May 2, 2009
Smaller And Smaller Rilles
image by Christian Viladrich, France
Super crisp images always bring new features to light. Christian's image of the Hesiodus-Pitatus region does not fail us, for it is full of delights, including the many fine rilles on the floor of Pitatus, the famous Hesiodus A concentric crater and Hesiodus Rille. But look closely and see other, less known rilles. Notice that Hesiodus looks like a miniature Pitatus with narrow branching rilles hugging the edge of its floor. Christian also wonders about the structures on the floor of the Hesiodus Rille - at the east end where it cuts rough terrain there seems to be a rille within the rille, and further west there are marks on its floor where the whole rille shifts slightly. More faint rilles that I've not noticed before come from the east into Weiss and then bend south. And notice the flat floor of Weiss E. It looks to be raised and cut by something. A lunar Orbiter IV image reveals a very interesting interior with poorly developed concentric rilles, a smaller floor-fractured crater than either Pitatus or Hesiodus. Finally, look at the bright straight scarp that is the west rim of Weiss. This continues a little to the south showing that it is not just a rim, but what is it? In fact, if it is related to something else, then Weiss has little reason for being considered a crater other than its flatness!
Chuck Wood
Technical Details
24 August 2008 -3h56mnUT. Grand Colombier Celestron 14 at F/19 (extender QX1.6 Takahashi) + Skynyx 2.1M video camera, exposure time : 30 ms, 800 images, + Astronomik red filter.
Related Links
Rükl plates 53, 54, 63 & 64
Christian's website
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