Sufi Observing Competition
Sufi Observing Competition is an international competition and like Messier marathon, but more difficult with various subjects.
Since 2006, Astronomical Society of Iran – Amateur Committee holds an international observing competition in the memory of Azophi. The first competition was held in 2006 in the north of Semnan Province and the 2nd SUFI observing competition was held in summer of 2008 in Ladiz near Zahedan. More than 100 observers from Iran and Iraq participated in this event.
Third Sufi Competition was held in Pasargadae, Fars province of Iran, at the enclosure of the historical tomb of Cyrus the Great on 17–20 August 2009. More than 120 amateur astronomers participated in this competition which held in 2 class of individuals and groups. Closing ceremony of 3rd Sufi Competition was held in Persepolis historical site splendidly which is in the list of UNESCO world heritage site.
Babak Amin Tafreshi, Pouria Nazemi, Kazem Kookaram and Mohammad H. Almasi are Iranian amateur astronomers who designed and manage this competition in their country until today.
Objects selected by the competition
| Number | Name of Object | Object Type | Constellation | Recommended Instrument | Object of Sufi |
| 1 | M7 | Open cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | * |
| 2 | M6 | Open cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 3 | Lagoon Nebula | Star cluster with Nebulae | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 4 | Trifid Nebula | Star cluster with Nebulae | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 5 | M22 | Globular cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 6 | M62 | Globular cluster | Oph | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 7 | M80 | Globular cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 8 | NGC 6231 | Open cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 9 | NGC 6281 | Open cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 10 | NGC 6541 | Globular cluster | CrA | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 11 | NGC 6441 | Globular cluster | Sco | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 12 | Black Eye Galaxy | Galaxy | Com | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 13 | Owl Nebula | Planetary nebula | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 14 | M108 | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 15 | M108 | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 16 | M109 | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 17 | M106 | Galaxy | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 18 | M94 | Galaxy | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 19 | Sunflower Galaxy | Galaxy | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 20 | Whirlpool Galaxy | Galaxy | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 21 | Pinwheel Galaxy | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 22 | M3 | Globular cluster | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 23 | M3 | Globular cluster | CVn | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 24 | M5 | Globular cluster | Ser | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 25 | M81 | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 26 | M82 | Galaxy | UMa | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 27 | M102 | Galaxy | Dra | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 28 | NGC 5907 | Galaxy | Dra | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 29 | NGC 6946 | Galaxy | Cep | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 30 | M39 | Open cluster | Cyg | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 31 | NGC 7243 | Open cluster | Lac | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 32 | NGC 7331 | Galaxy | Peg | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 33 | M12 | Globular cluster | Oph | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 34 | M9 | Globular cluster | Oph | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 35 | M28 | Globular cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 36 | M54 | Globular cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 37 | M55 | Globular cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 38 | M23 | Open cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 39 | 16 | Open cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 40 | Omega Nebula | Bright nebula | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 41 | M25 | Open cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 42 | asterism of Nu1 and Nu2 | asterism | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | * |
| 43 | NGC 6716 | Open cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 44 | M14 | Globular cluster | Oph | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 45 | IC 4665 | Open cluster | Oph | Binoculars | |
| 46 | IC 4756 | Open cluster | Ser | Binoculars | |
| 47 | Wild Duck Cluster | Open cluster | Sct | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 48 | M26 | Open cluster | Sct | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 49 | NGC 6712 | Globular cluster | Sct | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 49 | M75 | Globular cluster | Sgr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 50 | Andromeda Galaxy | Galaxy | And | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 51 | M110 | Elliptical galaxy | And | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 52 | NGC 185 | Galaxy | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 53 | M52 | Open cluster | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 54 | NGC 40 | planetary Nebula | Cep | Telescope - | |
