FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: R: 2008 All Arizona Messier Marathon - results

[Brian Skiff <bas@xxxxxxxxxx>]

     Since M77 has such a bright nucleus, it is probably recoverable
in considerable twilight, especially with a well-aligned go-to mount.
Don't know what the answer is, however.  How high up was it at -12 deg
solar altitude (i.e. end of nautical twilight)?  The sky is
probably plenty dark then for M77.

     The bright twilight/low altitude observations more-or-less
required by the MM, by the way, argues in favor of holding the Marathon
as close as possible to the optimum date even with, say, 40% Moonlight.
This is especially so given the horsepower brought to bear on the
targets (per the rankings list).  As long as it's cloudfree,
modest Moonlight is not a serious hindrance, and allows you an
out if the weather's bad to hold it the next weekend (or whatever)
without the Moon.


\Brian
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