The shadowless moon

[RobertI]

Although the full moon is not considered the best time to observe the lunar surface, clear nights are few and far between, so I thought I would have a look anyway. I'm glad I did as I was rewarded with some great views and at x57 I was able to take in the whole globe in the FOV. Observations made with the 102ED-R and Binoviewers.

The most obvious features were the crater 'rays', with Tycho, Copernicus, Kepler and Aristarchus being the most prominent. The rays from Tycho were spectacular, stretching across one third of the lunar diameter - what an impact that must have been! It happened 108 million years ago but looks like it happened yesterday.

Aristarchus was probably the brightest feature on the lunar surface, with the meandering Schroter's Valley clearly visible nearby as a bright white line. The whole area around Aristarchus was notable for being a green in colour and different to the surrounding grey areas.

Other features of interest included the crater Messier and Messier A in the Sea of Fertility, with its distinctive 'dual rays' point towards the lunar centre. The crater Godin appeared as very bright but small gold ring - one of many such features but probably the best. The Sea of Serenity was criss-crossed by numerous rays, giving the impression of runways on a busy airport.

There was much more to discover, but I was happy with my haul. Don't forget the full moon, especially at low power to get the full impact.

 

Edited February 27, 2021 by RobertI

[Epick Crom]

Nice report Robertl, any Astronomical object, including the full moon, is great to observe. Happy that you got some observing done👍

[mikeDnight]

I couldn't agree more Robert! The full moon is a spectacular sight, and to take in that low power view of the whole globe suspended on nothing is awe-inspiring.