FEBRUARY 1ST - A SPECTACULAR TERMINATOR AND AN 'ALPINE FLOWER'

[paulastro]

I was lucky to have an unexpected clear patch for a couple of hours in the evening.  I spent most of the time on visual observing, but did record the rather spectacular terminator with a single frame with my Olympus E-M5 MK11, 1/160 sec at 400 taken at 7.17 pm.  I was using the SW 80ED on the AZ5.  This was as the shadows lengthened across Ptolamaeus from  sunlight catching the tops  of  some of the surrounding hills.  This was a fine sight using my binoviewer.

Archimedes' walls were just catching the sunlight on the E edge of Mare Imbriium and this area from Aristillius to Cassini in the  N and cradled by the  Apennines  and Causacus Mtns in the E was full of detail.

Just north of Casinni was the illumination effect caused by light catching  the tops of some of the Alpine Mtns which I have always called the ALPINE FLOWER.  They form what to me looks like a large round flower head on a stalk which finishes to the S just N of Cassini.  It only lasts until the sun rises higher in the sky and other tops are illuminated which then engulfs the flower..  I've included two crops of my picture which show this, but it doesn't enlarge too well because of the low resolution.

A really enjoyable session, more so considering the forecast was for 100% cloud.

 

                   

 

      

 

 

      

 

 

Edited February 2, 2020 by paulastro

[Stu]

Lovely stuff Paul. It was unexpected wasn't it? I enjoyed your descriptions, particularly the Alpine flower. Pretty sure I've seen the effect but will keep an eye out in future. I did manage an hour myself last night and enjoyed the extended shadow across Ptolemaeus at the time I observed (best at 9 ish I think).

Btw, do you mean 1st Feb? 2nd today.....

[paulastro]

5 hours ago, Stu said:

Lovely stuff Paul. It was unexpected wasn't it? I enjoyed your descriptions, particularly the Alpine flower. Pretty sure I've seen the effect but will keep an eye out in future. I did manage an hour myself last night and enjoyed the extended shadow across Ptolemaeus at the time I observed (best at 9 ish I think).

Btw, do you mean 1st Feb? 2nd today.....

Many thanks Stu.  Yes, you are quite right about the date, I've changed it.  Thanks for pointing this out, it was of course yesterday evening.

The shadows were spectacular, looked fabulous visually didn't they.  When I first went out the shadows weren't visible, or not much as the crater floor was still fairly dark.  They lengthened quite quickly once the sun rose a little.  At best they stretched a long way across the floor of Ptolemaeus, and they were like that when the cloud came in for me at around 7.50 pm.  In your picture, an hour or so after my observation from what you say, the sun was higher in the sky of course so they are quite a bit shorter already.

[Stu]

35 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks Stu.  Yes, you are quite right about the date, I've changed it.  Thanks for pointing this out, it was of course yesterday evening.

The shadows were spectacular, looked fabulous visually didn't they.  When I first went out the shadows weren't visible, or not much as the crater floor was still fairly dark.  They lengthened quite quickly once the sun rose a little.  At best they stretched a long way across the floor of Ptolemaeus, and they were like that when the cloud came in for me at around 7.50 pm.  In your picture, an hour or so after my observation from what you say, the sun was higher in the sky of course so they are quite a bit shorter already.

Thanks Paul, very interesting info. The peak of 7.50 coincided with putting the short person to bed, so I was observing before and after, somewhat typically. As you say, earlier on the floor of the crater was too dark so it really did catch my eye when I went back out a little later on and saw Ptolemaeus looking so fabulous!