OBSERVING CHALLENGE by Jan Hattenbach and Ronald Stoyan Mastering the Me THE STARTING LINE As dusk ends at the author's Messier marathon viewing location on La Palma, the constellations Cetus, Pisces, and Andromeda are already setting. The bright zodiacal light rises under darker skies, making the galaxies M77, M74, and M33 particularly difficult. Brilliant Venus hovers above the horizon in this image from March 18, 2023. 20 APRIL 2025 * SKY & TELESCOPE RONALD STOYAN