RUN A MESSIER MARATHON

This March there are galaxies, nebulae and star clusters galore – see how many you can spot in All About Space’s spring deep-sky challenge

Now is one of the best times of the year to be looking up at the night sky. In the weeks around the spring equinox on 20 March, the nights remain relatively long and the winter constellations are still hanging around. But the summer constellations are also starting to make an appearance too. For many amateur astronomers, this is Messier marathon season – a chance to catch many of the stunning nebulae, clusters and galaxies that the Messier catalogue has to offer, and all in one evening.

This famous set of objects is named after 18th-century French comet hunter Charles Messier. He compiled a list of fuzzy night-sky objects that those looking for comets might readily confuse with the real thing. With a few posthumous additions, his impressive list now boasts 110 entries, including some of the most famous objects in the sky, such as the Orion Nebula, the Pleiades star cluster and the Andromeda Galaxy. While it is possible, trying to hunt down all 110 in one evening is quite a task. In this guide we’ve put together 30 of the most accessible and beautiful Messier targets that you can find from dusk until dawn.

As these objects are quite faint, you’re going to need binoculars in all but a few extreme cases. There are some targets – often distant galaxies – that will also require a small telescope. Reflector telescopes are often the best choice here because you can collect more light for a cheaper price. It’s also best to avoid nights when a bright Moon is present. The weekend of 20 to 22 March would be ideal. If you’ve not tried your hand at finding globular clusters, galaxies and giant cosmic gas clouds before, there’s never been a better time to start. Enjoy your Messier marathon.

1 Messier 39 (NGC 7092)