| 55 | NGC 7789 | Open cluster | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 56 | NGC 129 | Open cluster | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 57 | NGC 457 | Open cluster | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 58 | NGC 663 | Open cluster | Cas | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 59 | M13 | Globular cluster | Her | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 60 | M92 | Globular cluster | Her | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 61 | NGC 6229 | Globular cluster | Her | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 62 | NGC 6503 | Galaxy | Dra | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 63 | M72 | Globular cluster | Aqr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 64 | NGC 7009 | Planetary Nebula | Aqr | Telescope - | |
| 65 | M30 | Globular cluster | Cap | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 66 | NGC 7293 | Planetary Nebula | Aqr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 67 | M74 | Galaxy | Psc | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 68 | Triangulum Galaxy | Galaxy | Tri | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 69 | NGC 752 | Open cluster | And | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 70 | Little Dumbbell Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Per | Telescope | |
| 71 | NGC 869 and NGC 884 | Open clusters | Per | Telescope - Binoculars | * |
| 72 | NGC 891 | Galaxy | And | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 73 | M34 | Open cluster | Per | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 74 | NGC 1023 | Galaxy | Per | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 75 | Brocchi's Cluster | Open cluster | Vul | Telescope - Binoculars | * |
| 76 | Messier 71 | Globular cluster | Sge | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 77 | Dumbbell Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Vul | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 78 | NGC 6934 | Globular cluster | Del | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 79 | Ring Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Lyr | Telescope | |
| 80 | M29 | Open cluster | Cyg | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 81 | NGC 7582 | Galaxy | Gru | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 82 | NGC 55 | Galaxy | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 83 | NGC 300 | Galaxy | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 84 | NGC 7793 | Galaxy | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 85 | NGC 613 | Galaxy | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 86 | NGC 247 | Galaxy | Cet | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 87 | NGC 253 | Galaxy | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 88 | NGC 288 | Globular cluster | Scl | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 89 | Alpha Persei Cluster | Open cluster | Per | Binoculars | |
| 90 | NGC 1342 | Open cluster | Per | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 91 | NGC 1502 | Open cluster | Cam | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 92 | NGC 1528 | Open cluster | Per | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 93 | NGC 246 | Planetary Nebula | Cet | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 94 | NGC 936 | Galaxy | Cet | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 95 | M77 | Galaxy | Cet | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 96 | Pleiades | Open cluster | Tau | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 97 | NGC 1746 | Open cluster | Tau | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 98 | NGC 1746 | Open cluster | Tau | Binoculars | |
| 99 | NGC 1907 | Open cluster | Aur | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 100 | M38 | Open cluster | Aur | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 101 | M36 | Open cluster | Aur | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 102 | M37 | Open cluster | Aur | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 103 | Crab Nebula | Supernova remnant | Tau | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 104 | M35 | Open cluster | Gem | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 105 | NGC 2158 | Open cluster | Gem | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 106 | NGC 2403 | Galaxy | Cam | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 107 | M2 | Globular cluster | Aqr | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 108 | M15 | Globular cluster | Peg | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 109 | Orion Nebula | Nebula | Ori | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 110 | M78 | Nebula | Ori | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 111 | NGC 2244 | Open cluster | Mon | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 112 | NGC 2264 | Cluster with Nebula | Mon | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 113 | NGC 1097 | Galaxy | For | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 114 | NGC 1360 | Galaxy | For | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 115 | NGC 1365 | Galaxy | For | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 116 | NGC 1316 | Galaxy | For | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 117 | NGC 1291 | Galaxy | Eri | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 118 | M79 | Globular cluster | Lep | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 119 | Eskimo Nebula | Planetary Nebula | Gem | Telescope | |
| 120 | M50 | Open cluster | Mon | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 121 | M41 | Open cluster | Cma | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 122 | Beehive Cluster | Open cluster | Cnc | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 123 | M67? | Open cluster | Cnc | Telescope - Binoculars | |
| 124 | Asterism of lambda | Open cluster | Ori | Telescope - Binoculars | * |