Doing a Marathon, Stellar Style

This month I am doing a Marathon. Not running, no. Or walking. A stargazing marathon! Otherwise known as the Messier Marathon. In stargazing/astronomy, Messier objects are one of 110 celestial entities that Charles Messier cataloged in the 1700's. We now call them M Objects. In the spring, around Vernal Equinox, folks all over the world partake in a one night marathon to view all 110 objects, in the same outing. It starts at sunset and ends at sunrise.

When I learned about this event, I was intrigued. I have not yet observed all M objects at a leisurely pace. So, the thought of doing them all in one night sounded like a great challenge to me. Tonight was supposed to be the night! But, I live in a place that is not always supportive of stargazing, at least meteorlogically. So, the hope is perhaps getting in a half marathon (55 M objects) tomorrow night if the weather cooperates. The fortunate part is, we kind of have time. The best night to do the M^2 is vernal equinox, around March 19, but this year that is also a full moon which washes out the sky with too much light to see many M Objects. So, we have opted for the new moon before the equinox, and as a possible full MM alternative, the new moon after equinox, on April 1. No foolin!