Explore the Moon (Telescope) - August 29/30, 2018

This was a night spent mostly on the ETM. There were other observations made but they were more for my interest than for the purpose of an observing program.

Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous (87.7%)
Q-Day: -2

Moonset: 9:28 AM         Moonrise: 9:44 PM
Sunrise: 6:33 AM           Sunset: 7:57 PM

Location: Home
Date: 2018-08-29 - 2018-08-30
Time: 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Equipment: Celestron 6" Dobsonian, 10 mm
Magnification: x120
Temperature: 18º C 
SQM: 18.66
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded

11:20 PM:
No wind or clouds or dew. Hazy skies due to either Moon or high-altitude smoke (?). Saw the Moon coming through the grape vines on our shade structure in the East. Knew it would be at least another hour before it would be high enough to view.

12:07 AM:
Moved the Dobsonian to our unused veggie garden. Although the terminator was clearly seen, I focused attention on Tycho. It was pretty much bleached out with the Sun’s light but there was a slight shadow on Tycho’s western rim (refer to sketch).

It was then I referred to the S&T Field Map of the Moon to identify craters. Took me about 15 minutes to orient myself to the upside-down and what I was seeing due to Moon phase. I noticed Apollo 17 on the map so decided to focus on that area.

To get to Apollo 17, I located Le Monnier then navigated along the shores of Mare Serenitatis. The name of the landing site is the Taurus-Littrow Valley. Posidonius had 2 craters seemingly in its rim and another just outside. I drew what I saw then identified the following features:
a)     Maria, etc.: Serenitatis, Sinus Amores, Tranquilitatis
b)     Mountains: Mons Vitruvius, Montes Taurus
c)     Craters: Chacornac, Daniell, Gardner, Le Monnier (west edge not clearly defined), Littrow, Luther, Maraldi, Posidonius, Römer, Römer A, Tycho, Vitruvius

Coordinates for Apollo 17:
ALSE: 20.1923 N, 30.7655 E
Lunar Module (LM) 20.1911 N, 30.7723 E
Coordinates for Apollo 11”
LRRR: 0.673445 N, 23.47307 E
Lunar Module (LM): 0.67416 N, 23.47314 E

1:10 AM:
SQM: 18.66. Temperature still at 18° C. Attention focused on Apollo 11 landing site in Mare Tranquilitatis, sightly NE of the crater Moltke.

To get to Apollo 11, I went from Vitruvius to the craters Plinius to Ross and Maclean to Arago & Manners. Followed the curve formed by 2 small craters (Ritter and Sabine) to Moltke and the landing site.
a)     Mare: Tranquilitatis
b)     Mountains: Hypatia, Rimae Hypatia
c)     Craters: Arago, Maclear, Moltke, Plinius, Ritter, Ross, Sabine, Vetruvius.

NOTE: Looked up the lunar coordinates for the two Apollo missions later.

1:29 AM:
SQM: 18.66. Temperature still at 18° C, no wind, no clouds but still a bit hazy. Decided to focus on the shorelines of Mare Nectaris where if found the craters:

  • Fracastorius (no crater edge on it north border)
  • Rosse (in the Mare)
  • Beaumont, Catharina, Cyrillus, Theophilis (west of Mare Nectaris)
  • Piccolomini (south of Fracastorius)

I then headed north back to the Apollo 17 landing site, to the crater Daniell just above Posidonius, then on to Hercules and Atlas. Hercules was very visible, but Atlas was now mostly beyond the terminator.

Mare: Lacus Somniorum

Other craters viewed:

  • Bürg (west of Hercules in Lacus Mortis)
  • Mason & Plana (SE of Bürg)
  • Grove (SE of Mason)
  • Williams (E of Mason)
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