Sky this Week » Lunar

Moon on Sept 25 – lunation 7.3

Vern — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:46:48 +0000

Image of the moon from Friday, Sept. 25 at 8:32 pm mdt (lunation 7.3).

Taken with Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.3 focal reducer, and Cannon Xti camera 1/250 sec shutter, ISO 400. Clear, turbulence 5/10, 5-10 mph wind, transparency very good. Location Louisville, CO. Aligned and stacked with Registax5, enhanced with Photoshop CS4.

Moon at lunation 26.1

Vern — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:09:22 +0000

Image of the Moon from 6:25 am mdt this morning at lunation 26.1.

Acquired with Celestron Nexstar 11 telescope, F6.3 focal reducer, and Canon Xti camera (ISO 800, 1/200 sec). Sky partly cloudy, turbulence 3/10, no wind, hazy — transparency good, temperature 57°F, 94% humidity, location Lousiville, CO.

Moon at lunation 25.1

Vern — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:23:22 +0000

Moon at 6:38 am this morning, lunation was 25.1.
Equipment used, Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.2 focal reducer, Canon Xti camera, ISO400, 1/320 sec. Sky was clear, no wind, temperature 50 deg. F, turbulence 4/10, transparency very good, location Louisville, CO.

Kicking up dust on Cabeus A

Vern — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:27:45 +0000

About a month from now on Friday morning October 9th at approximately 5:30 am MDT (11:30 UT) the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will crash into the western wall of lunar crater “Cabeus A” which is near the Moon’s south pole. The satellite will be following an Atlas Centaur V upper stage rocket and fly into the plume of dust created from the impact of the rocket. LCROSS will measure properties of the dust plume to determine if any water ice was on the floor of the crater. It will then impact the lunar surface.

The project scientist and principal investigator,Tony Calaprete, said that the plume from the impact should be brightest somewhere between 10 to 60 seconds after impact. It is anticipated to be magnitude +5 in brightness and maybe as bright as magnitude +4. The plume should be for bright for about 30 seconds and then fade. See http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observation/amateur.htm” for additional information.

Portion of image from 6:22 am Sept 11, 2009. Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.2 focal reducer, and Canon Xsi camera (ISO 200, 1/400 sec), aligned and stacked with Registax5.

Moon at lunation 22.1

Vern — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:57:04 +0000

The moon from this morning at 6:22 am mdt (lunation 22.1) just before 3rd quarter which is this evening at 8:16 pm mdt.

Sky was clear, turbulence 6/10, transparency very good, temperature was 57 deg. F, wind gusting from 3 to 10 mph. Location Louisville, CO., equipment used Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.2 focal reducer, and Canon Xsi camera (ISO 200, 1/400 sec), aligned and stacked with Registax5.

Vern — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:43:07 +0000

The moon from 6:20 am mdt this morning at lunation 21.1.

Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.3 focal reducer, Canon Xsi camera. Aligned and stacked 30 images with Registax5.

Crater Cassini

Vern — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:15:33 +0000

Image of lunar crater Cassini from just before 6 am this morning. Mons Piton off to upper left with prominent shadow. (Click image twice for full scale).

Composite of 2 images, Celestron Nexstar 11, 2.5X Powermate, DMK 21AF04.AS video camera. (55F,clear, turbulence 7/10, transparency very good).

Occultation of Venus by the Moon – the video

Vern — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:39:19 +0000

Moon on Jan. 16, 2009 (lunation 20.0)

Vern — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:32:43 +0000

Here is the moon from this morning at 6:27 am MST, lunation 20.0.

Sky mostly clear, turbulence 5/10, transparency very good.
Equipment: Celestron Nexstar 11, F6.3 focal reducer, Canon Xti at cassegrain focus. ISO 400, 1/400 sec exposure, stack of 70 medium jpeg with Registax4.

Mare Insularum

Vern — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:07:57 +0000

Mare Insularum (Lunar II target 32) is located between lunar crater Kepler on the west and Copernicus on the east. It is bordered on the north by the Carpatus mountains and maybe around crater Lansberg in the south (not shown here). In the image below Copernicus is the huge crater on the right (east); Crater Kepler is just out of view on the left; Crater Reinhold is near bottom center. It appears to be a relatively flat region. Rays from both Copernicus and Kepler extend across the mare.

Image acquired early Sept. 4, at 5am., Louisville, CO. Celestron Nexstar 11 Telescope and Phillips Toucam 840K webcam. One minute video at 20 fps aligned and stacked with Registax4. Enhanced, cropped, and labeled with Photoshop Elements2. Sky was clear, temperature 59°F, 0-1mph wind, transparency excellent, turbulence between 5 and 6/10.