Lovely Late pm Moon

[cloudsweeper]

4.40pm, Friday - cold, sky quite light, much patchy cloud about, Moon (waxing gibbous) high in the east, 10" Dob in action.

x53 - Plato and Copernicus were good, near the terminator, but the southern highlands beckoned, looking good at x127, including Clavius (also near the terminator) and the chain of craters in its floor.  Detail was good, although contrast was poor.

Sinus Iridum's west shore was a broken, slender, silver arc against the unlit disc. 

x212 - Clavius's craters were very clear, and Rutherfurd (the largest) revealed rim and central peak detail.  Lots of very small pits showed up in Clavius's floor too.  Then the "bulging craters effect" kicked in - interesting, but somewhat annoying!

x254 - still good, with a little shimmering.  Moving north, shallow crater Lubiniezky (between M. Cognitum and Nubium) appeared as a faint, featureless circle, a sort of "ghost crater".  A similar one lay a little to the west.

x318 - still good, focus critical, very shimmery.  x423 was too much - pale, less sharp.

By 5.30, clear patches were replaced by more general cloud, so session over.  A most enjoyable outing, with a fine telescope.  The Moon never fails to please.

Doug.