Introductory Notes
When I was ten years old, my parents bought me a little 3"
Spitz Moonscope reflector telescope. I spent hours studying the Moon and
Jupiter, but the stars were just random points of light...not very interesting.
Over the years I stopped doing observational astronomy, but I kept up with the
news of the exploration of our solar system and beyond.
Nearly sixty years later in December of 2014 I purchased a modest
5-1/4" Newtonian reflector. I hoped to relive some of the wonder and
excitement of my childhood.
One evening of July 18, 2015 I turned my telescope to Antares, which was
gleaming brightly in the southern sky. I was aware that I couldn't possibly
resolve a star with a telescope, but I was curious and wanted a closer look.
Between the red-dot finder and the clumsy alt-az telescope mount, I missed
Antares and stumbled squarely upon M4 (Messier Catalog #4). One look at that
magnificent cluster was all it took. Evidently there was more in the night sky
than the Moon, the planets, and tiny random points of light called stars. On
this date I began my Messier quest.
A little over two years later on August 1, 2017 at 0130 MDT I observed and
sketched M73, an asterism in Aquarius. This was my 110th and conclusive Messier
observation.
Observations were made from fifteen separate locations in seven states using
three different telescopes and four pair binoculars. In the case of M45 I walked
out in my back yard and used my unaided eyes.
I certify that I have observed all 110 objects in the AL Messier list. I
also certify that all observations were made by myself using only printed star
charts and references. I do not have setting circles or goto capabilities on any
of my equipment. Although a majority of the initial observations were made
with telescopes, nine of them were made with binoculars. Most of these were
subsequently viewed with telescopes. None of my binocular observations were used
for the Binocular Messier Program.
This program requirement achieved its purpose. I educated myself in the
use of star charts and in the process greatly increased my knowledge of the
night sky. Curiosity about the objects led me to learn more about them through
reading and internet resources. I learned to keep careful records of my
observations. Having an established goal and a structured program was a great
motivator. This is my first Astronomical League program, and I look forward to
completing more.
