Moon
Orientale multi-ringed impact basin
You may be aware that the Moon presents essentially the same 'face' towards us because it spins on its axis
with the same time period as it takes to complete one orbit around the Earth. What is less obvious is that
the Moon actually displays more than 50% of its surface because of more complicated effects: this is known
as libration. In the early hours of 26.6.08 I was lucky enough to catch the Moon displaying a very favourable
libration of more than 8 degrees that was in such a direction as to reveal a lot of the spectacular Orientale
multi-ringed impact basin. You may be familiar with the famous views from above of this wonderful
structure obtained from lunar orbiting spacecraft. As I am familiar with these iconic images from space,
I am able to see a 3-D effect when I look at the full resolution version of the image below, with the arcs of
the Cordillera, Outer Rook and Inner Rook Mountains poking upwards above the lower plains.
Mozaic: 03:38 UT, 03:43 UT, 03:48 UT, 03:55UT. C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection. Seeing 4-5/10. Transparency 9/10.
Click here for full resolution version!
Wider angle view ...
Mozaic: 03:03 UT, 03:08 UT, 03:14 UT. C14 @ F11; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Lacus Mortis
23.7.08 00:49UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Hyginus and Ariadaeus Rilles
12.4.08 20:11 UT
C14 @ F11; Trutek R and Baader UV/IR rejection filters; SKYnyx 2-0M CCD; fairly turbulent seeing; c. 7000 stack.
12.4.08 20:02 UT
Gutenberg/Gutenberg Rilles
11.2.08 17:20 - 17:50 UT half-size mazaic
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Gutenberg
11.2.08 17:37 UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Posidonius
12.2.08 17:35 UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Arago Domes
12.2.08 17:45 UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Torricelli
12.2.08 18:00 UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Lacus Mortis
12.2.08 18:06 UT
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Clavius
16.2.08
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Mt Pico
16.2.08
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Plato
16.2.08
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Sinus Iridum
16.2.08
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Gassendi
17.2.08
C14 @ F28; SKYnyx 2-0M; Trutek R; Baader UV/IR rejection.
Sunset over Copernicus
C14 @ F28, SKYnyx 2-0M through R filter with Baader UV/IR cut filter, 5.10.07 05:09 UT.
The following images were taken using a 30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25,
a Trutek R and a Baader UV/IR blocker filter and an Lu075M CCD camera.
Straight Wall to Arzachal
Aphonsus
Alphonsus in partial shadow
Plato
The battered Southern Highlands
Eratosthenes and Copernicus impact ejecta
Gemma Frisius and Goodacre
W Bond 950 image stack
Alpine Valley 1839 image stack
Scott and Schomberger 1500 image stack
Triesnecker 950 image stack
The Total Lunar Eclipse of 3rd March, 2007
For more images of the eclipse click here or on above image.
Schiller (favourable libration)
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25, Lu075M CCD
Baader UV/IR blocker; True technology R filter = 5700 stack
Schickard
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25, Lu075M CCD
Baader UV/IR blocker; True technology R filter = 4603 stack
Gassendi with rilles
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @ F25, Lu075M CCD
Baader UV/IR blocker; True technology R filter = 5000 stack
Alfraganus, Taylor and Delamore
10.11.06 05.19 - 05.21 UT
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker; 3250 stack
Alpine Valley
10.11.06 05.05 - 05.09 UT
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker; 2241 stack
Cassini
10.11.06 04.58 - 05.04 UT
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker; 5617 stack
Fracastonus and Beaumont
9.12.06 06.02 - 06.08 UT
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker; 5800 stack
Posidonius
10.11.06 05.29 - 05.31 UT
30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker; 4000 stack
Cauchy faults, rilles and domes
The domes are believed to be the remains of old shield volcanoes.
9.12.06 06.11 - 06.14 UT 30cm Meade LX200 SCT @F25; Lu075M CCD; Trutek R filter + Baader UV/IR blocker
The Moon (waning gibbous)
All images in this section taken with 30cm Meade LX200 SCT and Lu075M CCD through Baader UV/IR
blocker and TTL R filters. The images of Theophilus and Clavius were at F25, the others at F10.
Frame rate: 30fps. Seeing: Pickering 7 (good).
Theophilus
Stack of 2847 images
Southern Highlands
Stack of 1894 images
Janssen
Stack of 171 images