Schroters Valley and Marius Dome Field near the Terminator

[John]

Lovely crisp moon this evening through my Tak FC100 refractor.

Aristarchus, Schroters Valley and the nearby Marius Dome Field are close to the terminator and really well illuminated.

Aristarchus is showing streaks and other textures on it's inner wall surfaces.

Great area of the moons surface for the small scope (and large ones !)

Just look at the details that the LRO Camera managed to capture

http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/592

Just got to try about 10,000x magnification and see if I can get that

Taks are good but even they have their limits ......

[cloudsweeper]

1 hour ago, John said:

Just got to try about 10,000x magnification and see if I can get that

Taks are good but even they have their limits ......

No problem John - just slide in your 0.074mm eyepiece!  😉

Doug.

[Nik271]

Yes, it was lovely watching the Moon last evening! It was not steady enough for more than 100x here but I got really clear views at low magnifications. There was a noticeable ridge west of Schroters valley, right on the terminator, which was casting a prominent shadow. I was not aware there was anything high there but this morning consulting the LROC map this seems to be Montes Agricola:

 

Something new to see every time

Edited January 26, 2021 by Nik271
typos

[vineyard]

How funny - I spent time looking at that too last night.  It really was showing well.  That's a great link @John - what a view - & a v useful map @Nik271, thank you.  I'd set up both the Telementor with a 10-0, and also the old Vixen 102M (w a 12T2 and then a Nag Zoom) side-by-side on a dual-saddled EZtouch.

As an aside, I asked one of the teenagers to look at the moon through both (when the Vixen had the 12T2 in, so 84x on the TM & 83x on the Vixen).  After an "oh wow the Moon" reaction, I asked which they thought was the better view.  Without hesitation, the TM.  When asked why: "its cleaner & clearer" (I guess that means sharper)?

But b/c of the greater resolution on the Vixen, I spent most of my time with that, and the seeing & scope were holding v crisp & steady at 3mm on the Zoom - 333x?!  Its nice comparing the mental images of what I saw to that map - thanks Nik!

Cheers all.

[Highburymark]

I spent a happy half hour on Schroter’s Valley and surrounding area too John - stunning last night in unusually stable skies. Used Tak FC-100, Zeiss binoviewer and 18.2mm Delites barlowed up to 180x-ish. So nice to have the Moon at a higher elevation - makes a real difference to the seeing here in the city. Just need the planets to do the same.....
Also eye catching last night was (I think) Babbage crater in the north above the Jura mountains. The circular ridge of Babbage A satellite crater was beautifully lit up like a silver ring within the parent crater.    

[Paz]

Sounds like everyone was out observing the same thing, I spent most time on the area from aristarchus up to mons gruithuisen, binoviewing at about 110x.

I thought the seeing would be good with the snow reducing the local road/roof thermals at least but it was poor for some reason.

[paulastro]

I observed at the same time you did by the sound of it John. Alas unlike yourself and others, my seeing was terrible!  Still, it was worthwhile observing, it couldn't have been better placed.