Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Nov 7, 2009 9:06:57 GMT -6
Insomnia Lunar Imaging session
07 November 2009
Worked the Adler Planetarium Overnight activity, even catching Jupiter for the visitors through very hazy skies and bands of heavy clouds. I was tired and sleepy by the time I came back home at 10:00 pm and went to sleep.
Getting up for no reason at 3:30 am, I thought to take advantage of the now very clear sky and continue my Lunar imaging series - following the shadow across the surface from last night. Conditions were not optimal for imaging this session, as the winds were brisk and the atmosphere very turbulent...ergo - the pics are not as sharp as last nights.
Setting up outside of my garage, I found the Moon over the roof of the garage and zoomed in for the session...
Zooming in and hovering over "Mare Serenitatis", we examine the prominent snaking ridge named appropriately "The Serpentine Ridge"....weaving from "Posidonius" crater, Deep in shadow now), on the left to the "Dorsa Lister" ridge.
Again, we revisit the trio of craters: "Theophilus", "Cyrillus" & "Catharina"...deeper in shadow now...
Only now, is Cyrillus E, F & G craters - making a oddly shaped depression - easily seen and in nice shadow, just to the right of Cyrillus major.
Zooming in "Theophilus", it's central peak, is losing light and just the mountain tip grabbing the last rays of sunlight, as compared to the image taken one night prior...
In comparison of two nights of observation we examine the crater trio next to each other:
Mare Serenitatis on two consecutive nights:
The radio played classical tunes and "Pictures at an Exhibition" had just finished, when the announcer said it was 6:00 am...and with that, an end to another session, as the Moon was slipping behind my neighbors roofline...
There are plans for the Chicago Astronomer to gather this evening for another lunar observation session....perhaps lakeside.