The week of February 23 – March 1 takes us from Day 7 to Day 13. 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 crater Maurolycus (misspelled in the image). Although the area looks confusing, Maurolycus will be the largest and most conspicuous 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 crater on its southern border. This flies in the face of the rule that says younger craters are usually smaller than their older bretheren.
OF ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN SPACE
On Friday, 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
- One of the Moon’s Loveliest Sights – Moon Crater Plato - March 9, 2026
- Moon Crater Endymion Resembles Plato - March 2, 2026
- Maurolycus – Moon Crater in the Lunar Highlands - February 23, 2026