Frac'ing moon

[CraigT82]

A few lunar shots through my 4" F11 frac. Used a barlowed 6mm BCO giving about x375... not bad for a 4" scope! Pics straight off phone, no processing at all. 

 

[wouterdhoye]

Very nice. Have you considered using a yellow filter to reduce the false colour a tad?  

It’s fun to see that simple imaging can also turn out some pleasing results.

thanks for sharing

wouter

[mikeDnight]

Very nice ! 

I suspect some of the false colour comes from the phone camera, but also that the CA in the scope is not as evident visually as it appears in the pic's.

[djpaul]

Very nice.

What scope is it please.?

[John]

Great stuff Craig !

I've been doing just the same with my Tak FC-100DL and my crummy old Samsung S3 mini phone (me, imaging ????). Got some pleasing results given the simplicity of the method (point and click down the eyepiece basically).

[CraigT82]

12 hours ago, wouterdhoye said:

Very nice. Have you considered using a yellow filter to reduce the false colour a tad?  

Thanks Wouter, yes this scope is an achromat but I haven't felt the need to filter the view yet, the camera and screen does make the false colour look worse than the actual view through the EP

[CraigT82]

11 hours ago, djpaul said:

Very nice.

What scope is it please.?

Thanks, it's am Altair Astro Starwave 102mm f11 achromat - also branded as the Lyra optics 102mm F11 

[mikeDnight]

You've caught Elgers Rille nicely in your pic Craig, as it crosses the width of the Alpine Valley. That beats the lunar X and smiley face craters. It's usually detectable in a sharp scope, even when the valley is some distance from the terminator. When the lighting is right and the seeing is steady, Elgers Rille can be traced as it traverses the mountains right up to the shore of Mare Frigoris, and also down to the shore of Mare Imbrium. In both instances it connects to rilles that trace the shore line of both Mare. It's a feature which is rarely ever mentioned, which to my mind, indicates that the Moon isn't being observed anywhere near as carefully as it deserves.

If you havent already, you'll notice this rille every time from now on. ☺

[CraigT82]

Thanks Mike, I'm just trying to look up Elgers Rille but finding little, what lunar reference do you use? I have noticed that rille visually but never really paid attention to it as I'm usually going after the Alpine Rille! Typical really, there's so much to see on the lunar surface but sometime we can't see the wood for the trees

Edit: found another pic which shows it a bit clearer (daytime image taken through my fullerscope)

 

[mikeDnight]

9 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

Thanks Mike, I'm just trying to look up Elgers Rille but finding little, what lunar reference do you use? I have noticed that rille visually but never really paid attention to it as I'm usually going after the Alpine Rille! Typical really, there's so much to see on the lunar surface but sometime we can't see the wood for the trees

Thomas Gwyn Elger produced a lunar map many years ago, and in it he depicts the rille shown in your image. I have Elgers moon map on my observatory wall, which is probably a bit risky as its an antique and may suffer in the cold air, but its a shame not to use it!

It was a local astronomer, John Coates, who referred to it as Elgers Rille about 20 years ago, after I enquired about its name. John was an avid lunar observer and was familiar with Elgers map. Ive never seen any map refer to the rille by name or give it any designation, so as Elger drew it on his map, I've always been happy calling it by his name. Many more modern maps barely hint at its existance, and when I first discovered it for myself around 20 years ago while sketching the area, one self appointed lunar expert claimed it was nothing but a "flight of fancy"! Since then I've taken whatever experts say with a pinch of salt!! Another wonderful and brilliant planetary observer Richard Baum, who was very dear to me and a great source of encouragement, hit the nail on the head when he said "Many Look, Few Observe"!