Messier Marathon Trip to Make Track for Stars(Mar.21,2015)

On March 21, 2015, Llijiang Gaomeigu of Yunnan,stargazers from Taiwan, Beijing and yunnan gathered here, engaged in a stars chasing journey racing to the time – messier marathon communication meeting.In astronomical circle, there is a love, even travelling mountains, even stay up late, as long as able to chase the stars footprint, fans willing to trials and hardships.OPTOLONG astrophile team is such enthusiasts, they do enough preparation for the seminar, took OPTOLONG OIII filter, UHC filter, H – Beta filters, built-in filter equipment, as well as a variety of stargazing well-equipped with messier’s marathon.

Messier marathon is an activity that astronomy enthusiasts in an attempt to find in the night messier objects as much as possible, there are a total of 110 a relatively bright deep sky objects (galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters) in the messier catalog .And preliminary messier amateur astronomers marathon is by a group of North America in the 1970 s, then more and more amateur astronomers take part in the game, but so far, those who can successfully observed messier marathon does not exceed 100, Asia only Zhian Liu from Taiwan completed the game on March 16, 2013.And Lijiang Gaomeigu messier marathon Interecommunions, Zhian Liu teacher also came to Lijiang Gaomeigu, communicate the messier objects knowledge together with the astronomy enthusiasts , and with his erudition astronomical knowledge, skilled observation skills and perseverance, persistent stargazing succeed again observed 110 messier objects.

Messier objects began to appear, 19:00pm in the evening after sunset until 5 o ‘clock the next morning. Zhian Liu fully ready to waiting for the messier objects appear.

In the whole process of messier’s marathon, half an hour of sunset for a few minutes is key, is located in the west low 10 messier objects will fall below the horizon after only briefly, at the moment Zhian Liu succeeded in winning the 10 objects, the first success for the whole marathon,it is a good start.At around 3:00 am, with the rising of the summer Milky Way, in view of all omega clusters, the largest in centaurus throughout the visible globular clusters, lovers could observe its excitement is indescribable, omega clusters for the entire marathon, it’s so meaningful.The last goal is M30, when this fuzzy thing come into view, lovers are boiling, lovers again witnessed the Zhian Liu teacher’s success.

This time of the conference, OPTOLONG astronomy enthusiasts are full of harvest.Look up at the Milky Way, and its vast magnificent seems to have dissolved the journey tired and hard.

A journey to make track for a star, born to a fever.

OPTOLONG astronomy enthusiasts well-equipped, against messier’s marathon, OPTOLONG OIII filter, UHC filter, H – Beta filters, built-in filter

Zhian Liu teacher carefully recorded messier objects observed successfully every moment

Astronomy enthusiasts took photos a souvenir – 2015.3.22, a meaningful day, a group who make track for a star with infinite love, once again refresh their dream milestone

OPTOLONG filter test, orbital with 16 inches of Newtonian reflector telescope

At around 3:00 am, rose of the summer Milky Way

Star track under Lijiang Gaomeigu observatory

OPTOLONG astronomy enthusiast Leo Yang with Zhian Liu teacher

Amateur astronomers from Taiwan

China’s national astronomy magazine reporter

The right side one this is MengXian Bao teacher,who will attend every astronomical activities,his considerable and persistent pursuit of astronomical deeply affects us

Drunken beauty in lijiang, which gives more leisure and romance to the sky

A person stargazing, perhaps alone, but the vast universe!

We can, a group of people together, feel the power of walking, OPTOLONG, together with you to the stars.