It's Official.....I'm A Lunatic!

[Jimmy Stix]

Had 2 nice sessions in my backyard last night (despite my neighbours kitchen & bathroom lights) and had some stunning veiws of the moon at first quarter. I just could not stop looking at it. Some lovely craters (with shadow) and even some with features inside them. They looked like little pimples (forgive my ignorance) but I guess they are probably quite large rocks/mounds etc. Can somebody help me out? Glad I had a moon filter as it really was bright at times. Still finding my way round the moon maps in my book and finding it hard to put names to features but it's just great to get all that detail.

I even managed a pretty good 2-star alignment with my Mak and was able to have a little look at some stars, Castor & Pollux, Sirius, Orions Belt and also the Orion nebula.

Woooo Hoooo! I'm on my way!

Think my wife was a bit fed up of my "gushing" come bedtime.

Clear skies for all I hope!

[bcfcciderhead]

It is a good site i always take a look when i can, you seen it at its best, the craters look better without a full moon as the sun makes a good shadow that shows them up nice, if your stuck for the names and want a challenge try to spot the "moon 100"...take a look..........

LUNAR 100 LISTS.pdf

LUNAR 100 MAP.pdf

[kniclander]

aint the moon great? have you d/l'd Virtual Moon Atlas its great!

[SeedyF]

I was doing the same last night and there were some great views, no one else in the house seemed at all interested, their loss

I second the virtual moon download, really helpful for identifying things and ticking them off on the lunar 100 list that bcfcc has linked

[Manok101]

The moon is always a fun thing to look at, every time I look I find something new.

[Capricorn]

We know!

You started on the path to lunacy in Dec last year.

[Gerontius]

It never ceases to amaze me. Go back to it time and time again. Always something new.

[perrin6]

I'm a lunatic too (lunatic 2 ?). Have been taking short glimpses of moony for years but it's only when I started to take the trouble to find out the names of features and record my obsevations that I fell in love with the ol' cheesy lump. Now I spend ages each time getting to know her more and more. Once you recognize features and remember them it's fascinating to see them differently lit at diff. lunar phases, especially when they're half in shadow at the edge.

[Jimmy Stix]

Thanks for the lists and the heads up about the Virtual Moon download.

[pbyrne]

I completed the Lunar 100 and the Lunar II list some years back and they are great projects. The variety of different lunar objects is wonderful, anyone with an interest in the moon should complete them.

[Freff]

Yes it nice bit of software, helped me navigate the Moon easily.

Tony

aint the moon great? have you d/l'd Virtual Moon Atlas its great!

[Tigaroo]

Also spent a fun evening looking at the moon, its amazing! And general stargazing with my 11yr old son on Friday, first clear night we'd had in ages!! Longing for clear skies to catch saturn...but we're back to cloud here in Norfolk.

[Adz]

It is a good site i always take a look when i can, you seen it at its best, the craters look better without a full moon as the sun makes a good shadow that shows them up nice, if your stuck for the names and want a challenge try to spot the "moon 100"...take a look..........

That is exactly what I have been looking for thanks a lot! Other list to work through

[Quatermass]

Love the moon.. I use my ipod touch and a little app called moon globe Moon Globe for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Its great for finding out what your looking at and nice a quick too. The moon is a wonderful sight in the night sky never ever get tired of it.