Thursday 10 April 2008

Here we go gathering craters in April - 10th

I really didn't think I was going to get out this evening. The day started cloudy, continued cloudy and threatening rain, then as the sun was beginning to set, the clouds just vanished. It was as if someone waved a magic wand, in just ten minutes. I'd like to apologise to all those who don't have said magic wand, unfortunately, nor do I or I'd happily share it around.

I headed out around 9pm, after dropping, well technically putting as I wouldn't really drop it, the scope outside about 10 minutes earlier, leveled the mount, and was just about to power up when I spotted a fast dot shooting overhead. I watched it pass under the dipper and fade out into the Earths shadow through Bootes. I checked on Heavens Above once I'd finished and this was the UARS satellite. After UARS had faded, I powered up and began the Align. Using the 5mm Ortho I picked Betelguese and Polaris as my alignment points, I don't recall the third reference star. Then checked alignment by slewing to Saturn. No problems, everything was spot on. Not sure what happened yesterday, ah well, can't complain. I set tracking to Lunar, swapped the Ortho for the 5mm Hyperion and x2 Barlow, inserted the ND96 filter, and away I went on another Lunar surface flyby at 160x.

Firstly, locating a reference point, hmm, Mare Tranquilitatis looked good for this tonight, so I set my sights, used the slow slew control and went from there. Using Macrobius to get my bearings and orientation, I looked for and found Romer and Vitruvius. I noticed that there were a lot of smaller craters nearby and made one of my not good sketches to use on VMA later. This way I found, Macrobius W and K, Carmichael, Hill, Gardner and Maraldi plus Maraldi D and E. There was also a cluster of bumps on the opposite side of Vitruvius from Gardner, I can't work out what they are, mountains of some sort, but I can't find a name.

From there I moved on to Posidinius, and again a carp little sketch helped me ID Posidinius B and J and Chacornac. Nearby, Le Monnier was just beginning to peek out of the terminator, where the Russian Luna 21 mission landed. Next Franklin came under scrutiny, followed by Atlas and Hercules, who tonight had come out of the terminator to play (now that's a scary thought). Another crummy little sketch also helped me ID Orsted, Cepheus, Hercules C and Mason C. Then I noticed, I can't find the reference now, that Lacus Somniorum and Lacus Mortis ought to be visible. They took a little hunting down as they are more featureless than features and quite small compared to the Mares, but I got them. Lacus Somniorum by Posidinius and Lacus Mortis near Hercules.

I then set my sights on Grove and made another little sketch that also found me Mason A, Plana, Burg, Mason C and Hercules C (again). Carrying on further along the crescent I next came to Gartner, another little sketch found me the name of Democritus for the crater nestled behind the rim. Then onto Arnold and Endymion, and there's a lot around this area I missed, but it's tough to sketch, so concluding my journey Northwards (I think) around the crescent, I retraced my steps back to Mare Tranquilitatis, pausing briefly in Mare Crisium for a dark patch was really obvious and caught my eye. Turns out it was Picard, quite astonishing how dark this looked against the backdrop of the Mare.

Back at Mare Tranquilitatis, and I had a good look for Cauchy, I'm pretty sure I saw this little crater. Then I noticed a couple of craters on the divide between Mare Tranquilitatis and Mare Frigoris. Another sketch and they are Taruntius and Secchi. I've also just noticed on VMA that Secchi is set in the Montes Secchi range, so I can tick that box too, hmm not got a box for that, ah well. Then I went looking for Meskelyne, and picked up A and F by sketch also.

Then into the Mare Nectaris to have a look at Fracustorius and surrounds. On the way over I had a look at Capella and Isidorius. Then Fracustorius with D and B, I noticed a peculiar pattern along the edge of the terminator and it looks like the end of it nearest Fracustorius is Beaumont, the other end was the edge wall of Theophilus, but I can't work out what the wall/feature running between them is. Anyway, next to Theophilus was Madler, and on the opposite side of Mare Nectaris Bohnenberger and Bohnenberger A could clearly be seen.

I moved on to Piccolomini next and had a look around here, another sketch and I found Piccolomini M and C as well. Also Stiborius and Rothman. There was some form of line running between Stiborius and Piccolomini but again I can't work out what this was with VMA. Then I moved onto Janssen which had moved out of the terminator and was sitting there in full glory. Another sketch, there's a lot to this crater, got me Fabricius, Melius, Steinheil and Watt. I spent some time staring intently into the crater trying to see the Janssen rille, and whilst I thought I could see a curved shape running through the crater, this was just wishful viewing as my scope really isn't big enough to resolve it.

I then went onto Hommel and Pitiscus and another little sketch netter me a fair few extras. So with Hommel, Hommel C and D, Vlacq + D, Rosenberger + C, Nearch and Hagecius. There's quite a lot of cratering in this area, and my sketching isn't good enough to be able to get a proper list for all I saw, but I'll keep at it and I'm sure that with some effort I'll get a lot more of them.

As I'd completed the list of targets for the day listed in my Atlas, I took out all the filters and had a quick look through the scope again, just to see exactly what effect the Fringe Killer and the ND96 had. This was a mistake, and whilst the moon looked more clean and white, I had an interesting after image for a little while in front of one eye. Never mind.

I then used the Goto to try and see M57, the scope slewed around and pointed and I got a great closeup view at 160x of my Neighbours wall. Ah well. I had a quick look around the sky to the north, and noticed an odd line of stars running between Usra's major and minor. A quick look in Nightwatch revealed this to be Draco, another constellation. I had a good luck at Ursa minor, and I'm sure I could see 6 of the 7 stars in this constellation. I guess this means conditions last night were excellent, and the views of the moon support that, as I didn't find I was having to see between bouts of wobbles.

I swapped to the 17mm Hyperion (about 30x) and went to M44 to adjust focus next. Had a good look at the hive as I was there anyway and it's such a pleasure to see. Then thought, as I was getting cold, I'd see what the tour on the Nexstar would find for me. I started scrolling through the list. Hmm, Andromeda and M110, nope, that's behind the trees. Hmm, Christmas Tree cluster, hit Enter and away went the scope, finally settling onto a patch of sky. And there it was, a very delicate, but tastefully decorated Christmas tree (NGC 2264). A looked at this for a while, then had a go at M78, no, this was behind a tree. Then the number 3 cluster, hiding in the bushes. Ok, gotta be something that isn't in the plantlife. After all there's all that sky overhead. Finally found one, the crown cluster an interesting little pattern I thought. Then the Coma cluster, I thought this meant Mel111, but the star pattern didn't look quite right, although it was in the right ballpark. Having said that, checking this morning, the Coma cluster is a bunch of galaxies, that I wouldn't be able to see in my scope anyway, so I guess I must have been looking at Mel111 all along.

I finished off with a short study of our ringed friend Saturn. I was using the wrong ep really, I didn't swap the 17mm Hyperion, but could make out the rings. I noticed some CA, as I hadn't put the Fringe Killer back yet. This was making it hard to make out with the 17mm, so I popped the FK filter back in and this made focusing much easier.

I really enjoyed seeing the moon last night, as I mentioned, the conditions were great and I think the seeing must have been near spot on, as there was very little wobble. I grabbed an extra constellation too.

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