The week of July 14-20 takes us from Day 20 to Day 26. This week we will highlight the moon crater Maurolycus, visible on Tuesday night close to the terminator.
Maurolycus: [SE/P11; L=14°E] Let us venture briefly into a region where angels fear to tread, the Lunar Highlands. Plunge in and look for the moon crater Maurolycus. Although the area looks confusing, Maurolycus will be the largest and most conspicuous moon crater in this sector. It is a breathtaking sight under an early morning sun and should not be missed. Maurolycus displays a rich diversity of different types of features. How many can you see? The central mountain peaks are so tall that they are illuminated long before the sun finds its way to the dark floor. Also notice how Maurolycus overlaps a smaller unnamed moon crater on its southern border. This flies in the face of the rule that says younger moon craters are usually smaller than their older bretheren.
OF ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN SPACE
On Wednesday, Saturn is 4° south of the Moon.
On Friday, the Pleiades are 0.7° 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
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