Alpine Valley

[mikeDnight]

The seeing has been pretty poor lately due to fast moving air, so the Moon hasn't been all that great. Tonight however in my 5" refractor, despite the moon still being a bit wobbly, the detail is much sharper and the Alpine Valley is looking good. The dark thread-like rille crossing the valley's width about half way along its length is easily visible. This feature is often overlooked despite it being an easy catch on many nights. Running along the length of the valley floor and slightly nearer the south wall is the famous central rille. The central rille is generally seen visually as a bright often broken linear feature. Tonight both these features are nicely on view, but require a steady image at the eyepiece, and are visible in a sharp 4" scope.

Edited May 29, 2023 by mikeDnight

[Mr Spock]

Just been looking with the 12". Seeing isn't so good here, everything is smeared and has a low level wobble. Occasionally the central crater in Plato stands out in etched relief, but it's only for a moment.