The week of June 1-7 takes us from Day 16 to Day 22. This week we will highlight the moon crater Bailly, visible on Tuesday night close to the terminator.
Bailly: [SW/R3; L=69°W] To observe this moon crater, it is best to wait for a favorable libration. It is a pity that Bailly lies so close to the western limb. It has ridges, internal crates, and a hint of some multi-ring features close to the western limb. It is the largest moon crater on our side of the Moon, and at just under 200 miles, it should qualify as a basin. Because its floor has not been flooded by lava, it retains much of the original detail from the moment of its creation. At over three billion years of age, it’s a bit tired and worn down but worth visiting.
OF ADDITIONAL INTEREST IN SPACE
On Sunday night, Venus is 5° south of Pollux.
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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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