May 31, 2024
Two Pancakes on the Limb
Originally published February 11, 2014
image by Дмитрий Кананович (Dmitry Kananovich, Tallinn, Estonia
This is a favorite area of the Moon for me. One reason is that it is conveniently (except on cold winter nights) visible early in the evening. And the second reason is that the scenery is fascinating. This is a region of small bright craters and broader dark lava fills. The biggest maria are Marginis, Smythii, and the eastern edge of Crisium. Many of the smaller dark patches fill crater floors and other low spots in the moat between Crisium Basin rings. But also from here south towards Australe the land seems like it was swampy, with lava rising to the surface where ever it could. And look at the limb beyond Neper - is that plateau a profile view of a crater rim? Finally, what rarely seen Lunar 100 object is visible here?
Chuck Wood
Technical Details
February 5, 2014, at around 16:30 UT. TAL-250K telescope at prime focus (2130 mm) + Baader red CCD-filter + ZWO ASI120MM camera. Best 200 of 1000 frames were stacked in Autostakkert!2.
Related Links
21st Century Atlas chart 2.
The entire mosaic is visible at Dmitry's website
Yesterday's LPOD: Do It Yourself LPOD
Tomorrow's LPOD: Rhapsody in Blue and Gold
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