While working on this telescope version, I am also observing and drawing for the RASC IWLOP. At this point in the lunar cycle, I am observing items seen before, but I am now looking at them in a new light. Also took some time to look at Mars and Saturn.
Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (60.0%)
Q-day: +1
Moonrise: 3:12 PM
Sunrise: 6:56 AM Sunset: 7:22 PM
Location: Home
Date: 2017-09-17
Time: 7:20 PM – 10:30 PM
Equipment 1: 6” Dobsonian with 10 mm & 25 mm eyepieces
Magnification: x120 & x48
Equipment 2: 10” Meade SCT with 10 mm eyepiece and x2 Barlow
Magnification: x530
Transparency: not recorded
Seeing: not recorded
Temperature: 24° C @ 8:14 PM; 16° C @ 10 PM
SQM: 17.58 @ 8:14 PM; 19.11 @ 10 PM
No clouds and only a very light breeze that gained a bit of speed before the evening concluded. Had 2 telescopes for use: 6” Dobsonian and 10” Meade SCT.
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Around 9:15 PM or so, I used the 10” Meade SCT with the x2 Barlow. Thankfully this telescope tracked after I used the handheld device to find craters that looked interesting. Wondered whether Nonius was created by an oblique hit versus a direct hit. I found a “row” comprising Arzachel, Alphonsus, Ptolemaeus and Herschel. What a neat grouping. Because I turned the star diagonal to the other side of the scope, it made my image not only mirror-reversed but also upside-down – go figure! Also found a new crater – Spörer. |
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In Arzachel, there was a well-lit, off-centre peak and two bands of low mountains. Also saw Rimae Arzachel. Alphonsus had a ridge going SE to NW that showed a little bit of shadow. The west side of Ptolemaeus looked craggy, perhaps ridged. A high peak in the east (adjacent to Ammonius) was clearly visible. Herschel had a conical shadow towards the NE and looked ridged down/up from that shadow. |
Sinus: Lunicus
Mountains & Related Formations: Mons Blanc, Montes Alpes, Promontorium Agassiz, Promontorium Deville, Rimae Arzachel, Vallis Alpes
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Craters: Alphonsus, Arzachel, Cassini, Herschel, Ptolemaeus
Craters not in the ETU Telescope Version: Alpetragius, Aristillus (+ Aristillus A, B, C, D), Arzachel A, Calippus, Regiomontanus, Spörer, Theaetetus, Thebit, Thebit A. Walter and Nonius were viewed with the Dobsonian at x120 magnification.