Excellent seeing - 29th Jan 2018

[Stu]

I've just spent a very pleasant couple of hours observing the moon. It wasn't my initial intention, had been planning on some doubles and carbon stars, but I got lured in by it .

Initially I was using a Nag Zoom which gives me between x123 and x246 (easy to remember!), but the floaters in my observing eye were quite distracting due to the small exit pupil and bright target, so I switched to my Binoviewers. I use these with 25mm Zeiss Orthos, a x1.7 GPC and then an AP Barcon, varying the mag between x100 and x200 by using a couple of extension tubes. Tonight the seeing was very good to excellent, so I have been at x200 all the time.

Lunar features are not my strongest point, so I used a couple of phone apps to allow me to follow the features as I observed. It works very well.

Shröter's Valley is one of my favourite areas and was looking amazing tonight. I could follow the Rimae Aristarchus right up towards the Crater Nielsen. The Agricola mountains were a lovely arc surrounding the area.

Krieger looked lovely, with smaller Van Biesbroeck embedded in it. I could see the even smaller Rocco next to it, but Ruth was not visible.

Aristarchus itself showed some lovely bands of light and dark down the crater wall, with a small bright central peak.

I managed 3 craterlets in Plato, which is actually 4 but I could not split the two close ones. They were definitely clearer tonight, which is probably a combination of seeing and more favourable illumination.

Other edited highlights, the wall of crater Briggs (if I remember correctly) was standing out in sharp relief on the terminator just level with Shröter's Valley, a really fabulous sight. This and other features changed perceptibly as the phase changed during my session (from 95.6 to 96.2% approx I think)

Messier and Messier A, the pair of craters with one showing a lovely ray trace. Messier is oval shaped, I assume this was perhaps a bounce before hitting at A? The others in this area B, D and E were also clear despite all being on the fully illuminated disk.

Copernicus was of course amazing, one or two tiny dark shadows showing in the bright crater surroundings.

Finally, the crater Hyginus, with the Rima Hyginus running through, angling as it passes through the crater. Very bright and one I've not specifically noted before.

I say finally, but there at least as many features again which I haven't mentioned or have forgotten what they were.

I really enjoyed the binoviewers tonight, and having compared with cyclops directly, the views were better and more relaxing in the BVs. I really should have tried the x2.6 GPC because I think the skies were good enough to take it, but that is for another night.

Some snaps for posterity  

[GavStar]

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I managed 3 craterlets in Plato, which is actually 4 but I could not split the two close ones. 

After your challenge earlier Stu, I’m now up to 6 craterlets. A, b, c, d, h and g. Seeing must be decent since I’m getting crisp views at 280x which I haven’t seen before. At that magnification my floaters are an irritant, wish I had my binoviewers with me.

[Stu]

1 minute ago, GavStar said:

After your challenge earlier Stu, I’m now up to 6 craterlets. A, b, c, d, h and g

Nice  

[David Levi]

The crater Philolaus impressed me with it's two mountain peaks in the centre of it. I also managed to see 3 craterlets in Plato at 200x magnification.

[Stu]

28 minutes ago, David Levi said:

The crater Philolaus impressed me with it's two mountain peaks in the centre of it. I also managed to see 3 craterlets in Plato at 200x magnification.

Sounds good. Not one I'm familiar with so will have a look next time.

[MarsG76]

You definitely "just stued it"... nice report... the moon has a tendency to lure ppl in.

[GavStar]

Got up to 10 craterlets in the end.Here’s an iphone shot with the biggest 4 visible.

 

[Hayduke27]

Great report Stu.  I'm due for a good moon session.  This will be good motivation.

[nightfisher]

Nice little report with plenty of individual features bagged, i had toyed with setting up for visual but each time i looked out there was large amounts of cloud, or small gaps in cloud

[cloudsweeper]

6 hours ago, Stu said:

I've just spent a very pleasant couple of hours observing the moon. It wasn't my initial intention, had been planning on some doubles and carbon stars, but I got lured in by it .

 

Great session Stu!  

Your original plan was also mine, and it went quite well.  (The Moon was a bit bright for me!)

Doug.

[Paz]

Nice report and photos. I was mostly observing Aristarchus and the area north of it but I've managed to work out from your photos one other thing I was looking at last night which was Hevelius and Cavalerius on the terminator.

[Stu]

5 hours ago, GavStar said:

Got up to 10 craterlets in the end.Here’s an iphone shot with the biggest 4 visible.

 

That's pretty good going Gavin  Nice photo, couldn't see them to start with but once I had opened the image properly there they were! The extra resolution  you've got makes a big difference. How many did you see with the AP?

[GavStar]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

That's pretty good going Gavin  Nice photo, couldn't see them to start with but once I had opened the image properly there they were! The extra resolution  you've got makes a big difference. How many did you see with the AP?

Thanks Stu. I was pretty pleased. My photography skills need improving though ?

I got the big 4 in the AP but no others stood out - however I did spend more time observing Plato with the TEC for obvious reasons.

More details here:

 

[Astro Imp]

I enjoyed your report Stu. 

Reading other's observations helps us all to enjoy Lunar observing as features we have not seen or concentrated on are brought to our notice.

Nice piccies BTW.