Plato craterlets tonight?

[Stu]

Perhaps a day after ideal but Plato seems well positioned so I have put the 8” f8 out on the EQ platform to see if I can spot any craterlets. Hopefully I’ll get a break in the cloud later but not sure the seeing will be up to it. Anyone else going to try?

[John]

Good luck with your craterlet quest Stu.

Just too much cloud cover here plus a large, dark bank of it coming across from South Wales now so I don't think I'll get a chance. There have been a few clear patches now and then but rather fleeting.

I might get a glimpse with binoculars if I keep them on standby.

 

[Stu]

1 minute ago, John said:

Good luck with your craterlet quest Stu.

Just too much cloud cover here plus a large, dark bank of it coming across from South Wales now so I don't think I'll get a chance. There have been a few clear patches now and then but rather fleeting.

I might get a glimpse with binoculars if I keep them on standby.

 

Looks like rain coming your way John  
I think there is a bit of clear heading for me sometime soon hopefully.

[John]

We could actually do with a spot of rain for the garden. Looking on the bright side here

[Barry-W-Fenner]

I am not sure what the sky is going to do here. Currently very cloudy with some broken patches, It looks to be a nice sky in the clear patches a bit like the conditions we had end of last week. The clear patches are few and far between though, Do I set up the dob and hope to get a peak in between the gaps?!

 

 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I am not sure what the sky is going to do here. Currently very cloudy with some broken patches, It looks to be a nice sky in the clear patches a bit like the conditions we had end of last week. The clear patches are few and far between though, Do I set up the dob and hope to get a peak in between the gaps?!

 

 

That’s basically what I did Barry. Wasn’t the best, but was worth going out. The craterlets challenge was a bit of a wash out as the seeing just wasn’t up to it. I saw two quite well as black pits, and another one or two very faintly. I also saw part of the Alpine Rille, but only a shortish section.

Copernicus, Tycho and Clavius were looking spectacular even with the wobbly seeing. I was using my binoviewers at about x375 (roughly) and the detail was still amazing. These are two pretty rubbish shots through one eyepiece of the binoviewers. Gives a small flavour of the view, but quite a long way off how spectacular it was.

[mikeDnight]

I didn't really pay any attention to Pato, but I did snap a few pics on my mobile through the 10 Dob.

[markse68]

Did anyone else notice the face peaking out of a crater? 

[Captain Scarlet]

Stu, is the Plato crater the barely-perceptible circle in your 1st pic towards the top left-of-centre? When I search for high-res images of the Plato crater I see craterlets that must be quite a nice test of scope and seeing?

I quickly took my Intes out last night and was getting very satisfying views at 350x-ish. But i was concentrating on the largest most obvious crater in that pic with three proontories in the centre (what's that called?).

[Stu]

1 minute ago, Captain Magenta said:

Stu, is the Plato crater the barely-perceptible circle in your 1st pic towards the top left-of-centre? When I search for high-res images of the Plato crater I see craterlets that must be quite a nice test of scope and seeing?

I quickly took my Intes out last night and was getting very satisfying views at 350x-ish. But i was concentrating on the largest most obvious crater in that pic with three proontories in the centre (what's that called?).

Plato isn’t in any of mine posted here Magnus, this is a bad one from last night though, just to show you. Plato is the big one!

Yes, the craterlets are a good test of scope and conditions. I think 4 is my max but others have managed 10 or 11 in good scopes under good conditions when the phase is optimum.

[Captain Scarlet]

Thanks Stu. I like observing the Moon but have not yet got around to learning any of it so I can follow what others are pointing out. Time to start I think.

[markse68]

There are a few moon map apps for phones Magnus which are quite good- they show real-time terminator position and identify key features. And you can flip them in settings to match scope view. I’ve got one called Moon Maps and another called Moon Chart on iPhone but there’s undoubtedly others and probably pc based ones too- I remember one with HD in its name?

[Stu]

1 hour ago, markse68 said:

There are a few moon map apps for phones Magnus which are quite good- they show real-time terminator position and identify key features. And you can flip them in settings to match scope view. I’ve got one called Moon Maps and another called Moon Chart on iPhone but there’s undoubtedly others and probably pc based ones too- I remember one with HD in its name?

Yes, Moon Maps (or Moon Phase Photo Maps) is really handy to quickly identify what is near the terminator. Only on iOS but the maps are available here too:

http://www.derekscope.co.uk/moon-phases-maps-for-telescope-view/
 

[Dave1]

Unfortunately I didn't get out last night due to cloud cover.

I always find your moon threads inspirational Stu. I have now managed to find a very good moon atlas for my phone. Called Moon Atlas 3D. Very detailed.

[John]

Here is a detailed map of Plato and it's craterlets. The best I've managed is 10 of them with my 12 inch dob on a superb night

[Dave1]

3 minutes ago, John said:

Here is a detailed map of Plato and it's craterlets. The best I've managed is 10 of them with my 12 inch dob on a superb night

Very handy John, might see how many I can see in my 60mm. 

[chiltonstar]

I had a look last night and could only see 1 or 2 craters - not the best phase of the Moon I think. I recently captured this image of Plato & The Craterlets when the lighting was better. I could see most visible in the image.

Chris

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by chiltonstar

[John]

I'm getting A through to G tonight with the 12 inch dob. G is glimpsed on and off though. Sections of the rille in Vallis Alpes showing too. Seeing supporting 300x - 400x with the 12 inch dob tonight pretty well.

 

[markse68]

I can only see 4 and maybe hints of a fifth.

Edit make that 6. This is a cool challenge Stu- definitely needs patience  to see them. In the end my Nag Type 1 4.8 revealed the 6 but only after long hard looking. Surprisingly, higher mag didn’t help as contrast dropped. 320x was the sweet spot in my 8” f8. Now my eyes need a rest! 

Edited April 3, 2020 by markse68

[Dave1]

I had a good look at Plato tonight with my 102mm F15 Skylight. Would of been pointless with the 60 mm as it can't resolve detail that small, so I wouldn't of seen any craterlets. With the 102mm F15 I may of at time got hints of A. But again that should be theoretically impossible. Will have to keep trying when it is placed more favourably. I did spend a lot of time looking at Copernicus crater, and also Sinus Iridium. 

[Stu]

Typical that I didn’t have the dob out tonight as it seems like a better night for it!! Oh well, I enjoyed the Venus/M45 conjunction, there’s always next month! Glad some of you had some success!

[John]

7 minutes ago, Dave1 said:

I had a good look at Plato tonight with my 102mm F15 Skylight. Would of been pointless with the 60 mm as it can't resolve detail that small, so I wouldn't of seen any craterlets. With the 102mm F15 I may of at time got hints of A. But again that should be theoretically impossible. Will have to keep trying when it is placed more favourably. I did spend a lot of time looking at Copernicus crater, and also Sinus Iridium. 

You should be able to get "the big 4" craterlets with the 102mm I would think under favorable illumination and steady seeing ?

D & C may well look like a single elongated feature though.

 

[chiltonstar]

A, B and C+D tonight with the 180 Mak, plus a hint of W?

 Chris

[John]

W is an odd one. Depending on the illumination, it can just look like another wrinkle in the wall terracing around that part of Plato's ramparts. Its diameter is 2.6km so its the largest in there but not always very apparent.

 

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

Hoping for another clear sky tonight. I will give this a go. Looks like a fun!