Meade Lightbridge Lunar observing report as of 18.1.2011

[Doc]

18.1.2011

Meade Lightbridge 16" F4.5 FL 1829mm

Phase 14.3°

Lunation 14.44 days

Illumination 98.5%

Cold

Number 94 Crater Drygalski

Found the crater Casatus with it's two internal craters J & C very easily through the 12.5mm ortho and if I look towards the limb of the moon I could make out craters A. K, and D and in the distance right on the terminator I could see a range of high mountain like objects, which I persume are the 11800 feet wall of the crater Drygalski. I made this asumption mainly due to the fact as Drygalski is the deepest/highest crater between the limb and Casatus so I must have been looking at it's rim, the land between is pretty flat and not very high.

Number 88 Crater Peary

On the opposite limb lies the crater Peary, it's 45 miles in diameter and of unknown height. I managed to crater hop down as far as crater Byrd which according to VMA is one crater before Peary comes into view, but I just was not sure enough to say I saw Peary, I will have to wait for more favourable liberation.

Number 80 Oriental Basin

I could see along the terminator the Cordillera Mountains which mark the rim of the Mare Oriental. This mountain range is very large at 545 miles long and 182 miles wide, there are numerous peaks rising to 5000 metres high, a fantastic sight and one to revisit again. I kept checking on this one as the terminator showed more of the mountains throughout the night I glimpsed a little of the actual mare but not to much as it is rather large and most of it unable to be seen from Earth.

Number 36 Crater Grimaldi

A very large pre-nectarian crater that is 134 miles in diameter. The crater appears darker then the surrounding area due to it's lava filled floor, I could make out through my 9mm ortho craters Q,D, and E on it's north eastern rim and crater B on it's northern side. I could also see Rimae Grimaldi to the south east of crater Grimaldi, the rimae only appeared twice as it's pretty narrow at 139 miles long but only 1 mile wide.

Number 97 Inghirami Valley

Beyond Schickard I could easily see crater Inghirami and crater Inghirami G beyond that. Between Inghirami and Inghirami A, I could make out a ridge which I persume is the sides of the Inghirami Valley running behind this valley is another valley called Vallis Baade. The Inghirami valley is 85 miles long and 13 miles wide and of unknown height. It seems by looking at it that the valley was formed from the ejecta that formed Orientale Basin.

Number 37 Crater Bailly

Bailly is very easy to find as it's 183 miles in diameter, I could trace the entire rim and could see that within Bailly are the following craters A and B which are touching each other. I could also see craters C, D F and T that were near the centre of Bailly.

I have now seen 99/100 Lunar 100 objects the only one left is the one I just missed tonight, that is crater Peary.

[John]

Great report Mick !.

I'm going to have to get more systematic in my observing - I can see that progressing through a defined list would be very satisfying

[russ]

Really nice report Mick. Excellent descriptions of the craters and what you saw.

I keep meaning to give the Moon more time but i find it just amplifies the poor seeing i'm getting. Very depressing to see huge waves of wobblyness moving across the moon.

[Doc]

Cheers guys, I really do like lists, maybe it's because I'm a virgo, I'm always writing lists, it really annoys the missus.

[mdstuart]

Nice report Doc..The moon has been very high this week! I have been using my 80mm binoculars this week. They are a different but good experience..

Mark

[gliderpilot]

Great report, Mick. The Cordillera and Rook mountains were stunning last night, weren't they? In the early evening (9-ish) they stood completly isolated away from the terminator as the peaks were in sunlight but the bases in darkness.

I managed to take some afocal pics through my dimunitive 4" refractor (compared to your 16"!)

Keep em coming!

Mark

[Mark at Beaufort]

Mick a great report as usual. Do you use a particular lunar map or software to locate some of these features. I find the Lunar 100 list details a big vague in some places and am not totally sure if I have the correct position. I use Henry Hatfield's lunar atlas which is very good but perhaps I need another resource?

Mark

[Doc]

I have the Rukl moon map book and I've got the LAC maps printed on A3 and laminated.

The LAC maps are very good and pretty detailed. I also use the pictures that come with the wikispaces web site. The pictures give a close up detailed view.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks Mick I will have a look at the photos on wikispace.

By the way have you used that Bresser 6" frac yet?

Mark

[John]

Cheers guys, I really do like lists, maybe it's because I'm a virgo, I'm always writing lists, it really annoys the missus.

My other half is a Virgo - she writes lots of lists, then promptly looses them !.

According to this though,, neither of you are anything of the sort ;

http://stargazerslounge.com/space-news/125574-professor-zodiac-signs-wrong.html

[Doc]

By the way have you used that Bresser 6" frac yet?

Mark

Not yet as I haven't a mount to put it on. It's dead heavy so I would say an EQ6

[John]

Not yet as I haven't a mount to put it on. It's dead heavy so I would say an EQ6

They are heavy - I have the Meade 6" F/8 version - it's certainly a big lump and heavier than the Skywatcher 6" F/8. It's just about OK on my CG5 (2" steel legs) for visual use but I think I'll need to invest in an elecronic focusser to reduce the vibrations.

[PeterW]

Been playing with a DMK41.... got an EQ6 recently too... so I am wondering how long before I can do an imaging lunar100.

Anyhow the iPod/Pad app MoonHD has just been updated and the varying illumination animation and detail is amazing, so I reckon I could just do the Lunar 100 virtually...... I can even rotate the moon to get a "better view" of the Mare Orientale!!

Completing the Lunar100 is an impressive feat, though easier than it could be due to the scope used! Any idea of what you'll set your scope as next?

Cheers

PEterW