Shadow play on Plato

[Nik271]

I was looking at the Moon and Mars through the mist this moring. The seeing was excellent but the Moon was dimmer than usual because of the mist. I went up to x250 with my 127 SW Mak and the view was holding up, just getting a bit too dim.

One remarkable thing was the 'church spire shadow' across the flloor of Plato. I dug up the simulated view from SVS at Nasa and it was exactly what I saw:

 

It must be some rock outcrop on the rim casting it. Never seen this before, the Moon always has a surprise for you!

Clear skies! Nik

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Nik271
typos

[cloudsweeper]

6 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

I was looking at the Moon and Mars through the mist this moring. The seeing was excellent but the Moon was dimmer than usual because of the mist. I went up to x250 with my 127 SW Mak and the view was holding up, just getting a bit too dim.

One remarkable thing was the 'church spire shadow' across the flloor of Plato. I dug up the simulated view from SVS at Nasa and it was exactly what I was seeing:

 

It must be some rock outcrop on the rim casting it. Never seen this before, the Moon always has a surprise for you!

Clear skies! Nik

 

 

Just what I saw Nik (see What did you see tonight?)  I estimate the spiky shadow to be about 34 miles long.

Doug.

[Laurieast]

There is a peak to the left with a height of 2,300 meters. Looks to be in the right place.
Virtual Moon Atlas. LAC image.

[Nik271]

Thanks! This seems to be it, indeed this peak has 800-1000 meters difference in height from the rest of the  rim walls, and the collapsed section is just next to it.

Edited October 18, 2022 by Nik271

[PeterStudz]

@Nik271, I was observing the moon (Mars too) on the same morning. The shadows along the floor of Plato that you  mention immediately jumped out for me as I scanned the terminator. Much more spectacular than the photo too. 

[davidc135]

I too noticed the spike for the first time.

I'd been too lazy to haul myself out of bed to look at Mars earlier in the night but caught the moon as the dawn sky was lightening. The Plato craterlet A showed nicely in the excellent seeing and I think if I had bothered to get up earlier, with better contrast I might have seen some of the others. Kicking myself but any Plato craterlet was a first and Clavius looked fantasic too in the 8.5 f7.5 Dob. Power 215x but 280x would have been better.

David

[Nik271]

12 hours ago, davidc135 said:

Kicking myself but any Plato craterlet was a first and Clavius looked fantasic too in the 8.5 f7.5 Dob. Power 215x but 280x would have been better.

David

I've found that the Plato craterlets show very well near full Moon at high Sun illumination, they are somewhat brighter than the dark floor. In good seeing I've seen A with the 127 Skymax and the main four with the 180 Skymax. Your dob should have no trouble showing them in the right conditions and perhaps even more.

[Laurieast]

Wes Higgins took this in 2006, wonderful image showing the church spire shadow's 
https://www2.lpod.org/wiki/January_17,_2006

[Nik271]

Wow, this is spectacular. And in 2006 !

[baggywrinkle]

On 20/10/2022 at 10:08, Laurieast said:

Wes Higgins took this in 2006, wonderful image showing the church spire shadow's 
https://www2.lpod.org/wiki/January_17,_2006

Stunning, simply stunning...