After years of not having the luxury of a computer, now I find
it hard to turn mine off I must admit. However, Messier
Marathon time is one occasion I make a big exception.
The sense of accomplishment from finding all those objects
(my personal record so far is 107) in one night is one
that doesn't wear off quickly. And it won't be long before
it's time to give it another shot! I guess the marathon is
something some love to do and others rebel at the idea. I
find it a great excuse to spend an exciting night out under
the stars.
Richard
--- In backbayastro@..., "S. Kent Blackwell" <kent@e...>
wrote:
I agree with Lelane about finding objects by starhopping. In all my
years of stargazing my true love has been the "thrill" of finding
something on my own. It's a rewarding experience one cannot attain by
simply dialing it in on a computer. Now, I'll admit some people simply
don't have the time to devote to spending half the night looking for a
handful of objects but I do suggest every once in a while turning off
those computers and brushing up on starhopping. I did this a few
nights ago and will say I had more fun stargazing that evening than
I've had in a long time. So there!
