Lunation 1060

[JimBa151]

Not much posted here for a while, but I started a month-long observation project of my own over the Labor Day weekend... to see all the phases in sequence and identify as many features as possible with my 10x50 binocs.

Nothing of the new moon was visible until 9/1/08 at 8:15 pm EDT, just after sundown, when over the horizon a very thin cresent glowed in the dusky southwestern sky. Far too thin to make out any features at this stage.

Tonight (9/2) was far better viewing of the waxing cresent (8% illuminated). With binocs, saw Mare Fecundatatis, with crater Langrenus on it's eastern edge. Below that, I'm pretty sure I was seeing craters Petavius and Furnerius casting deep, dark shadows right along the terminator.

These were my first moon features (officially identified). More as I go along....

[Michael Steen]

Jim, what a great project! This is something that could be done over the course of a year or more, noting in your logbook just which phase you were looking at on any given night. Those of us who grow frustrated at trying to find M81 can certainly do this. Even a moth can find the moon!
I just may join you in this fun project.

[JimBa151]

Thanks for dropping by, Mike

Actually, a moth may not find the moon too easily in the first 3 days of a new lunar month. It makes a brief (only 20-minute) appearance just after sundown, is thinner than a close-cropped fingernail, blends in with the dusky sky at first, such that only someone really looking for it (timing it just right, and looking in the right direction) is likely to catch it. Most moths aren't that smart (Neither were the people at the beach with me on Labor Day who started leaving as soon as the sun set... and missed the show of both Venus and the cresent moon, 20 degrees apart).

However, all educated moths interested in joining me in my September Moon-Watch are certainly welcome to post along side me in this thread. Those with nice new Dobs good for locating small features could add a lot to my binocular views .

[admin]

thanks for the great thread Jim,
i will try this myself even in my light polluted city!

i once had a book on the moon and there are so many features its kind of like the number of names of cities and villages on our planet. Needless to say I only know the biggest features and even those need refreshing of my memory.

[JimBa151]

My third night at this was not as fascinating as the first two. On 9/3, still in cresent phase, the moon was much higher in the southwestern sky (at least 40d off horizon) at sunset. It's moving farther from the Sun and setting about 24min later each night. Now about 20% illuminated. This evening had high humidity and haze. Full outline and gray color of M. Fecundatatis clearly seen, but difficult to make out M. Crisium, which I was expecting to see. Craters observed in the south on previous nights were nearly invisible because the terminator moved west to an area with fewer prominent features. I did, however, catch a large well-contrasted crater in the area of Hercules/Atlas (40E, 45N). The heat, humidity, mosquitos, and finally cloud cover, put an early end to Wednesday's sighting.

Tonight (9/4) is almost completely overcast, hot and muggy in NE Ohio .

[JimBa151]

Rain today . Looking at Moon maps and beginning to feel I need more power than 10x to get good identification of features. Can see a few deep or well-shadowed craters, but without surrounding features to use for perspective, can't get a positive ID of what crater I've seen. Doing an indoor workout with my AstroMaster 114 Eq. tonight. I can point it quickly and easily now. When the sky clears, will be working with 50x and 100x, and a moon filter over the EP. Approaching first quarter, on Sunday 9/7. Studying my maps, too...expecting a lot of turf to cover on the next obs.

[admin]

Will try and update my moon viewing soon. I may be getting a small scope soon while im away from home.

[JimBa151]

Saw the first quarter in clear skys tonight. Took my new telescope (AstroMaster 114 EQ) out for another try. Big success pointing it at moon, starting at 50x, and able to jump to 100 power. All prominent Moon features appeared with astounding clarity… more than I could positively identify in months of study. At first, the areas away from the terminator were bland. Moon filter fixed that very well… lots of contrast suddenly appeared in and around the maria. Thinking my REAL moon project has just now begun. With this telescope, and my S&T field map, I've got my lunar geography work cut out for me

[JimBa151]

Rain last night (9/8) but there was a short observation opportunity early this evening before more clouds rolled in. It's a real advantage to be able to do this from my back yard. There is little room for stars/constellations (trees and other houses) and a lot of light pollution (street lights ), but I've got a nice stretch of southeastern sky that shows the moon very well. At about 8pm EDT AstroMaster 114 reflector went to work at 100x with a filter.

Waxing gibbous tonight. Most features in the northeast were bright/bland, even with the filter. But just as I had read, the rays around craters become more prominent in such areas. The Proclus rays were bright, just west of Mare Crisium. Atlas and Hercules were bearly visible, but beginning at around 20d east, pronounced shadows made Aristoteles and Eudoxus very clear. Views going south and west from that area were outstanding. The Alps, Caucasus and Apenninus Mtns stood out. Plato was, of course, unmistakable. I was able to see and name (for the first time) an entire string of notable craters: Cassini (remarkable by its tiny, dimpled crater-in-the-crator), Archimedes (huge), Aristillus and Autolycus (nearby), and then, unexpectedly, I was able to catch Eratosthenes and Copernicus in the wide area of Mare Imbrium. This was much farther west than I was expecting to see at only a day or two past first quarter... but there it was. Unfortunately, it was a short viewing... no more than 30 minutes before it clouded up again. But I was very pleased with the number and clarity of features seen with my "toy" telescope!

[Falcon]

i will post some moon pics and observing notes here too you got me excited Jim

thanks Jim very informative thread!