Messier Marathon Dates

Given below are the best dates for Messier Marathons for the upcoming future years up to 2100. This table is based on data from Don Machholz' Messier Marathon Observer's Guide. Besides the Messier objects, you may also see planets these weekends, and we indicate which are difficult (D) or impossible (I), where Mercury=1, Pluto=9; all those not listed should be quite easy. Note that due to their positions in orbit the far and thus "slow" outer planets behave as follows: Pluto is always located so that it is visible in March/April during the years covered here, while Uranus has become critical in 2002 and impossible between 2007 and 2018, Neptune will become critical in 2010 and impossible some years later (Machholz' data are not exactly conclusive here, in the opinion of the present author) until the 2040s, while Saturn will come into comfortable observing location in 1999 and stay there until about 2025. The planets up to Jupiter change their positions faster so that you are pointed to the table below.

Historical Messier Marathon Dates since 1977

Year  New Moon[s]          Primary Weekend      Secondary Weekend

2024  Mar 10.4, Apr 08.8   Mar 09 (I:6,8; D:4)  Apr 06 (I: 1,8; D: 2,4,6,7)

2025  Mar 29.5             Mar 22               Mar 29
2026  Mar 19.1             Mar 21               Mar 14
2027  Mar 08.4, Apr 07.0   Apr 03               Mar 06
2028  Mar 26.2             Mar 25
2029  Mar 15.2             Mar 17               Mar 10

2030  Mar 04.3, Apr 02.9   Mar 30               Mar 09
2031  Mar 23.2             Mar 22
2032  Mar 11.7, Apr 10.1   Mar 13               Mar 06
2033  Mar 30.7             Mar 27               Apr 02
2034  Mar 20.4             Mar 18               Mar 25

2035  Mar 10.0  Apr 08.4   Mar 10               Apr 07
2036  Mar 27.9             Mar 29               Mar 22
2037  Mar 17.0             Mar 14               Mar 21
2038  Mar 06.0, Apr 04.7   Apr 03               Mar 06
2039  Mar 24.8             Mar 26               Mar 19

2040  Mar 13.1             Mar 10               Mar 17
2041  Mar 02.6, Apr 01.0   Mar 30               Mar 02
2042  Mar 21.7             Mar 22
2043  Mar 11.3             Mar 14               Mar 07
2044  Mar 29.4             Mar 26               Apr 03

2045  Mar 18.7             Mar 18
2046  Mar 07.8, Apr 06.4   Mar 10               Mar 03
2047  Mar 26.5             Mar 23               Mar 30
2048  Mar 14.6             Mar 14
2049  Mar 04.0, Apr 02.5   Mar 06               Apr 03

2050  Mar 23.5             Mar 19               Mar 26
2051  Mar 12.7             Mar 11               Mar 18
2052  Mar 30.8             Mar 30
2053  Mar 20.3             Mar 22               Mar 15
2054  Mar 09.5, Apr 08.2   Mar 14               Apr 04

2055  Mar 28.3             Mar 27               Apr 03
2056  Mar 16.3             Mar 18               Mar 11
2057  Mar 05.5, Apr 04.1   Mar 31               Mar 10
2058  Mar 24.4             Mar 23               Mar 30
2059  Mar 14.0             Mar 15               Mar 08

2060  Mar 02.7, Apr 01.1   Mar 27               Apr 03
2061  Mar 21.7             Mar 19               Mar 26
2062  Mar 11.2, Apr 09.7   Mar 11               Apr 08
2063  Mar 30.0             Mar 31               Mar 24
2064  Mar 18.1             Mar 15               Mar 22

2065  Mar 07.1, Apr 05.7   Apr 04               Mar 07
2066  Mar 25.9             Mar 27               Mar 20
2067  Mar 15.3             Mar 12               Mar 19
2068  Mar 04.0, Apr 02.3   Mar 31               Mar 03
2069  Mar 23.1             Mar 23

2070  Mar 12.6             Mar 15               Mar 08
2071  Mar 31.6             Mar 28               Apr 04
2072  Mar 19.8             Mar 19
2073  Mar 08.8, Apr 07.6   Apr 01               Mar 11
2074  Mar 27.6             Mar 24               Mar 31

2075  Mar 16.8             Mar 16
2076  Mar 05.2, Apr 03.7   Apr 04               Mar 07
2077  Mar 24.3             Mar 20               Mar 27
2078  Mar 14.0             Mar 12               Mar 19
2079  Mar 03.6, Apr 02.1   Apr 01               Mar 04

2080  Mar 21.5             Mar 23               Mar 16
2081  Mar 10.6, Apr 09.3   Mar 15               Apr 05
2082  Mar 29.3             Mar 28
2083  Mar 18.4             Mar 20               Mar 13
2084  Mar 06.7, Apr 05.2   Apr 01               Mar 11

2085  Mar 25.7             Mar 24               Mar 31
2086  Mar 15.3             Mar 16               Mar 09
2087  Mar 05.0, Apr 03.4   Mar 29               Apr 05
2088  Mar 23.0             Mar 20               Mar 27
2089  Mar 12.3             Mar 12

2090  Mar 31.1             Apr 01               Mar 25
2091  Mar 20.2             Mar 17               Mar 24
2092  Mar 08.2, Apr 06.9   Apr 05               Mar 08
2093  Mar 27.1             Mar 28               Mar 21
2094  Mar 16.7             Mar 13               Mar 20

2095  Mar 06.2, Apr 04.7   Apr 02               Mar 12
2096  Mar 24.3             Mar 24
2097  Mar 13.9             Mar 16
2098  Mar 03.2, Apr 01.8   Mar 29               Apr 05
2099  Mar 21.9             Mar 21

2100  Mar 10.9, Apr 09.7   Mar 13               Apr 03

The MAA Moonphases Calendar was of great help for compiling this list (getting New Moon times after 2019). Now, there is a Calendar of Phases of the Moon (2001-2100) by astropixels.com. Unix calendar helped to determine the weekends.

Planetary visibilities will be added for the time after 2020.

Historical Messier Marathon Dates since 1977

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Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
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Last Modification: December 22, 2023