300km Straight Crack On Moon - Good Now

[cloudsweeper 5,182]

Had the 8SE out ready at 3.35pm to view Luna - near first quarter, low, east of south.  The touching craters Theophilus and Cyrillus were good, near the terminator, with floors mostly lit.  Before long, the sky had darkened a bit, the Moon had become brighter, and detail was very good indeed.  Theophilus's central peak complex was very clear/sharp, and three peaks and a craterlet (near the western rim) were evident in Cyrillus - the third, smallest peak (just north of the more central one) was noticed at x113.  

4.25pm - stunningly good general view, x68/1.21deg, with great detail from a now-bright Moon.  Looking north, a very interesting feature leapt out as I scanned the Moonscape  - the Aridaeus Rille - a straight (linear) crack, over 300km long, running from crater Ariadaeus (at the western edge of Mare Tranquillitatis) through various features, with what looked like a northern arm above crater Agrippa, heading off into the terminator.  

A most impressive sight, and well placed right now.

Doug.

 

Edited Tuesday at 17:30 by cloudsweeper

[domstar 1,350]

Ha. Snap. Think I caught Rimae Sulpicius Gallus too. Maybe just a glimpse. The air is so clear here tonight. The moon is spectacular.