Double Dipping: Spring 2010

Variable Stars Near Deep Sky TreatsMarch is typically the time of year observers take on the challenge of the Messier Marathon. The Messier Marathon is an attempt to view all 110 Messier objects in one night, and it takes the entirety of a night to achieve it. You have to start as early as you can, to get the first few objects, as Cetus and Pisces are setting, and the last few objects in Aquarius and Capricorn are a challenge, even if you’ve managed to say fresh after a whole night. I personally have never completed the marathon, and I can’t say I know anyone who has actually done it.The important thing for this piece is that as warmer spring temperatures arrive, there is no shortage of deep sky treats to keep your friends and relatives entertained. Meanwhile, you and I will figure out how to squeeze in some variable star observing in between galaxies, nebulae and star clusters. It will be a bit of a challenge at this time of year because there just aren’t that many stars in the sky. As fate would have it, in spring the plane of the Milky Way lines up pretty closely with ...