also available as ascii file

This list was used by members of the Saguaro Astronomy Club located in Phoenix, AZ for the Messier Plus Marathons of 1981 and 1982. The Messier Plus Marathon was designed to take place during September to provide a second marathon to follow the spring Messier Marathon.

This list includes 75 Messier, 34 NGC and 1 Collinder object, were selected and sequenced for observing site by Wally Brown and Bob Buckner. Of the 34 NGC objects, 30 came from Alan Dyer's "110 Finest NGC" found in the Royal Astronomical Observers Handbook of 1981 and the remainder (+ in OBJ column) being Wally's and Bob's picks. Rise and set times were also bracketed for each section for the site and date.

Certificates of Record of Achievement awarded to top 5 and all ties.

The Messier Plus was not intended to be difficult like the Messier list as early setter and late rise type objects were not included. In addition M40 and M73 were dropped to make list more enjoyable.

The details like constellation, type, location, mag, size and notes added by AJ Crayon and are from the SAC v6.2 database.

Constellation abbreviations are the IAU standard. Type abbreviations: GC= globular cluster, OC= open cluster, PN= planetary nebula, BN= bright nebula, SNR= supernova remnant, Galaxies are identified by their Hubble type. Columns with no entries indicate no data available.

Sizes are in arc minutes, unless noted otherwise.

OBJ       CON  TP  R.A.(2000) Dec  Mv    SIZE           NOTES

Section 1
M  3      CVN  GC  13 42.2 +28 23 06.4   16.2    Rosse saw dark marks
M  5      SER  GC  15 18.6 +02 05 05.8   17.4

Section 2
M107      OPH  GC  16 32.5 -13 03 08.1   10.0
M 12      OPH  GC  16 47.2 -01 57 06.6   14.5    Somewhat loose struct.
M 10      OPH  GC  16 57.1 -04 06 06.6   15.1    Rosse saw dark lane
M  9      OPH  GC  17 19.2 -18 31 07.9    9.3    Dark neb B64 to west
M  6      SCO  OC  17 40.1 -32 13 04.2   15.0    Butterfly cluster
M  7      SCO  OC  17 53.9 -34 49 03.3   80.0    Fine naked eye cluster

Section 3
M 22      SGR  GC  18 36.4 -23 54 05.1   24.0    one of finest globs
M 28      SGR  GC  18 24.5 -24 52 06.9   11.2    * mags 14...
M 69      SGR  GC  18 31.4 -32 21 07.7    7.1
M 70      SGR  GC  18 43.2 -32 18 08.1    8      * mags 14...
M 54      SGR  GC  18 55.1 -30 29 07.7    9.1    * mags 15...
M 55      SGR  GC  19 40.0 -30 58 07.0   19.0    * mags 15...

Section 4
M  8      SGR  CN  18 03.1 -24 23 05.0   80X40   Lagoon Nebula
M 20      SGR  CN  18 02.3 -23 02 06.3   28.0    Trifid nebula
M 21      SGR  OC  18 04.6 -22 30 05.9   13.0    36 members to 12th mag
M 25      SGR  OC  18 31.6 -19 15 04.6   32      Stars mags 6...10
M 24      SGR  OC  18 17.0 -18 35 04.0  120X90   Sm Sgr * Cloud
M 23      SGR  OC  17 56.8 -19 01 05.5   27.0    100 members to 13th mag
M 18      SGR  OC  18 19.9 -17 08 06.9    9.0
M 17      SGR  CN  18 20.8 -16 11 06.0   11.0    Omega or Swan Nebule
M 16      SER  CN  18 18.8 -13 47 06.0    6.0    Star Queen, Eagle Neb
M 14      OPH  GC  17 37.6 -03 15 07.6   11.7    many vF stars 14...
M 11      SCT  OC  18 51.1 -06 16 05.8   14.0    Wild duck
M 26      SCT  OC  18 45.2 -09 24 08.0   15.0    70 * to 14 m
NGC6712   SCT  GC  18 53.1 -08 42 08.2    7.2
M 75      SGR  GC  20 06.1 -21 55 08.6    6.0    * mags 17...
NGC6818   SGR  PN  19 44.0 -14 09 10.0    5"     Little Gem Nebula

