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[tim]

Greetings
Thursday night 2005 july 14. Had time for a short session. First I observed the moon. The Mare Imbrium was in full bloom. The mountanous ridge cast a long jagged edge shadow on the floor of the smooth floor of the crater Plato. Twenty degrees to the south, another grand crater, Archimedes,and Cassini showed it's two smaller craters clearly and proud. Lets not forget the lone Mons Pico, standing quitely in eye catching contrast to the sea floor.
Next I tried in vain the find M51 to see the new nova, but I was rewarded with a glimps of two satalites flying one slightly behind the other in parralel lines, the time about 22:15
Last I continued observe ngc7000, the north american nebula to build up the picture in my minds eye. Time for one more..... the beatifully contrasting binary double star, Albireo

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Tim,

Did you observe the lunar features and recognize them by sheer memory..or did you consult a map or atlas? I often like to have my atlas in front of me and pick out various features on the surface. I always come up with new objects and find the activity quite exciting.

Yet..I STILL haven't accomplished the Sky & Telescope Lunar 100.

Thanks for sharing with us...

[JOE]

admin said:

Tim,

Did you observe the lunar features and recognize them by sheer memory..or did you consult a map or atlas? I often like to have my atlas in front of me and pick out various features on the surface. I always come up with new objects and find the activity quite exciting.

Yet..I STILL haven't accomplished the Sky & Telescope Lunar 100.

Thanks for sharing with us...

Joe
Except for Plato I had to refer to my Nortons atlas
for the other names. I have'nt completed the lunar 100 either, but you know doing the twenty or so I've done has taught me to look for the more subtle features. Also reading the stories in S&T and Astronomy, I've learned to identify the older features from the newer ones by the way the crater walls are crumbled or partly covered over by the ejecta from a newer close by crater. Would'nt it be cool if the moon was hit by another asteroid and we could watch the whole event take place?

tim

[Rocketman]

Even cooler would be lunar colony construction that you could observe via telescope. ;D