image by Alan Friedman
Viewing the limb of the Moon always increases hope, perhaps because as the surface curves away the perspective changes and there are expectations of seeing something new. Alan’s view of landscapes north of Mare Frigoris was obtained when the libration was unfavorable for seeing to the north pole but it provides a near profile perspective of relatively fresh impact craters. The twin-peaked crater just right of center is Philolaus, with shallow and flat-floored Anaximenes just beyond it to the left. Further left is Carpenter, which is close enough to the limb, and deep enough, that we see only its northern wall and not a hint of its two kilometer-high central peaks. The oblique perspective shows how triffling is the rise of the rims of Carpenter and Anaximenes above their surroundings; typically rim heights are only 1/3rd to 1/4th crater depths. Between Frigoris and the Carpenter region is a relatively flat and bland area that appears to be an unusually smooth deposit of Imbrium basin ejecta. Compared to the highly textured ejecta behind the Apennines, this more distant impact debris is very fine, similar to the fill further east in Meton and W. Bond.
Technical Details:
10″ mak/cass at f30 with a DMK21BF04 using a green filter; about 300 frames total were used - 80 alignment points.
Related Links:
Rükl charts 2 & 3
Yesterday's LPOD: The Best Farside Full Moon
Tomorrow's LPOD: 40 Years Ago Today
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