I recommend two great Internet resources related to sketching the marathon. The first is Jeremy Perez’s extensive website at
www.beltofvenus.net/marathon. There you’ll find valuable information including sketch templates, reports, and resources. Another informative resource, with information on the Messier marathon itself, is on the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space website,
http://messier.seds.org/xtra/marathon/marathon.html.
As an introduction to sketching during the marathon, let’s take a closer look at two of the most famous objects on the list. Remember, on marathon night you can spend only a few minutes on each object, so time management will be essential. You’ll have just enough time to include a few of the brightest field stars and a rough sketch of each object before moving on to the next one.