Date: Mon, Mar 31, 2014
From: Gabor Santa
Subject: Messier Marathon Result 2014: 109

Dear Hartmut,
 
I am Gabor Santa, leader of the deepsky section of Hungarian
Astronomical Association (HAA).
 
In the last weekend, me and my friend Janos Gabor Kernya, tried to
observe as many Messiers as we can during one night. We have good
results from earlier years in Messier Marathon, but never could reach
the best 109 counts, which is ideally possible from our location in
Hungary.
 
So, we met each other in a warm Saturday afternoon (29th March 2014)
at the city Baja in the Southern Great Plain of Hungary, and drive to
the Hajos Sandland (Steppe) Nature Conservation Area (sand dunes
covered by original vegetation). In this location, far from cities and
villages, 160 m above sea level, we have excellent dark sky. It was
not as transparent as we should liked to, but enough.
 
Using a 252/980 Dobsonian, an 102/600 achromat, and a pairs of 15x70
binoculars, started the Messier Marathon 2014. We are only two.
Firstly, identified the brightest ones, like M45 and M42 in the dusk.
Later we found M77 easily with the 25-cm Newtonian, and tried to
detect M74 - it was very close to the horizon. But finally, after 15
minutes searching, we could find the M74! We were so happy, because we
know, if these two are detectable, the others wouldn't cause big
problems. During the long night, observe the Messiers one by one, and
found comet C/2014 E2 (Jacques) in the constellation of Antlia, 10
degs above horizon. There were any problems, the sky was clear,
transparency became better. There was no wind and no moisture - a
perfect night for observing!

Finally, in the morning, we detect easily M69, M70 and M75. Only the
M55 and M30 missed. M30 is unable to observe from Hungary in this
time, so when we found M55 in the dusk with the 25 cm Dobsonian, we
could say that reach 109 counts of the 110 Messier objects, the total
number which is theoretically visible from our location! We were very
tired but happy - we did it! A complete Messier Marathon!
 
  Date: 29/30 March 2014.
  Participants: Gabor Santa, Janos Gabor Kernya
  Location: Hajos Sandlands Nature Conservation Area 160 m above sea level
  Light pollution: No
  Transparency: 3-4/5
  Seeing: 5/10
  NELM: 6.5
  Messier Counts: 109/110 (in this location theoretically 109/109)

Please include our result in your homepage seds.org's Messier Marathon
2014 result page.
 
Best regards,
Gabor