Section 5
M101      UMA  Sc  14 03.3 +54 22 07.9   28X28
NGC5907   DRA  Sb+ 15 15.9 +56 19 10.3 12.8X1.8
M102      DRA  E6p 15 06.5 +55 45 09.9  6.5X3
NGC6503   DRA  Sb  17 49.4 +70 09 10.2    8X2.6
NGC6543   DRA  PN  17 58.6 +66 38 08.3  22"X16"  Cats Eye Nebula
M 13      HER  GC  16 41.7 +36 28 05.9   16.6    Hercules cluster
NGC6207   HER  Sc  16 43.1 +36 50 11.6  3.3X1.2  30' NE from M13
NGC6229+  HER  GC  16 47.0 +47 32 09.4    4.5
M 92      HER  GC  17 17.1 +43 08 06.5   11.2    Rosse saw spiral struct
M 57      LYR  PN  18 53.6 +33 02 09.4  86"X62"  Ring Nebula
M 56      LYR  GC  19 16.6 +30 11 08.3    7.1    Stars 11...
NGC6826   CYG  PN  19 44.8 +50 31 08.8  27"X24"  Blinking Planetary
M 39      CYG  OC  21 32.2 +48 26 04.6   32.0    Large but loose cluster
M 29      CYG  OC  20 23.9 +38 32 06.6    7.0    Abt 20 stars mags 8...
NGC6960   CYG  SNR 20 45.6 +30 43 99.9   70X6    Veil Neb, 52 Cyg inv
NGC6940   VUL  OC  20 34.6 +28 18 06.3   31.0    100 * mags 9...

Section 6
M 27      VUL  PN  19 59.6 +22 43 07.3 480"X340" Rosse drew 18* invl
Cr399+    VUL  OC  19 25.4 +20 11 03.6   60.0    Brocchis, Coathanger
M 71      SGE  GC  19 53.8 +18 47 08.3    7.2
NGC6934+  DEL  GC  20 34.2 +07 24 08.9    2
M 15      PEG  GC  21 30.0 +12 10 06.4    2.3    Stars mags 13...
M  2      AQR  GC  21 33.5 -00 49 06.5   12.9    Rosse-Dk area near core
NGC7293   AQR  PN  22 29.6 -20 48 06.3 960"X720" Helical Nebula
M 72      AQR  GC  20 53.5 -12 32 09.4    5.9    3 deg WSW of N 7009
M 73      AQR  OC  20 59.0 -12 38 08.9    2.8
NGC7009   AQR  PN  21 04.2 -11 22 08.3  28"X23"  Saturn Nebula
M 30      CAP  GC  21 40.4 -23 11 07.5   11.0    Herschel ellip. shape

Section 7
NGC  40   CEP  PN  00 13.0 +72 32 10.7  60"X40"  Rosse saw spiral struct
M103      CAS  OC  01 33.2 +60 42 07.4    6.0    Cas OB8
NGC 663   CAS  OC  01 46.0 +61 15 07.1   16.0    Cas OB8
NGC 185   CAS  dE0 00 39.0 +48 20 09.2   12X10   Dwarf eliptical, N 396
NGC7789   CAS  OC  23 57.0 +56 44 06.7   16.0    1000 sts 11...18 mag
M 52      CAS  OC  23 24.2 +61 35 06.9   13.0
NGC6939   CEP  OC  20 31.4 +60 38 07.8    8.0    N6946 38' SE
NGC7331   PEG  gl  22 37.1 +34 25 09.5 11.4X4.0  Brightest in group
NGC7662   AND  PN  23 25.9 +42 33 08.6  17"X14"  Blue Snowball Nebula
M 31      AND  Sb  00 42.8 +41 16 03.4  178X40   Great Andromeda Galaxy
M 32      AND  E2  00 42.8 +40 52 08.1    8X6    M31 Companion
M110      AND  E6  00 40.4 +41 41 08.1   17X10   M31 Companion

Section 8
M 33      TRI  Sc  01 33.9 +30 40 05.7   73X45   Pinwheel Galaxy
M 74      PSC  Sc  01 36.6 +15 48 09.4 12.0X12.0 Fine face on spiral
M 77      CET  SBp 02 42.7 -00 02 08.9    9X8
NGC 936   CET  SBa 02 27.7 -01 09 10.1  5.6X4.5  Thick central bar
NGC 253   SCL  Scp 00 47.5 -25 18 07.2   25X7
M 45      TAU  CN  03 47.0 +24 07 01.2  100      Pleiades
M 34      PER  OC  02 42.0 +42 47 05.2   35.0    sevral D* inv.
NGC 891   AND  Sb  02 22.6 +42 21 09.9 14.0X3.0  Rosse drawing w/dk lane
NGC1023   PER  E7p 02 40.5 +39 03 09.4    9X4    faint tuft on E tip
M 76      PER  PN  01 42.4 +51 34 11.0 163"X107" Little Dumbbell, Cork Neb
NGC869/84 PER  OC  02 19.0 +57 09 05.3   30.0    Double Cluster
NGC1501   CAM  PN  04 07.0 +60 55 12.0  56"X48"

