The week of December 1-7 takes us from Day 12 to Day 18. This week we will highlight the moon crater Humboldt, visible on Thursday night close to the terminator.
Humboldt: [SE/M18; L=81°E] This moon crater is best viewed when there is a pronounced libration. Because of foreshortening, it appears to be extremely elongated north to south. It has a cluster of central peaks, and if you’re lucky you might spot a long catena (crater chain) extending from the northeast rim of the crater.
OF ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN SPACE
On Wednesday, the Pleiades are 1° south of the Moon.
On Sunday, Jupiter is 4° south of the Moon.
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It is highly recommended that you get a copy of Sky and Telescope’s Field Map of the Moon, the very finest Moon map available for use at the telescope. It is available for $10.95 at www.skyandtelescope.com and on Amazon. All features mentioned in this blog will be keyed to the grid on the Field Map and will look like this: Plato: [NW/D9]
Credits:
Courtesy of Gray Photography of Corpus Christi, Texas
Lunar photos: NASA / USGS / BMDO / LROC / ASU / DLR / LOLA / Moon Globe. Used by permission
- Moon Crater Maurolycus Displays a Rich Diversity of Different Types of Features - December 8, 2025
- Humboldt: Moon Crater with Cluster of Central Peaks - December 1, 2025
- 3 Moon Craters West of Mare Nectaris - November 24, 2025