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Image Credit: Mike Wirths

Back to a Fractured Floor

During the nine months that LPOD has existed there has been a continuing evolution in the quality of lunar imaging. In January and February I was amazed that images were being acquired with 8 to 14" telescopes that were better than the world's previous best, often taken with the Catalina 61" telescope! And amateur images continue to improve. Here is an example. The April 6th LPOD featured the best ever image of Fracastorius, and now we have a new best ever image! Mike Wirths' new image was taken with a larger telescope (18" vs 11" for April 6) and at lower lighting - the result is that the resolution is slightly better and low features stand out more clearly. One of the fascinating new features not shown previously on LO IV or terrestrial images is a small mare ridge type structure (arrow on mouseover) on the left side of the crater floor. This ridge seems to connect to a short but steeper-sided elongated hill, which in turn seems to be partly embayed by a low dome that has an elongated summit crater. And this low sun view beautifully depicts the 35 km wide dome (circled) and its summit pit, just to the north of Fracastorius.