Section 9
M 38      AUR  OC  05 28.7 +35 50 06.4   21      Greek letter Pi
NGC1907   AUR  OC  05 28.0 +35 19 08.2    7.0
M 36      AUR  OC  05 36.1 +34 08 06.0   12      Aur OB1 inc Struve 737
M 37      AUR  OC  05 52.4 +32 33 05.6   24.0    500*
M 35      GEM  OC  06 08.9 +24 20 05.1   28.0    Rosse counted 300*
NGC2158   GEM  OC  06 07.5 +24 06 08.6    5.0    F* on edge of M35
M  1      TAU  SNR 05 34.5 +22 01 08.4    6X4    Crab Nebula
NGC2371/2+GEM  PN  07 25.6 +29 29 13.0  74"X54"  double lobed
NGC2392   GEM  PN  07 29.2 +20 55 08.6  47"X43"  Clown Face, Eskimo Neb

Section 10
M 78      ORI  BN  05 46.8 +00 04 08.0    8X6    Comet shaped 2 sts inv
NGC2024+  ORI  BN  05 42.0 -01 50 99.9   30X30   Tank Track Neb
NGC1973// ORI  BN  05 35.1 -04 44 99.9   20X10   42 Ori etal, incl /5/7
M 42      ORI  CN  05 35.3 -05 23 04.0   66X60   Trapezium
M 43      ORI  BN  05 35.5 -05 16 09.0   20X15   detached pt of Ori Neb
M 79      LEP  GC  05 24.2 -24 31 08.4    8.7    Stars vF
NGC1535   ERI  PN  04 14.2 -12 44 10.4  20"X17"

Section 11
M 81      UMA  Sb  09 55.6 +69 04 06.9   26X14   brightest in group
M 82      UMA  Ip  09 55.8 +69 41 08.4   13X6 M81 group, eruptive
NGC2403   CAM  Sc  07 36.8 +65 37 08.5   17.8    in M81 group
M108      UMA  Sc  11 11.5 +55 40 10.0  8.8X2.2  M97 is 48' SE
M 97      UMA  PN  11 14.8 +55 01 11.0 202"X196" Owl Nebula
M 40      UMA  2S  12 21.9 +58 06 09.0           D* 9.0 & 9.3 50" sep

Section 12
M 44      CNC  OC  08 40.1 +19 59 03.1   95.0    Beehive, 200 sts ...14
M 67      CNC  OC  08 50.4 +11 49 06.9   30.0    500 sts to 16 mag
M 48      HYA  OC  08 13.8 -05 48 05.8   54.0
M 50      MON  OC  07 03.2 -08 20 05.9   16.0    About 100 sts 9...14m
M 47      PUP  OC  07 36.6 -14 30 04.4   30.0
M 46      PUP  OC  07 41.8 -14 49 06.1   27.0    PN N 2438 on N edge
M 41      CMA  OC  06 46.0 -20 44 04.5   38.0    150 sts to 13 mag
M 93      PUP  OC  07 44.6 -23 52 06.2   22.0    63 sts to 13 mag

Of course, the best observing sequence and relative event times are location and date dependent. Data here (for model purposes) is for Phoenix AZ,112W04 33N28, Sep 15/16, 2001, LMT. Time brackets are for first and last event in each section. Sequence is not based solely on rise/set times but on logical, facile rolls through the sky.

Setters:

Section 1    2157-2214
Section 2    2247-2336
Section 3    2339-0057
Section 4    2344-0155
Section 5    0129-0737
Section 6    0310-0452

Section 7    #########

Section 8    1838-2128
Section 9    2218-0115
Section 10  2333-0119
Section 11  0033-0102
Section 12  0228-0336

Messier Marathon Homepage

---

Hartmut Frommert
Christine Kronberg
[contact]

Last Modification: May 20, 2006