The week of July 1-7 takes us from Day 28 Day 5. This week we will highlight the crater Piccolomini, viewable on Sunday evening.
Piccolomini: [SE/M13] The Altai Scarp, one of the multi-rings of the Nectaris basin, terminates on its southern end at Piccolomini (55 mi. in diameter.), a beautiful and complex crater with a substantial central mountain peak, terraces, and a smooth convex floor. Notice how there is a great deal more turmoil around the southern rim of Piccolomini. Can you see the tiny craterlet just touching the northwest base of the central mountain? (If it is still in the mountain’s shadow, try again tomorrow night or on Day 19.)
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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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