Additional Objects for the Messier Marathon
When running a Messier Marathon, there is always occasion to observe
other, additional Deep Sky objects besides the 110 Messier objects.
This is so for various reasons:
- Bright DSOs:
Some DSOs are so bright that they are easily located with naked eye
or binoculars, some even before the evening sky is dark enough for
starting the marathon session.
- Nearby Objects to Messier Objects:
Some Messier objects are associated with, or have neighboring DSOs
situated closely, often within the same field of view.
- Other Objects:
Somewhen after midnight, you will have observed all Messier objects
currently over your horizon, and have to wait until the rest will rise.
This gives opportunity to observe some other Deep Sky Objects; here we
give a list to select from.
Below we present a list of 112 Deep Sky Objects which can be observed for
any of these reasons (if neglecting the Milky Way and the Ursa Major cluster
which don’t appear to us as Messier objects, this is – by chance – again
a total of 110 objects).
We also give a summary of some data for these
additional objects.
Note: Objects significantly more difficult than the
fainter Messier objects are marked “*”.
Bright Deep Sky Objects
Candidate objects for viewing in dawn before the first galaxies become
visible (all naked-eye or binocular because of their apparent brightness,
all globular clusters), or after the “risky” evening objects have been
checked:
NGC/IC NameAlpha Per Cl (Mel 20) 869 h Per 884 chi Per Hyades (Mel 25) UMa Cl (Cr 285)
Note: You may also find the Messier objects M45 (Pleiades) and
M42 (Orion Nebula) early for the same reason.
Other naked-eye/binocular objects easily visible during the Messier
Marathon night:
Coma Star Cluster (Mel 111)
Milky Way Galaxy
Nearby Objects to Messier Objects
Candidate objects for observing together with nearby Messier objects:
NGC/IC Type Pos to M Obj. Ref/Name/Comment
1055 GS 35'NW M77 (DM) H 1.1 2071 DNr 20'NNE M78 (MK,KGJ) H 4.36 2067* DNr 15'N M78 (MK,KGJ) 2064* DNr 15'SW M78 (MK,KGJ) 2158 OC 15'WSW M35 (DM) H 6.17 1907 OC 30'S M38 (DM) H 7.39 2438 PN in NE M46 (DM) H 4.39 3384 GE 10'NE M105 (DM,MK) H 1.18 3389* GS 15'SE M105 (MK) H 2.41 3628 GS 30'N M66/65 (DM) H 5.8 3593* GS 60'W M65 (KGJ) H 1.29 3077 GEp 40'SE M81 (DM,KGJ) H 1.286 2976 GSp 90'SW M81 (KGJ) H 1.285 4290* GS 10'W M40 (MK) H 2.805 4220* GS 60'NW M106 (DM "+several",KGJ) H 1.209; misprinted 4420 in DM, KGJ 4618* GS 95'E M94 (KGJ) H 1.178, H 1.179 5195 GI 4'N M51 (DM,MK) H 1.186 5198* GE 30'S M51 (KGJ) H 2.689 5474* GS 50'SE M101 (DM) H 1.214 5907 GS 70'ENE M102 (KGJ) H 2.759 5879* GS 70'NNE M102 (KGJ) H 2.757 5053 GC 60'SE M53 (DM) H 6.7 4394* GSB 7'E M85 (DM,KGJ) H 2.55 4388* GS 15'S M84/86 (DM) H 2.168 4402* GS 10'N M86 (MK) 4435 GE 15'NE M86 (DM) pair w 4438; H 1.28 (1) 4438 GSp 15'NE M86 (DM) pair w 4435; H 1.28 (2) 4478* GE 10'SW M87 (KGJ) H 2.124 4550 GE 20'S M89 (KGJ) H 1.36 4647 GS NNW e. M60 (DM,MK,KGJ) H 3.44 4638* GE 15'SW M60 (MK) 18'SE M59; H 2.70 4567* GS 