UPDATE: This event has been CANCELED
With the nature of a “Messier Marathon” being observationally-based, combined with the various negative weather forecasts for Saturday night and Sunday morning, we have decided to CANCEL the Messier Marathon event. Unfortunately, with our packed calendar and the brief window for this type of event, we will not be able to set a “rain-date.” Our next public event will be the FREE evening star party that accompanies the Orbital Odyssey Bike Race earlier in the day on April 5th. We hope to see you all there!
Event Category – General Public Event
The 4th Annual Messier Marathon at Branched Oak Observatory is Here!
Button up warm and fill up your giant insulated mug with strong coffee; the Fourth Annual Messier Marathon is HERE!
Sure, you may have seen the Orion Nebula (M42), the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), and even a handful of other beautiful “Messier Objects,” but what about the ENTIRE catalog of 110 deep-space wonders? Collectively, we are going to give it a try, and do so ALL in ONE evening! Are we crazy? Well, we are astronomers, so you be the judge.
In all reality, we *won’t* see all the Messier Objects, but some astronomers present may give it a good ol’ college try. Others will just slowly scan the skies for their favorites to share with visitors. It is all in fun and a great opportunity for the general public to enjoy several observations.
Join us on Saturday, March 29th – Sunday, March 30th, for just a few hours of fun observations or for the ENTIRE evening. You are guaranteed to see a bevy of galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters.
COST? FREE. Although Branched Oak Observatory is charging admission for many events in 2025, the Messier Marathon is FREE of charge and open to anyone interested in the night sky. A suggested donation of $5 per person is appreciated. Although NOT necessary, you are certainly welcome (and encouraged) to bring binoculars or a telescope (or just use ours). A comfortable chair, blanket, and pillow are suggested as well depending on how long you plan to stay.
-No Registration.
-Open to Everyone
-Arrive Anytime Between 8:00 PM on Saturday and 7:00 AM on Sun.
Stay for the Entire Event or As Long As You Want
-No Park Permit Required
-No Telescope Needed (You are, however, welcome to bring your own equipment)
-Our Location: Branched Oak Observatory is located near, but not inside, the Branched Oak Lake and Recreation Area. See here for a Google Map location of Branched Oak Observatory-
https://tinyurl.com/BOO-Location-MapWe hope to see you there!
A Quick Background On the Messier Catalog and Messier Marathons.
Between the years of 1760 and 1781, French astronomer and “comet-hunter,” Charles Messier (pronounced mess-ē-ā), produced a list of 103 “fuzzy objects” in the sky. His catalog was created so he and other comet-hunters could differentiate between permanent celestial objects and the transient phenomena for which they were searching. Messier observed the skies through a 4” telescope from the middle of Paris, France, so his list was somewhat limited to only brighter objects and to only certain parts of the celestial sphere. Between 1921 and 1966, historians found evidence for seven additional objects that Messier (or his assistant) had collected but did not have a chance to append the master list. These objects have since been added to the official catalog bringing the total number to 110. The Messier Catalog is composed of 56 Open and Globular Star Clusters, 40 galaxies, 11 Nebulae, 1 Double Star, 1 Asterism (a star pattern), and 1 “object” that is in fact a particularly dense patch of stars in the Milky Way. Although there are far larger and more complete catalogs available to astronomers, the Messier Catalog can be thought of as “the best and brightest” deep space objects visible in the northern hemisphere.
Each year, between mid-March and early April, there is a “window of opportunity” to view *nearly* all 110 Messier objects in a single evening starting at sunset and ending at sunrise the following day. This year, the weekend of March 29th is going to be best.
You can attend for just a few hours or go all night if you would like. Whatever you decide, it will be an amazing experience.
Confirmed BOO Volunteers For the Evening: Matthew Anderson (Event Lead, Host). Michael Sibbernsen (ESSMO), Carol Wells (Observing), David Dickinson (Observer), Paul Spieker (Observer), Bhanu Dangi. Holly Hladik (Host, MPC).
Additional BOO Volunteers are encouraged to join if available.
Volunteers: please check back here (as well as your messages) for event confirmation, cancelation, or postponement announcements.
