Moon 3 September 2019 - Atlas and Hercules

[Ruud]

After the rain the sky started off very transparent. We just had a few low clouds drifting by until 11 PM (21:00 UT). By that time high clouds began to throw a haze over the scene, but I had enough notes top start a new painting.

As a young boy I discovered Atlas and Hercules in my brand new binoculars. They looked like perfect twin circles to me. I thought they were awesome. I still do when I see them through binoculars on a young crescent Moon. In a telescope the illusion of perfect circles is lost, and Atlas and Hercules are kind of lost between the many features that surround them.

I added the names of  the four most prominent features : Endymion, Atlas, Hercules and Keldysh. I looked up Keldysh. He was a Latvian born mathematician.

Inset: Stellarium screenshot

[acr_astro]

Hi Ruud,

thanks for sharing this wonderful sketch of these famous lunar observation targets! Well done!

Clear skies

Achim

[Pete Presland]

A wonderfully detail painting!

[Mike JW]

Hi Ruud, You are quite right that these craters are awesome. Some day I must give them another look and sketch them. Fine sketch and info, thank you. Mike

[JackCooke]

Fantastic painting - very inspiring!

Just tried my first graphite sketch of the moon last night, centred on the crater Theophilus.

This is something to work towards - lunar sketching looks like a lifetime's pursuit! Jack

[Mike JW]

Jack, You are quite right that lunar sketching is a lifetime pursuit. Mike