Tom and Tracey's Messier Observing Report March 22, 2009

At Tracey's place, we had a super-clear night, but very cold so I only lasted
until around midnight. The comet has really faded down to just a fuzzball with
a very faint tail, in Gemini.
So we started kind of a mini-Messier marathon, hitting the western sky early
after Venus (picture enclosed that Tracey took with her cell phone thru the
18 inch)....it's slightly fuzzy due to all the atmosphere.

Hit Messiers 77, the Andromeda group, 45, 34, 76 52 and 103, 35 early.....
Then Tracey using her 13 inch hit all those in the south, 93, 50, 46, 47. 41, 79.....
we both hit 42, 43 combination. (forgot 78).....and Saturn of course.
Then after a warming break, we walked thru the 16 Virgo Supercluster galaxies
plus M 3 and 53. At which time I had to quit because of the cold temperatures,
well below freezing.
So Tracey will have to finish the report.................

At the end of the night Zachary and I viewed all but 10 of the Messier's. Five of them just because I did not feel like dragging the scope around the other side of the house at the end, (could kick myself now). We had already moved it three times thru the night and the sun just came up too quickly. So in addition to Tom's list I can add:
M33 - almost positvie I saw it, twice
78
1
37, 36, 38
48
44, 67
95, 96, 105, 65, 66
81, 82
97, 108
109
40 - and a very nice fuzzball in the same field, NGC 4195
106, 94, 63
51
101
53, 64
3
68
83
104
5
13 - along with the galaxy NGC 6207 in same field
92
57, 56
29, 39
27
71
107, 12, 10, 14, 9, 19, 62
4, 80
6, 7
11, 26
16
17, 18, 24, 25, 23
21, 20
8
28, 22
15


So the only missed ones were 74 in Pisces, 54, 55, 69, 70, 75 in Sagittarius, 2, 72, 73 in Aquarius and M30. Jupiter and the crescent moon put on a spectacular showing just before sunrise as well. Next time I will get more!! The skies turned out beaitful as the night wore on.