August 7, 2019
Caucasian Shadows
Originally published April 26, 2010
drawing by Frank McCabe, +41°37' +87° 47'
After recent high tech LPODs it is nice to return to the roots of lunar observing - a handmade drawing. Such drawings are evocative, and like sentences, they are personal interpretations of a physical reality. Frank is a skilled lunar sketcher but I would never use his drawing to determine detailed positions or even the occurrence or lack of small features. The Moon during the time Frank drew it had specific, ever more predictable, bright areas and shadows. Drawings are no longer acceptable for incontrovertible documentation, because unlike a camera, a person selects from the myriad of details and concentrates on restricted areas of interest - probably the long shadows here - and is less careful about other areas. Does this mean that drawings are a waste of time? Absolutely not. They are, in fact, a wonderful personal investment in learning to really see and in pleasure at capturing a rare part of nature.
Chuck Wood
Technical Details
4-21-2010, 2:00 – 3:15 UT. 10 inch f/5.7 Dobsonian and 9mm eyepiece 161x. Black Canson sketching paper, 9"x 12", White and black Conte' pastel pencils, a blending stump, plastic eraser. After scanning, contrast was increased (+1) using the scanner.
Related Links
Rükl plates 12 & 13
Yesterday's LPOD: Nasymth & Carpenter's Moon
Tomorrow's LPOD: Explanation?
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