The Messier Marathon

By tammy-plotner - January 10, 2010 at 2:29 PM UTC | Observing

The Messier Marathon is an exhaustive attempt by an astronomer to observe all 110 Messier Objects in a single night - usually occurring around Spring Equinox when all objects can be seen between dusk and dawn. The observer begins with objects which are low to the western horizon at sky dark, continuing eastward and finishing with the targets that are low to the east just before dawn. While no sequence list can be perfect for every observer at every location, the below list works well with mid-northern latitudes and can be modified to suit your needs.

Each year astronomy clubs and observing groups get together to run the "Messier Marathon"... an exhausting, yet wonderful time!

Messier Marathon Observing List

!. M77 spiral galaxy in Cetus

  1. M74 spiral galaxy in Pisces

  2. M33 The Triangulum Galaxy (also Pinwheel) spiral galaxy in Triangulum

  3. M31 The Andromeda Galaxy spiral galaxy in Andromeda

  4. M32 Satellite galaxy of M31 elliptical galaxy in Andromeda

  5. M110 Satellite galaxy of M31 elliptical galaxy in Andromeda

  6. M52 open cluster in Cassiopeia

  7. M103 open cluster in Casseopeia

  8. M76 The Little Dumbell, Cork, or Butterfly planetary nebula in Perseus

  9. M34 open cluster in Perseus

  10. M45 Subaru, the Pleiades--the Seven Sisters open cluster in Taurus

  11. M79 globular cluster in Lepus

  12. M42 The Great Orion Nebula diffuse nebula in Orion

  13. M43 part of the Orion Nebula (de Mairan's Nebula) diffuse nebula in Orion

  14. M78 diffuse reflection nebula in Orion

  15. M1 The Crab Nebula supernova remnant in Taurus

  16. M35 open cluster in Gemini

  17. M37 open cluster in

Auriga

  1. M36 open cluster in Auriga

  2. M38 open cluster in Auriga

  3. M41 open cluster in Canis Major

  4. M93 open cluster in Puppis

  5. M47 open cluster in Puppis

  6. M46 open cluster in Puppis

  7. M50 open cluster in Monoceros

  8. M48 open cluster in Hydra

  9. M44 Praesepe, the Beehive Cluster open cluster in Cancer

  10. M67 open cluster in Cancer

  11. M95 spiral galaxy in Leo

  12. M96 spiral galaxy in Leo

  13. M105 elliptical galaxy in Leo

  14. M65 spiral galaxy in Leo

  15. M66 spiral galaxy in Leo

  16. M81 Bode's Galaxy (nebula) spiral galaxy in Ursa Major

  17. M82 Cigar Galaxy irregular galaxy in Ursa Major

  18. M97 The Owl Nebula planetary nebula in Ursa Major

  19. M108 spiral galaxy in Ursa Major

  20. M109 spiral galaxy in Ursa Major

  21. M40 Double Star WNC4 in Ursa Major

  22. M106 spiral galaxy in

Canes Venatici

  1. M94 spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici

  2. M63 Sunflower galaxy spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici

  3. M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici

  4. M101 The Pinwheel Galaxy spiral galaxy in Ursa Major (M102 may be a duplication of M101)

  5. M102? Spindle Galaxy (NGC 5866) lenticular (S0) Galaxy in Draco

  6. M53 globular cluster in Coma Berenices

  7. M64 Blackeye galaxy spiral galaxy in

Coma Berenices

  1. M3 globular cluster in Canes Venatici

  2. M98 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices

  3. M99 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices

  4. M100 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices

  5. M85 lenticular (S0) Galaxy in Coma Berenices

  6. M84 lenticular (S0) galaxy in Virgo

  7. M86 lenticular (S0) galaxy in Virgo

  8. M87 Virgo A elliptical galaxy in Virgo

  9. M89 elliptical galaxy in Virgo

  10. M90 spiral galaxy in Virgo

  11. M88 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices

  12. M91 spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices

  13. M58 spiral galaxy in Virgo

  14. M59 elliptical galaxy in Virgo

  15. M60 elliptical galaxy in Virgo

  16. M49 elliptical galaxy in Virgo

  17. M61 spiral galaxy in Virgo

  18. M104 The Sombrero Galaxy spiral galaxy in Virgo

  19. M68 globular cluster in Hydra

  20. M83 Southern Pinwheel Galaxy spiral galaxy in Hydra

  21. M5 globular cluster in Serpens Caput

  22. M13 Great Hercules Globular Cluster globular cluster in Hercules

  23. M92 globular cluster in Hercules

  24. M57 The Ring Nebula planetary nebula in Lyra

  25. M56 globular cluster in Lyra

  26. M29 open cluster in Cygnus

  27. M39 open cluster in Cygnus

  28. M27 The Dumbbell Nebula planetary nebula in Vulpecula

  29. M71 globular cluster in Sagitta

  30. M107 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  31. M10 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  32. M12 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  33. M14 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  34. M9 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  35. M4 globular cluster in Scorpius

  36. M80 globular cluster in Scorpius

  37. M19 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  38. M62 globular cluster in Ophiuchus

  39. M6 The Butterfly Cluster open cluster in Scorpius

  40. M7 Ptolemy's Cluster open cluster in Scorpius

  41. M11 The Wild Duck Cluster open cluster in Scutum

  42. M26 open cluster in Scutum

  43. M16 open cluster associated with the Eagle Nebula or Star Queen Nebula IC 4703 in Serpens Cauda

  44. M17 The Omega or Swan or Horseshoe or Lobster Nebula diffuse nebula in Sagittarius

  45. M18 open cluster in Sagittarius

  46. M24 Milky Way Patch star cloud with open cluster NGC 6603 in Sagittarius

  47. M25 open cluster in Sagittarius

  48. M23 open cluster in Sagittarius

  49. M21 open cluster in Sagittarius

  50. M20 The Trifid Nebula diffuse nebula in Sagittarius

  51. M8 The Lagoon Nebula diffuse nebula in Sagittarius

  52. M28 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  53. M22 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  54. M69 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  55. M70 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  56. M54 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  57. 55 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  58. M75 globular cluster in Sagittarius

  59. M15 globular cluster in Pegasus

  60. M2 globular cluster in Aquarius

  61. M72 globular cluster in Aquarius

  62. M73 open cluster in Aquarius

  63. M30 globular cluster in Capricornus

Good luck!!

Messier Poster courtesy of SEDS.