Time: 6:30 - 7:50 U.T.
Binoculars: 20x80
Seeing: Good
NELM: 6.5 (mostly)
Temperature: +28 F (-2 C)
The above sketch shows the general appearance of M51, also known as the Whirlpool Galaxy as seen with 20x80 binoculars. The smaller fuzzy spot just above (north of) M51 is NGC 5195.
At sunset my sky remained cloudy. When the sky finally cleared I decided to continue my hunt for Messier objects using the large binoculars. In Messier number order I observed the following objects: M3, M5, M13, M40, M44, M51, M53, M63, M67, M68, M81, M82, M83, M92, M94, M97, M101, M104, M106, M108, and M109. Over the past few months I've observed all of the Messier objects using 20x80 binoculars.
The month of March is sometimes referred to as the Messier month. From some locations it's possible in March to observe all the Messier objects in a single, moonless night. Such an all night session is known as a Messier marathon.
I prefer to spread the observations out over a few months. In this manner I can observe the objects when they're higher in my sky and easier to see. Besides, it can be quite difficult catching some of the objects in March from my latitude. Nevertheless, if opportunity knocks I might be tempted to attempt a Messier marathon.
M83 proved to be the most elusive object. I looked for it at irregular intervals for the last 35 minutes of the observing session. A long, thin cloud hung out over this galaxy for much of the night. Finally, as the Moon was rising I managed to see M83. The galaxy was just a little brighter than the background sky at that time. It's even possible that I was observing M83 through a thin cloud layer.
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