Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 18:28:20 -0500
From: C. E. Steuart Dewar
Subject: Messier Marathon 2006 results

We did our first Messier Marathon this year - 2006 - and managed to catch 
104 out of 110 which I think was not bad for a first time! We missed M77 (a 
mistake in setting our viewing position as it was hidden behind trees and 
would likely have been caught), M74 (definitely unobservable from this 
location due to polluted Eastern sky) and M33 - just couldn't see it.

Then we missed M72/M73 and M30 in the morning sky. But caught all other 
objects without that much difficulty. This was done on the night of March 26 
and morning of March 27th. Used a pair of Miyauchi Saturn III binoculars 
(39x100mm) and for just one object, m110, we used a manually positioned 
C9.25 scope where it was just barely visible (but not visible in the Saturn 
III's). I have a post on Cloudy Nights about our results:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/888522/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Next year, we plan to hit a darker site with horizon-to-horizon viewing and 
we should be able to catch almost all of them.

I'm headed out tonight to that site to see if I can catch the three we 
missed - it's some 2,400' higher than Gorilla Haven (at 2,000') and it's 
Eastern skies should be relatively dark...

Anyway, Kelly is getting into astronomy and I know she would be excited to 
see the results posted on an official marathoner's page!!! Let me know if 
you need any more information - we have a carefully time-stamped log of 
every observation of course!!

C. E. Steuart Dewar
Kelly Maneyapanda
Gorilla Haven
2031 Lowery (Old Loving) Road
Morganton, GA 30560   USA