© Jerry Black - Nikon D800, ISO 100, 1/15 sec @ f/3.5 |
Lunar Phase: 1st Quarter (46.6%) Location: Home |
The evening began with the First Quarter Moon visible above the trees. This evening is to be devoted to Moon watching but will look at constellations and DSOs when we can do so. Jerry has the Meade LX200 set up with his camera so this session for me is through two pairs of binoculars - 10x30 IS and 15x70.
9:00 - 9:30 PM:
Reinforced ability to view the following seas: Crisium, Fecunditatis, Serenitatis, Tranquilitatis.
New to my observations tonight were:
a) Mare Vaporum
b) Mare Frigoris & Lacus Somnorium
c) eastern portions of Mare Imbrium
d) Alps Mountains on the north shore of Mare Imbrium
e) Could make out the line of the Apennine Mountains running SW to NE at the bottom of Mare Imbrium and north of Mare Vaporum
f) Could make out the large, oval-shaped crater Petavius on the southern border of Mare Fecunidtatis.
g) Cleomedes was visible above the north shore of Mare Crisium. It wasn't attached to the Mare.
h) Oval-shaped Posidonis was seen on the shore between Mare Serenitatis and Lacus Somnorium.
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i) Just south of the Alps were the following craters: i- Cassini ii- Aristillus iii- Autolycus (the smallest) iv- Archimedes (the largest) |
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j) Sinus Medii below which I could easily see the following craters (top to bottom): i- Herschel ii- Hipparchus iii- Halley iv- Ptolomaeus v- Alphonsus vi- Arzachel |
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9:30 - 9:45 PM: Could see the crater Plato on the terminus. It was bright on the rim (western edge) whereas most of the crater and its eastern edge were in shadow. |
9:45 - 10:00 PM:
My focus was the lower quadrant, trying to identify, if at all, the "Gang of Four" craters. I am quite sure I found Vendilinus and Petavius. If I identified Furnerius, it was the centre of a feature that looked like a mini-Tycho. Was not sure about Langrenus. All the craters were whiter than the surfaces around them; no ridges were detected by shadows.
10:00 - 11:00 PM:
Spent the time on constellations as found in General Session - September 9, 2016