The gibbous Moon on January 27th, 2008
By Frank McCabe
Trying to observe old Luna in winter can be a difficult challenge in the
Midwestern Great Lakes Region. Constant cloud cover punctuated by brief, frigid
clearing will try your patience during set up, scope cool down and observation.
One solution is to observe and sketch without a telescope. Pick a spot that gives
you an interesting view. Sketch quickly then go back inside and have a cup of tea
or hot chocolate. If you did bring a scope outside, by now it may have lost the
heat that will make observing possible. If cloudy you have something to show for
your efforts as you put away your equipment and wait for a better opportunity.
This was my naked eye view of the nearly 19 day old waning gibbous moon near local
midnight as it climbed above my neighbors Horse Chestnut tree.
Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper, 10”x 8”, white and
black Conte’pastel pencils and a blending stump. Brightness was slightly decreased
after scanning.
Naked Eye Drawing
Date: 1-27-2008 6:05-6:30 UT
Temperature: -9°C (15°F)
partly cloudy, calm
Seeing: Average
Co longitude: 142.5°
Lunation: 18.8 days
Illumination: 77.1 %
Frank McCabe
This is a wonderful naked eye sketch, Frank. You did a great job adding ‘atmosphere’ to the scene.
Jeremy,
Thank you very much. I have a bad case of “observing fever” under the persistent cloud cover of this winter. Any break in the gray sky cover gets me scrambling outside.
Frank