Date: Sun, 17 Mar 1996 13:46:40 -0500 (EST)
From: Tony Cecce, Corning, NY
Subject: The Great Comet Marathon
To: astro

I arose Satuerday morning (3/16/96) to brilliant sunshine and deep 
cerulean skies.  This was contrary to the weather reports of fourty 
eight hours earlier.  The short term forecast indicated ideal 
conditions to hold a Messier Marathon tonight.  However, we had
already scratched this weekend because of those early forecasts and 
I had several other obligations that I thought would prevent the event
from happening.  So I began work rebuilding the backporch of my house.

Later in the day I went to the mall which was hosting Super Science 
Saturday III, an event to gain support for the construction of a local 
science and discovery center.  I was scheduled to give a series of
planetarium shows in the portable Starlab.  The public turnout and
enthusiasm for this event was very encouraging, families had gone
to the mall to see how fun science could be.  There were no problems
filling the dome for every show, many people waiting in line for up
to thirty minutes to get in.  I love doing these shows.  Knowing I
am giving many people their first introduction to the night sky is
a wonderful feeling. 

A planetarium dome tends draw amateur astronomers and I saw a lot
of familiar faces.  By the end of the afternoon it looked like we
might be able to pull off a marathon that evening.  One of our club 
members went home and started making phone calls.  Shortly after
I returned home I received the bad news, either everyone was busy
or they could not be reached.  I decided to go to the observatory
anyways to practice the opening dash of the marathon and wait around
to see The Comet, 1996/B2 Hyakutake.  I took Justin, my ten year old
son, his sleeping bag and pillow and food just in case it turned into
an all night session.

Arriving at the observatory just after sunset I began to get set up
for the marathon.  The instrument of choice was Jim Leet's new 8" F7
Coulter dobsonian, which he received shortly before Coulter's demise
last year.  I had not used that scope before, but thought it would be
ideal for marathoning.  To my surprise Jim showed up moments later.
He too had no intention of staying all night, but before we knew what
was happening we were off the starting line.

The skies were ideal, or at least as good as they can get around here.
The transparency was excellent with slight turbulence evidenced by
twinkling of stars only near the horizon.  We picked off the first
objects in bright twilight before concentrating on the difficult 
evening challenges.  However we were surprised at how easy M77 was and
even M110 was no problem low in the northeast.  Only M74 gave us a
challenge.  We found the correct field and spent the next thirty minutes
trying to pick out the faint galaxy.  We were finally rewarded with the
sight of a faint smudge, seen only with averted vision and tapping the
scope.  The movement betrayed the prey to the eyes of the predators.
We went back to M77 and commented on how blindingly bright that galaxy
now seemed.

By 8:30 pm we had completed all of the evening objects with ease.  We
were following Don Machholz's excellent guide book for Messier Marathons
and stumbled upon reaching the galaxies in Leo and Ursa Major.  The
lights from the college campus were killing the eastern skies almost to
the zenith.  While we could see the faint smudges, the light pollution
was destroying what should have been wonderful views.  We retired to
the warmth of the observatory to await 11:15 pm when the lights would 
be extinguished for the night.

We socialized in the computer room and watched my son as he entertained
himself with the wonders of the internet.  As the evening progressed we
started receiving many visitors, both club members and the general 
public, who had come seeking sights of the great comet.  By 11:00 there 
were close to two dozen people trying to find the comet through the 
campus lights to the east.  I let out an awed "Holy Cow" as I spotted 
the comet naked eye through the heavy light pollution.  My sentiments
of surprise were being echoed throughout the field as others also saw
this wonderful sight.  When the lights suddenly died everyone was
struck by the what we could now see.  The tail could be seen naked eye,
and in binoculars it stretched for over three degrees to experienced
eyes.  But even the unitiated and the children could see and appreciate
this comet naked eye with ease.  It was decided that moderate sized
binoculars provided the best view, telescopes did not provide a wide
enough field.  I expect everyone who left there that night would be
back, and they would tell their friends.  We should all be getting
ready for the frenzy which is sure to take place among the public
in the next couple of weeks.  I welcome the prospects of what this
comet may bring.

With the lights out and the public gone we renewed our quest for a 
record marathon.  We had acquired a new associate though.  A fourteen
year old boy did not want to leave with his parents.  His father asked
if we would mind if he stayed then night with us.  We gladly welcomed
him, and the father left with a promise to return in five hours to 
pick up his son.  I do not know what surprises me more, the trust the
man had in stangers or his dedication to providing for the education
of his child.

We quickly knocked off Leo and Ursa Major then began the challenge of
haertbreak ridge in Virgo.  I knew my navigational skills would be
challenged when I found the field of M84 and M86.  The Coulter scope
showed four companion galaxies in the same field as the brighter 
Messier pair.  As I cruised the cluster I was amazed at the number of
galaxies that I found.  These were best views I have ever had in a 
scope this size.  There is much to be said for long focal ratio scopes
and the Coulter family should be proud of what their scope would
accomplish.  Heartbreak ridge was conquered by 1:00 am and we began 
the long wait for the summer milky way to rise and the final sprint for 
the morning objects.

The first signs of trouble appeared around 3:00 am.  There were slight
wisps of high clouds starting to pass overhead.  By 4:30 am we were
almost completely out of business.  It became really bad when we could
see M6 but not the companion cluster M7.  Our tally was ninety nine 
objects as we desperately continued our search over the next fourty five
minutes through the scattered holes in the cloud cover.  I now know why
they are lovingly referred to as sucker holes.  However, our patience
paid off as we were able to glimpse M7, even though M6 had vanished.
The last find of night night came as we were able to see M54 through
a brief thinning of the haze in the bottom of the teapot.  When the 
father of our visitor returned we thrilled him with the view of bright 
Jupiter and the four Gallilean moons which could still be seen through 
the clouds.

As twilight began to lighten the eastern sky we called it quits with
moans of diappointment.  However, we quickly brought the night back
into perspective.  We tallied one hundred and one messier objects
under the light of what may be the comet of our lifetimes.  We spent
an evening enjoying the company of friends and living life as it is 
meant to be lived, free of mundane worries and appreciating nature
to the fullest.

I gathered up Justin, who had successfully met his personal marathon
of staying up all night for the first time, and headed for home.

Clear Skies and Bright Comets,
Tony Cecce