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2005 All Arizona Messier Marathon Results

Date: March 12/13, 2005
Site: south of Arizona City, Arizona.

The “2005 All Arizona Messier Marathon” was one of the more successful ones where we could only get 109 objects. This was due, probably in part, to the long spat of unusually cloudy and rainy weather we have had since the beginning of the year. It was reported the site had about 11″ of rain. The beautiful blooming yellow, orange and purple wild flowers testified to this as they covered about 2/3’s of the normally barren desert floor. No doubt they also contributed to some of our allergies.

At our briefing meeting near sunset 85 vehicles were counted along with approximately 110, photon starved, people. A request for attendees outside of Arizona revealed folks from California, Michigan, Connecticut and Canada. Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone’s state.

As the sunset and it got darker everyone started their observing, be it the marathon or personal lists. My plans were to complete a task started a few years ago and that was to complete drawing the rest of the Messier galaxies in the Coma-Virgo cluster of galaxies. The task was completed after a couple of hours and that left time for bagging 60, just enough for a certificate.

As morning twilight approached there were a couple of observers that were hoping to view M30 and spent a lot of time checking its position while looking at their watches and watching the eastern horizon brighten. Finally they conceded to the brightening sky. Can’t blame them for trying, but we did have some fun joking around.

By the time everyone turned in their lists the count had reached 40 with 13 observing 109 objects. Last year there were only 3 with this count with Rick Tejera being the only one in first place both years.

The observing conditions were not excellent, but were very good and after the long drought of non-observable weather we were all glad for the opportunity.

AJ Crayon
SAC Messier Marathon Coordinator

Num
Name
Scope
Organization
Missed or Comments
109 Peter Argenziano 18″f4.5 DOB EVAC/SAC M30
109 Andrew Cooper 18″f4.5 DOB TAAA M30
109 Anne Marie Cooper 10″ LX200 none M30
109 Chris Biggs & Ethan Foxman Celestron 11 SAC M30
109 David Hardinger 10″ LX200 none M30
109 Roger Hutchins 8″ LX200 EVAC M30
109 Jack Jones 20″ f5 DOB SAC M30
109 Paul Lind 14.5″ DOB SAC M30
109 Bernie Sanden 10″f5 DOB EVAC/SAC M30
109 Ken Sikes unknown none M30
109 Carter Smith 10″ DOB TAAA M30
109 Rick Tejera 8″f6 DOB SAC M30
109 Gerry van Dyk C10N-GT RASC-E M30
108 Jack/Carol Farmer 8″ LX200 TAAA M74 M30
108 Patrick McDonald 8″ Newt RASC-T M74 M30
108 John Moschinger 8″ Newt EVAC M74 M30
108 David J. Trogan 8″ LX200 EVAC M74 M30
108 Ray Vorbeck 8″ LX200 SAC M74 M30
107 Rick Rotramel 10″ f5.8 Newt SAC M72 M73 M30
106 James & Delia Brix 16″ DOB TAAA M75 M72 M73 M30
106 Jonathan Yount 8″ f6 Newt EVAC M74 M72 M73 M30
105 Greg&Amanda Kettell 8″ Newt none M55 M75 M72 M73 M30
105 Scott&David Kroeppler 20X80 binos AL M77 M74 M72 M73 M30
103 Chuck Shields XT10 DOB EVAC M77 M74 M15 M2 M72 M73 M30
103 Wayne Thomas unknown EVAC/SAC M55 M75 M15 M2 M72 M73 M30
102 John Mathews 8″ LX200 EVAC M74 M33 M70 M55 M75 M72 M73 M30
100 James Squair 8″ DOB GRAC M102 M98 M100 M55 M75 M15 M2 M72 M73 M30
94 Joan McGue 8″ DOB SAC
92 Jamie Lines 8″ DOB TAAA
89 Scott&Heather Saari 8″ f6 DOB SAC
78 Sierra DeMesa C10N-GT TAAA
78 Thomas Watson 8″ f4.9 DOB TAAA
76 Lynn Blackburn 5″ refractor SAC
74 John Holmquist 6″ Meade SN EVAC
69 Michael Grindle 8″ Newt TAAA
69 Nick DeMesa 8″ Celestron TAAA
67 Roy Chancellor 8″ SCT EVAC
60 AJ Crayon 14.5″ f5.2 DOB SAC/EVAC
59 Susan Barbetti 8″ f6 DOB none
57 Hazel Lawler 20″ DOB TAAA

AL = Astronomical League – member at large
EVAC = East Valley Astronomy Club
GRAC = Grand Rapids Astronomy Club
RASC-E = Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Edmundton Centre
RASC-T = Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Toronto Centre
SAC = Saguaro Astronomy Club
TAAA = Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association