Meade Lightbridge Lunar observing report as of 11.4.2011 Part of Lunar 100-200

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11.4.2011

Meade Lightbridge 16" F4.5 FL 1829mm

Phase 85.9°

Lunation 8.21 days

Illumination 53.6%

Lunar 100-200

Number 83 Triesnecker Pyramid

I could see this through my 9mm ortho, the pyramid roughly the same size as the central peak of Triesnecker. The pyramid is roughly north of Triesnecker and through my 6mm ortho I could see the "V" shape of Rimae Triesnecker pointing towards the pyramid. The pyramid is basically an isolated mountain but in high resolution photographs resembles a pyramid.

Number 8 Triesnecker Dark Halo Crater group

This was a challenge and a half, trying to pick out microscopic dark patches on the lunar surface makes you really appreciate how good your scope is. The contrast of my 9mm ortho as best and I managed to pick out four out of six. If you look at the map they were numbers 37, 38. 40. and 41. Once again I cannot stress how difficult this object is, it took me a good 20 minutes to find the exact positions while comparing the VMA and LAC/Rukl maps.

Number 87 Ghost crater Oppolzer and Rima Oppolzer

The Gylden valley marks the way to this sunken crater thats been swallowed up by the Sinus Medii. Oppolzer is 26 miles in diameter and has interuppted walls of unknown height. To the east of Oppolzer is Rimae Oppolzer a 67 miles long rille. My 6mm ortho could just pick this up but it's very faint.

Number 99 Cassini and associated features

Cassini is a fantastic crater at 35 miles in diameter. Through my 9mm ortho I could detect the rille like formations to the SE of Casinni A. The tricky one was seeing the little crater embedded in the NW wall of Cassini. This crater is small I estimate just over a mile accross and is extremely hard to see. It was just visible in the 6mm ortho and clearly visible in the 4mm at x457.