Highlands And Seas

[cloudsweeper]

7.30am, Moon waning gibbous, high in west, good view in gaps in clouds, so I set up the 10" Dob.  Had to be away from the usual position since the Moon was hovering just above tall trees in the west.

Terminator, SE Highlands - close craters Pitiscus (32km) and Hommel (114km) - the highlands were beautifully clear and detailed there, and those craters had darkened floors with white specks showing in them due to peaks and lesser craters (one in P; 3 or 4 in H).  x64, 127 used.

Then, from the bright highlands to the paler sea Mare Tranquillitatis, with crater Plinius (43km) to its north.  Plinius had a crescent shadow to its west, and (clouds permitting) I briefly saw its wall terraces and irregular ramparts.  

Further south of this, and central to M. Tranqu. was the Barlow Ridge (113km) - a jagged, broken line, with craterlets of varying sizes in the region.  At x159 the view was getting a bit wobbly.

After 30 minutes, the sky had lightened, and anyway the Moon was sinking below the trees.  

A great and unplanned start to the day, finished off nicely by birds singing in those trees!

Doug.

[scarp15]

Interesting description conveying this phase, great that you got to set up the 10" dob. The Moon did appear sharp and pronounced in the west earlier this morning in the cold blue light.