Downloadable Certificates from the Astronomical League
These certificates are available to anyone organizing an event or any individual doing the appropriate activity.
The general downloadable certificates are:
- My First Telescope Observation Certificate
- Messier Marathon Participation Certificate
- Herschel Hustle Participation Certificate
Other current downloadable certificates are:
The historical downloadable certificates are:
- Eclipse 2017 (total) Certificate and checklists
- 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
- International Observe the Moon Night 2021
- International Observe the Moon Night 2022
My First Telescope Observation Certificate
To print a certificate that commemorates your very first view through a telescope, a PDF copy is located here that you can download and add your name, date and object observed to.
Messier Marathon Participation Certificate
If you do a Messier Marathon, or if you are leading one for your astronomy club or community, we have provided a certificate to commemorate that accomplishment. A Messier Marathon is an event that attempts to see all 110 objects on Messier’s list in one night. The first object is seen in evening twilight and the last object is seen in morning twilight.
The PDF certificate of participation is available here. (print, copy and fill in the blanks)
The best time to do a Messier Marathon is mid-March to early April. It is best to do it when the moon is New, and obviously weekends are preferred. This list shows the preferred weekend for years to come:
| Year | New Moon | Preferred Weekend | Secondary Weekend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | March 28 | March 25 | April 1 |
| 2018 | March 17 | March 17 | |
| 2019 | March 6, April 5 | March 30 | March 9 |
| 2020 | March 24 | March 21 | March 28 |
| 2021 | March 13 | March 13 | |
| 2022 | March 2, April 1 | April 2 | March 5 |
| 2023 | March 21 | March 18 | March 25 |
| 2024 | March 10 | March 9 | |
| 2025 | March 29 | March 22 | March 29 |
Herschel Hustle Participation Certificate
We are all familiar with the Messier Marathon, but there are other challenges out there awaiting those who are willing to make the effort. Sky and Telescope Magazine came up with the idea and called it the Herschel Sprint. This is our take on it.
William Herschel was an amazing astronomer. He was able to use relatively good optics, but the mechanics of his telescopes was limited by today’s standards. With his telescope, scanning only in declination, we was able to observe objects as they crossed his meridian. The goal of this challenge is to relive one special night when he discovered 74 objects in one night. To truly experience the event, use an eyepiece with a 15 to 20 arc-minute field and about 150 power. Once on the meridian, the purists will switch to manual telescope operation, only changing the declination as time progresses. To see them all will require a large telescope (14-inches or larger). Select a date when the first object transits about an hour after sunset.
Information on the list for the Herschel Hustle are located on this web page.
The Herschel Hustle Participation Certificate is available here. (print, copy and fill in the blanks)
The Astronomical League’s Herschel Society Information web page is located here.
I Saw the 2017 Eclipse Certificate
To print a certificate that commemorates your viewing of the 2017 North American Eclipse, a PDF copy is located here that you can download and add your name, date and object observed to.
2017 Eclipse Checklists
English Versions
- To print a Black and White Checklist for the 2017 North American Eclipse in English, a PDF copy is located here.
- To print a Color Checklist for the 2017 North American Eclipse in English, a PDF copy is located here.
Spanish Versions
- To print a Black and White Checklist for the 2017 North American Eclipse in Spanish, a PDF copy is located here.
- To print a Color Checklist for the 2017 North American Eclipse in Spanish, a PDF copy is located here.
I Saw the 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
To print a certificate that commemorates your viewing of the 2020 Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, a PDF copy is located here that you can download and add your name and location.