Sunday (05.04.09) marked the end of MoonWatch week, which for me has been a fun event to celebrate even if the weather has not always cooperated. On this occasion the promising blue evening sky had given way to the fog like veil of cirrostratus cloud later that night, which I would have cursed at any other time if it weren’t for the hazy lunar corona that it was helping to create.
With Regulus in Leo sitting just above the Moon I decided to use the Bresser 10×50s mounted on the tripod to make a wide field observation. Trying to identify the number of lunar objects that I could see at this magnification was also quite fun. Near the southern terminator I could partially discern the Mare Nubium while to the north I could easily make out the giant ray crater Copernicus and the Mare Imbrium. The vast bay of the Sinus Iridium and the dark, lava filled crater Plato were also clearly visible in and around this area.
Looking eastwards I had no problem observing the dark stains of the brightly lit Maria — this included the Mare: Serenitatis, Vaporum, Tranquillitatis, Crisium & Foecunditatis — while the bright rays of Langrenus and the outlines of Petavius as well as Furnerius were all visible. I also managed to catch (with some added scrutiny) the smaller ray craters Manilius, Menelaus and Proclus, all of which looked like minute pin-pricks of light against the lunar surface.
By the time I had finished making a preliminary sketch the cloud cover had grown just that little bit thicker. It looked more and more likely that a blanket of stratus would begin to roll in from the west quite soon so I was happy to have made the observation when I did. All in all I have to say that this short lunar jaunt was the perfect way to end the first MoonWatch week. The second MoonWatch week won’t take place until late October, just after Jupiter SkyWatch week — both of which I’m really looking forward to. In between then and now I’m hoping to complete the Binocular Messier Club list and make some headway with the Lunar 100, which is more than enough to keep this amateur astronomer busy for some time.
[Post edited: 07.04.09]
Tags: Bresser 10x50, Copernicus, Langrenus, Leo, Lunar Corona, Manilius, Mare Crisium, Mare Foecunditatis, Mare Nubium, Mare Serenitatis, Mare Tranquillitatis, Mare Vaporum, Menelaus, Moon, MoonWatch, Petavius, Plato, Proclus, Regulus, Sinus Iridium
Posted in Astro Art, Observing | No Comments »
Saturday the 28th of March saw the launch of MoonWatch and as luck would have it, the weather decided to play ball. The conditions weren’t fantastic as a thin veil of cirrus cloud drifted overhead, but still it was more than adequate for catching the slender crescent of the Moon with the 25×100 binoculars before it set.
The view was a truly stunning sight as the Earthshine lit up the dark side of the Moon to reveal the hidden Maria. Conversely the shining crescent highlighted several noteworthy features along the eastern limb of the Moon. The Mare Crisium which was partially visible looked wonderful as the wrinkled edges of the basin jutted out against the dark shadows while the prominent crater Langrenus just further to the south was bathed in complete darkness.
Also on show was the ancient Vendelinus and the overlapping crater Lamé alongside the smaller circular shapes of Barkla and Kapteyn just to the north east of these two battered lunar relics. However, I have to say that it was Petavius that stole the show; the large impact crater revealed it’s tall central mountains in all their glory as they cast a huge black swathe across the lunar surface. Clinging on to the southern rim of Petavius I could also make out the uneven outline of Hase and Hase d while sitting just eastwards of these two rough features lay the silhouettes of Adams and Legendre. Looking below this small jumble of craters I was also able to observe the eye-catching Furnerius but much like Langrenus it was completely hidden in shadow and offered no other detail.
By this time the Moon was now disappearing from view behind the rooftops which more or less forced me to bring my session to an end, but what a session! In addition to making some very nice observations I also managed to produce a rough drawing that I converted into the digital sketch that you can see above. Hopefully it conveys a general impression of the wonderful and absobing view that held me captive for twenty amazing minutes.
[Image edited: 01.04.09]
Tags: Adams, Barkla, Earthshine, Furnerius, Hase, Hase d, Kapteyn, Lame, Langrenus, Legendre, Mare Crisium, Moon, MoonWatch, Petavius, Strathspey 25x100, Vendelinus
Posted in Astro Art, Observing | 2 Comments »