Messier Marathon 2026

Dates: March 19-23, 2026
Location: Fort McKavett State Historic Site, Texas (Bortle 2-3 skies)
Hosted by: San Antonio Astronomical Association (SAAA), Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society (JSCAS) and Austin Astronomy Society (AAS)
Contact: saaa.messiermarathon@gmail.com
NASA/JPL Night Sky Network: Event Details

Join Us Under Dark Skies!

The San Antonio Astronomical Association (SAAA), in partnership with Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society (JSCAS), Austin Astronomical Society (AAS), North Houston Astronomy Club (NHAC) and other Texas clubs (e.g., New Braunfels Astronomy Club), invites you to the Messier Marathon 2026, March 19-23, at Fort McKavett State Historic Site. Our goal is to observe all 110 Messier objects in one night under pristine Bortle 2-3 skies, where the Milky Way casts shadows! This multi-club event, building on JSCAS’s star parties at Ft. McKavett since the 1990s, fosters collaboration and public outreach. Expect cold March nights, similar to car camping at Prude Ranch (Texas Star Party). The agreement with Fort McKavett is that the Marathon will be held Friday, March 20th from sundown to sunrise. With a public outreach program held on Saturday, March 21st. We get to stay free if we do the public outreach.

Event Logistics

  • Venue: Fort McKavett, a remote Texas Historical Commission site, requires 110% self-sufficiency. Attendees stay in barracks or the designated Tent Area. Telescopes are set up on the Parade Grounds (northwest corner preferred). The Fort is willing to accommodate up to 100 people, 2-25 in the Barracks, the remainder in tents.
  • RV Details: No RVs at the Fort; The Fire Station next door to the Fort will be offering 14 RV spaces (30 Amp pedestals, no 50 Amp). Water and power at dirt sites, with one dump station. A car path connects the fire station to the Fort. The spaces are available on a first come, first serve basis. To make reservations please contact Sarah Fusig ( bsaz@live.com ) at the Volunteer Fire Dept.
  • Facilities: Limited electricity and water provided. Clean, large porta-potties and showers near the main station are available.
  • Capacity: Participant capacity 100 astronomers. Each club (SAAA, JSCAS, AAS, NHAC, etc.) must designate an on-site liaison by February 19, 2026, for coordination.
  • Nearest Towns: Menard (23 miles, limited lodging), Junction (55 miles, lodging), Brady (70 miles, Walmart). No hotels at or near the Fort.
  • Wi-Fi/Cellular: Verizon had good coverage. This will be updated as we get more information.

Astronomical League Observing Programs

Enhance your Messier Marathon experience with the Astronomical League’s Observing Programs and earn participation certificates!

  • Messier Observing Program: Observe 70 or 110 Messier objects. Ideal with big binoculars at a dark site like Fort McKavett. Details.
  • Messier Imaging Observing Program: Image all 110 Messier objects. Details.
  • Binocular Messier Observing Program: Observe 50 Messier objects with binoculars. Details.
  • Note: Messier Marathons are not ideal for these programs, as they encourage taking time to observe object details, unlike the fast-paced Marathon environment.
  • Certificates: Download Messier Marathon participation certificates from the AL: Download Here.
  • Log Forms: Use the AL’s observation log sheet: Download PDF.
  • Log Books: Purchase from the AL Store:

TENTATIVE Club Estimates

Due to high anticipated participation, we’re collecting TENTATIVE club attendance estimates by August 15, 2025, to plan for Fort McKavett’s capacity (TBD). Individual RSVPs will follow closer to the event. Submit estimates via your club committee representative. Each club must designate an on-site liaison by February 19, 2026.

Planning and Coordination

SAAA is coordinating with JSCAS (David Haviland, Doug Holland), AAS (Bill Gammerdinger), NHAC (Leanna Fregia), New Braunfels (Stephen Ellery), and Fort McKavett staff (Kevin Malcolm). The Astronomical League (Aaron Clevenson, Dave Wickholm) supports certification. Planning meetings are recorded using MeetGeek (free plan) for AI-generated notes, saved to Google Drive’s “Messier Marathon 2026” folder.

Join the Collaboration!

Connect with us on X/Twitter: @SanAntonioAstro. Tag @JSCAstronomy, @AustinAstro, @NightSkyNetwork, @NewBraunfelsAst, @AstronomyClub for updates. Share your excitement for the Messier Marathon 2026 under Fort McKavett’s dark skies!

Clear skies!