ARISTARCHUS AREA VERY WELL PLACED TONIGHT

[paulastro]

The whole of the Aristarchus area is well placed this evening near the terminator.  An ideal time to peruse this wonderfully complex area including Schroter's Valley, Montes Agricala, Rimae Aristarchus, the plateau itself and numerous other points of interest.

By 8pm it's already at 51 degrees altitude rising to around 56 degrees at 9.46 when the Moon transits.  It's still at 48 degrees altitude by midnight, so no excuses for not taking a look, except for cloud of course.  😀

Edited March 6, 2020 by paulastro

[mikeDnight]

Wonderful lancashire names, Harry Stottle & Archie Medes, and what about Harry Starkers?

I'll be looking if its clear! ☺

[Stu]

Thanks Paul. Weather not looking good currently but fingers crossed we get a break. I do love the Shröter's Valley area, this was a smartphone shot I took some time back.

[paulastro]

Many thanks Stu.  I hope I do as well as that if I have an opportunity.  I hope you have some clear skies.

[Stu]

2 hours ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks Stu.  I hope I do as well as that if I have an opportunity.  I hope you have some clear skies.

Also looks like it will be very near M44 at 10pm

[Stu]

Looking great out there now. Using the Vixen FL102S tonight, and very sharp it is too. I have ordered the Moonlite focuser as that will make life easier, but still fine as it is.

Thanks for the heads up @paulastro, I don't think I've observed Shröter's Valley at this phase before, it is quite different, and much more dramatic than my first picture. Lovely little bright peaks visible too in the crater on the limb.

[Stu]

[paulastro]

Stu, I was looking at the three peaks you've circled just before one of them   brightened dramatically and very quickly - the brightest of the peaks you circled.   I've just put it on a post I've just put on Lunar Imaging. 

 

[scarp15]

What a sight mesmerising, TV85 10mm Delos through to 4mm DeLite, Aristarchus Plateau appears to be lit up, thanks for the heads up, the sinuous rille sharply defined.

[maw lod qan]

I really enjoy seeing the brilliant diamonds appear in the darkness of the terminator! Cooking dinner as I wait for sunset. I think my sky is going to be cool and clear.

[Littleguy80]

Excellent heads up. Thanks Paul. The three peaks in photo are a real stand out. One much brighter then the other two. The Marius hills are also making captivating viewing. Equinox 80 paired with Vixen HR 3.4mm proving to be a top notch Lunar setup!

[Stu]

6 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

The Marius hills are also making captivating viewing.

Aren't they just Neil! Spent quite a while observing these, really well positioned tonight.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

Stu, I was looking at the three peaks you've circled just before one of them   brightened dramatically and very quickly - the brightest of the peaks you circled.  

That sounds like a pretty amazing thing to see Paul! Must have only just missed it as I was observing at similar times. Even without that they were looking fab, not seen them lit up like that before.

[paulastro]

Many thanks Neil.   I'm really pleased you had clear skies, it could hardly be better placed could it.  When the brightest of the three peaks brightened so quickly it was really spectacular - it almost looked like a volcano had erupted on the Moon 😄 - I wish!

The Equinox 80 in an excellent scope, I've had one myself and really liked it.  My friend Mike has a set of the Vixen HRs and is very enthusiastic about them - I'm hoping to get to try them out myself next time I observe with him .  Hope they are not too good though, as I couldn't afford to buy any of them .

[paulastro]

It was quite amazing Stu, it brightened so quickly it was like someone had just switched on a bright light - it happened in no more than two or three seconds.  Never seen any peak light up that quickly before. 

[Whistlin Bob]

Thanks for the prompt gents- this is fun!

[Stu]

10 hours ago, Whistlin Bob said:

Thanks for the prompt gents- this is fun!

Get any good ones of Shröter's Valley Bob?

[paulastro]

Stu, I looked into it and the peak that I saw brighten so quickly and so bright and we both recorded was Mons Heroditus.  Apparently it was also called the Star-Tip Mountain because of its bright point like appearance during local sunrise.  This nickname is mentioned in the article 'Illusions that trap lunar observers' by Leland S Copeland, Sky and Telescope, April 1956 pages 248-251.  Alas I haven't got this copy of S&T but I'd love to read it if anyone can copy it to me some how.

It's also called Heroditus Chi and is marked as such on chart 24 of The Times Atlas of the Moon from 1969.  I have a copy of this and took a pic of it which I've added below.

One source I found gave it's height as 1200m with a base approximately 5kmx5km, though it looks oval on the Times chart.

It's rather pleasing that the phenomena I saw is something recorded as being an 'illusion' seen by other observers.  Not a volcano after all .

 

 

 

[paulastro]

For anyone who hasn't viewed the pics I posted in LUNAR IMAGING, in my pic taken below, Mons Heroditus is the brightest peak, above left of Schroters Valley, between Schroters Valley and Montes Agricola - the mountain chain orientated SW to NE.

[Stu]

This is what shows up in the Lunarmap HD app I have

[Stu]

It's amazing how different they look depending on the illumination. They almost look like craters in those images, but clearly mountains in your pic Paul.

[paulastro]

I agree with you Stu, very confusing.    It is such an interesting area, I love it!!  Thanks for the map, I have that on my phone and never thought to look at it! 

Thanks again, Paul

[Ships and Stars]

I was quite excited last night after my observing session, didn't realise I was commenting on the imaging thread and not this one, sorry about that! Fatigue had set in but I was buzzing, haha. Best lunar session I've had (still fairly new to astro and have mainly been concentrating on DSOs). 

The mountain chain or massive ridge I was trying to identify is Montes Agricola you photographed Paul, it kind of looked like a giant spear with the tip pointing northwards last night. I'd like to find out what the approximate elevation is, but can't find much data other than it's around 160km long!

Brilliant stuff.

PS I just downloaded the lunar app Stu, very nice.

 

 

[Stu]

23 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

PS I just downloaded the lunar app Stu, very nice

Good isn't it 👍

I enjoyed this ridge running out into the blackness

[Stu]

Some excellent images from Craig posted here: