Meade Lightbridge Lunar observing report as of 12.11.2010 Part of Lunar 100-200

[Doc]

12.11.2010

Meade Lightbridge 16" F4.5 FL1829mm

Cold and windy

Lunation 6.71 days

Illumination 42.8%

These are from my Lunar 100-200 catalogue.

To see this catalogue click here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-lunar-solar/136138-new-lunar-100-200-list.html

Number 45 Apollo 16 Base

Just north of crater Descartes lies the landing site of Apollo 16. Launched on 16th April 1972 from Cape Kennedy and piloted by John Young the module soft landed on the 21st April 1972. It lifted off April 24th after collecting rocks and digging to a depth of 3 metres. Through my 12.5 ortho I could really get a feel for where the lunar module landed. Just to south of where they landed is a little crater called Dolland T at only 2 miles wide it's the smallest object I can see.

Number 31 Dorsum Aza

Dorsum Aza is a wrinkle ridge within Mare Serenitatis it comes from the Imbrian (From -3.85 billions years to -3.2 billions years) period and is 67 miles long and 4 miles wide. Through the 6mm ortho I could detect it emerging at Bessel H and heading NW accross Mare serenitatis. I could only just see the section that runs between Bessel H and the crater Sarabhai this section needed alot more concentration.

Number 67 Rimae Menelaus

Just above Dorsum Aza and hugging the coast of Mare Serenitatis is the crater Menalaus at 16 miles in diameter it's an impressive crater but running below this is Rimae Menelaus a 85 mile long and just 1 mile wide ridge. VMA say you need at least 300mm of aperture to see this rimae and I personally think you need more. It was extremely difficult to see. Through my 6mm ortho I could make out the darker section that butts on to the rimae at approx 90°, and I could just about make out a line running below this but it could have been a figment of my imagination. I could see the crater tacquet which is at the far east of Rimae Menelaus.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice report. Getting a case of aperture fever just reading this. I must get somebody to let me do some lunar stuff on the 16" RC of the astronomy department in my uni.