Tuesday, 10 December 2019

Gibbous Moon

Well, almost full really. So bright, no other targets ( that comet and the Iris Nebula in Cepheus) were worth imaging. Well, I tried, but got nothing.

The moon was still a bit low really, but the images are not too bad, atmospheric turbulence was quite high:

Schickard
Schickard is a lunar impact crater of the form called a walled plain. It lies in the southwest sector of the Moon, near the lunar limb. As a result, the crater appears oblong due to foreshortening. Attached to the northern rim is the lesser crater Lehmann, and to the northeast is the even smaller Drebbel.

Crater Gassendi, upper centre right.
 Mare Humorum top right, part of Oceanus Procellarum on the left.  Surveyor 1 landed in the faintly outlined large crater with the smaller clear one (Flamsteed) on its lower right rim.


Oceanus Procellarum, Ocean of Storms
 Several CCCP Luna landers arrived here, in the 1960's.

Aristarchus and Herodotus,in the centre.
This might be a future Lunar Base region...
"The Aristarchus Plateau is one of the most amazing and geologically diverse regions on the Moon. Surrounded by the lavas of Oceanus Procellarum, Aristarchus crater is one of the brightest features on the Moon's surface . The Aristarchus region swarms with complex volcanic features, including the Vallis Schröteri, the largest sinuous rille on the Moon . The Plateau is also home to one of the largest lunar Regional Dark Mantling Deposits. Large lunar pyroclastic deposits like the Aristarchus Plateau will be intensely studied by the next generation of human lunar explorers because their composition offers important insights into the composition of the lunar interior.

This massive deposit of fine-grained FeO-rich pyroclastic ash is one of the most accessible lunar resource deposits. Future lunar settlers could use this ash for radiation shielding and as feedstock for the production of oxygen and photovoltaic cells. Because of the geologic diversity of this region, the potential for supremely compelling lunar science investigations, and the proximity to rich deposits of readily-accessible resources, the Aristarchus region is a high-priority site for future human lunar exploration and is one of the most frequently-suggested locations for a permanent lunar outpost. The upcoming Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera is going to collect numerous 0.5 m/pixel images of this region in order to locate prospective landing sites for the future human lunar exploration that will be required to unravel the compelling, complex geology of the Aristarchus region.

Sinus Iridum
 The crater Pythagoras is just coming into sunlight on the far upper left.


Mosaic of the above


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