30'SE M58 (KGJ) pair w 4568, siamese twins; H 4.8 4568* GS 30'SE M58 (KGJ) pair w 4567, siamese twins; H 4.9 4526 GE 60'E M49 (KGJ) H 1.31, H 1.38 4324* GS 50'N M61 (KGJ) 5061 GE 200'NW M83 (KGJ) H 1.138 6207 GS 40'NE M13 (KGJ) H 2.701 * OC 30'SSW M71 (KGJ) H20 6356 GC 80'NE M9 (DM) H 1.48 6144 GC 50'ENE M4 (DM) H 6.10 6293 GC 90'ESE M19 (KGJ) H 6.12 6284 GC 95'NNE M19 (KGJ) H 6.11 6383 OC SW M6 (KGJ) 6453 GC 60'NW M7 (KGJ) OC 45'SE M7 (KGJ) H18 6712 GC 120'NE M26 (KGJ) H 1.47 OC 40'NW M16 (KGJ) H19 6603 OC in M24 6530 OC in M8 6642 GC? 70'WNW M22 (KGJ) H 2.205
References:
DM: Don Machholz, The Messier Marathon Observer’s Guide
MK: Mallas/Kreimer, The Messier Album
KGJ: Kenneth Glyn Jones, Messier’s Nebulae and Star Clusters
Other Objects
Other Deep Sky Objects for observing in the Messier Marathon night:
The Virgo Cluster of Galaxies is greatly
situated for closer investigation in the second half-night during this season.
There’s a large number of galaxies in this region you can select from, try
e.g. this list of
Besides the Messier objects in this region and those mentioned above as their
neighbors, note especially NGCs 4216, 4429, 4450, 4473, 4535, and 4762.
Below follows a list of other DSOs to select from.
Selection was done for typical, smaller Messier Marathon scopes:
Most of these objects are no more difficult than the fainter
Messier objects, the few exceptions are marked “*”.
NGC/IC Const Type Name/Comment
188 Cep OC old open cluster, close to North Celestial Pole 2403 Cam GS in M81 gr; H 5.44 2419* Lyn GC Intergalactic Wanderer, remote GC; H 1.218 2683 Lyn GS "UFO" galaxy; H 1.200 2685* UMa GPec Helix Galaxy 2841 UMa GS H 1.205 2903 Leo GS H 1.56 3115 Sex GS0 Spindle Galaxy; H 1.163 3184 UMa GSc H 1.168 3242 Hya PN Ghost of Jupiter; H 4.27 3377 Leo GE in M96 gr; H 2.99 3521 Leo GS H 1.13 4038* Crv GS pair w 4039; Ringtail Galaxies; H 4.28 (1) 4039* Crv GS pair w 4038; Ringtail Galaxies; H 4.28 (2) 4125 Dra GE 4147 Com GC H 1.19 4214 CVn GI H 1.95 4236 Dra GS in M81 gr; H 5.51 4449 CVn GI H 1.213 * Vir QSO 3C273 4490 CVn GS H 1.198 4494 Com GE H 1.83 4559 Com GS H 1.92 4565 Com GS H 5.24 4631 CVn GS H 5.42 4636 Vir GE H 2.38 4656 CVn GS H 1.176 4697 Vir GE H 1.39 4699 Vir GS H 1.129 4725 Com GS H 3.611 4753 Vir GPec H 1.16 4841* Com GS0/E in Com Cl; H 2.387 4874* Com GE in Com Cl; H 2.389 4889* Com GE in Com Cl; H 2.391 5005 CVn GS H 1.96 5466 Boo GC H 4.9 5634 Vir GC H 1.70 5897 Lib GC H 6.19 6210 Her PN Turtle Nebula 6229 Her GC H 4.50 6543 Dra PN Cat Eye Nebula; H 4-37 6946 Cep GS H 4.76
For those south enough (Note: These objects are all still north of Dec -50;
if you can well observe more southern objects from your location, your
selection of interesting “additions” will certainly be larger):
4976 Cen GE 5102 Cen GS0 5128 Cen GPec Cen A 5139 Cen GC Omega Cen 5253* Cen GE H 2.638 5824 Lup GC 5986 Lup GC Dunlop 552
- Data of the additional objects
Please email us corrections,
comments, and propositions e.g. for addition.
Last Modification: 21 Mar 1999, 13:05 MET