APRIL 30TH - A SMASH AND GRAB OF THE FIRST QUARTER MOON

[paulastro]

More in hope than anything else, I set up the 120ED in the  observatory at 7.45 pm.  Whilst participating in the Clap for Carers with my wife, youngest daughter and our neighbours at 8pm I glanced upwards and saw the first quarter Moon high in the South peeping out from the cloud. After we had finished our vote of appreciation I rather lost my dignity in a mad rush up the side of the house to get to the observatory at the back of the house.  I was set up with the Olympus E-M5 Mk11 on the 120ED with the Moon playing hide and seek with the clouds.  In all, as it turned out, I only had eight minutes before a large bank of ominous dark cloud engulfed the Moon from the South and ended the session.  I had time to take a few pics of which one is below.

The fold out camera screen can magnify the prime focus image by x14.  With an effective focal length of 1800mm (the focal length of the scope, x900, multiplied x2 because of the sensor size) this gives a magnification of  x36 x14 giving a final magnification of x504.  This is not only a good mag to focus with, but it's good enough to 'observe' whilst taking my pics.  It was a very impressive terminator.  Among other features, E Mare Imbrium, Deslandres, Maginus and Moretus were all very well placed.  Alas because of the abrupt finish to the session I didn't have time to use the binoviewer which would have been even better.

The Moon was 49.6% illuminated and 7.71 days old.

The single frame below was taken at 8.27 pm, 1/250 sec at 400 asa.  The close-up images are crops of the same frame.

 

[JamesF]

For a single frame that really is rather lovely.  Well done.

James

[Sunshine]

Nice moonshots!

[Stu]

Fab shots Paul. I had an unexpected and rather longer session but enjoyed the same craters you named, really nice.