Crater Hainzel

Crater Hainzel
Crater Hainzel

Hello friends of the dark side,

the mooncrater Hainzel was the object that I sketched yesterday evening. It was quite warm and nice weather to draw the picture.
The craters composes a complex formation with Hainzel A and C with identical size.
There are very steep slopes to the South.
High walls crushed to the North-East by Hainzel C and to the North by Hainzel A.
The floor is very tormented.

A clear sky and best Greetings

Uwe

Object Name Hainzel Crater
Object Type Lunar Crater
Location near Tauberbischofsheim Germany
Date 29. July. 2012 21.45 p.m till 22.30 p.m
Media graphite pencil and white Paper

First Quarter Moon

First Quarter Moon
First Quarter Moon

Object Name: First Quarter Moon
Object Type: abstract interpretive sketch of prominent lunar features
Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Date: August-September 2013
Media: Sharpie, ball-point pen, and colored pencil on white paper

As this is the latest addition to my series of abstract astronomy-themed drawings (see more here: http://preshuss1.deviantart.com/gallery/45423007), I used a bit of artistic license in interpreting the lunar features that are shown. Still, I did my best to reference the moon’s actual geography.

The Sea of Rains is the central focus. Framing the craters Archimedes, Aristillus, Autolycus, and Cassini, this ancient volcanic plain is edged from south to north by the Appenine and Caucasus mountains, and capped by the “Alpine Valley.” The northern Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold) bleeds around the crater Aristotle and into the lakes of Death and Dreams, finally bringing the eye to rest on a Sea of Serenity at lower right. Yes…it’s easy to get carried away by such tantalizing names! Exploring the lunar surface can feel like wandering through a poem…

Crater Vieta

Crater Vieta
Crater Vieta

Lunar Crater Vieta–Gerry Smerchanski

Lunar crater in lower eastern quadrant

Sketched from: Teulon, Manitoba Canada

Date: 21:00 to 22:30 CDT Sept 27th 2012.

Medium Graphite pencil ink and whiteout on white paper. Image flipped and contrast adjusted to compensate for scanning shortcomings.

This was the stunning end of a string of impressive looking craters starting back at Gassendi that night.

From Zucchius to Schiller

Zucchius, Schiller and environs

Zucchius, Schiller and environs

On the evening of September 16, 2013, I got the best view of the basin ring segment between young crater Zucchius (65 km.) and just the tip of large older crater Schiller (179 km.) The ring arc was more than a day beyond the terminator but perfectly illuminated to show its depth and smoothness.
Craters Weigel (36 km.) and Weigel B (37 km.) initially caught my eye as light was brightly glinting off the rims.
For an excellent image of this region see the LPOD for May 26, 2013
http://lpod.wikispaces.com/May+26%2C+2013
There were many fine crater showing nicely in this region at the time of the observation and sketch.
Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Canson paper 9″x 10″, white and black Conte’
pastel pencils , and Conte’crayons, a blending stump, Pink and White Pearl erasers. Brightness was not altered but contrast was increased +3 using the scanner for this sketch
Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian with 6mm (241x) eyepiece
Date: 09-17-2013, 02:00 – 03:45 UT
Temperature: 16°C (60°F)
Clear, calm
Seeing: Antoniadi II
Co longitude 53.8°
Lunation 11.42 days
Illumination 91.5%

Frank McCabe

Two Beautiful Phenomena in One

Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter - April 14, 2013
Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter – April 14, 2013

Moon in corona and Jupiter in Conjunction (14-04-2013)

The lunar light diffracted by water drops, gave a beautifull spectacle of colored ring around the Moon just – like an aureole ! Near shone the the largest planet in the Solar System with his four Galilean moons!

Jupiter and Moons were also in small halos 😉

It was remarkable and unforgettable conjunction!

Yours Robert!

Sketch details:
Object Name: Two beautiful phenomenons in one
Object Type: The Conjunction
Location: Poland, Oborniki
Date: 14-04-2013
Equipment: APO 80/480
Power 12x, field of Swan 40mm, details of the Moon -ES 16mm and 8mm HD BST
Object Artist: Robert Twarogal (Ignisdei)

The Gigantic Face on the Yura Mountain Range

Yura Mountain Range
Yura Mountain Range

Although recently I have very much interested in Lunar horizon landscpe observation, and also it is a serious hard work that need preparationes, concentrations, patiences to acquire the most valuable results that nobody has seen yet .

So , for me, Lunar horizon observation time is limited , as a or two months of winter season in a year.

Then, other seasons, I useally observe others.

With a fairly good optics [like mine or better…], anyone can find out enormous amount of details on the face of the moon [also on the limb].

One night, very accidentally, I had just seen a much interesting feature in the binocular eyepieces attatched on my faithful 8 inches refractor on along the Yura Mountains range [= Montes Yuras ] , which very resembance to a human’s face … a giant’s face… !! . I was instantlly surprised at the view …. !!!

It’s real dimension , I measured from the diameter of 100 km Plato , must be about within 20 km in length.

Among the many moon sketches of mine , in which shows many curious, grotesque features.. and this gigantic human face is one of that.

Unfortunatelly, by interuption of front roof top, observing time is limited only as 15 minutes, that limits more details on this sktch.

——-[ Upside is the North of moon, Right side is West. ]—–

by K.S.Min

8 inches refractor x340- 500

white paper, graphite pencils, photographed under 300 watt white bulb

At backyard home, in South Korea

Eratosthenes

Eratosthenes Crater
Eratosthenes Crater

2011 10 07, 0330UT Eratosthenes

PCW Memorial Observatory, OH, USA, Erika Rix

www.pcwobservatory.com

Eratosthenes: Complex crater from Eratosthenian geological period (from –3.2 billion year to –1.1 billion years)

Lat: 14.5 deg N, Long: 11.3 deg W

Zhumell 16”, 21-7mm Zhumell, 257x, no filter

Temp14C, 89% increasing to 98% humidity, S: Antoniadi II, T: 6/6

Eyepiece sketch on Rite in the Rain paper, charcoal

Phase: 54.3 deg, Lunation: 9.68d, Illumination: 79.1%

Lib. Lat: -05:01, Lib. Long: +05:37

Az: +246:38, Alt: -07:34

Eratosthenian geological period includes fairly young, non-rayed fresh craters. I did notice a Copernican ray to the N of Eratosthenes and several patches of lightened areas within the surrounding areas. Eratosthenes has very steep, tormented walls and is approximately 60km x 60km wide. It has an elongated central mountain with several summits. Its morphology is very similar to impact crater Copernicus, but its rays most likely deteriorated from weather and age.

The distance of this crater from the terminator made it perfect for studying the floor and terraced walls. The western floor edge was difficult to differentiate from where the upslope began for its wall. It appeared to be more a lightening with a few darkened lines.

For comparison, here is an image from the Lunar Orbiter (through the Lunar and Planetary Institute site). My sketch is the eyepiece view from my telescope and will need to be rotated 180 degrees to match the Lunar Orbiter image.

Rupes Recta and Thebit

Rupes Recta and Thebit
Rupes Recta and Thebit

Aloha,

I send to you a sketch created last year of a favorite region of the lunar landscape. Rupes Recta, latin for “Straight Fault” or “Straight Wall” is a lunar fault at the southeastern region of Mare Nubium. This sketch was created at ~8 days lunation when the angle of the Suns light casts deep shadows across the linear fault giving it the appearance of a very steep cliff.

In spite of appearances, Rupes Recta is not a sheer cliff, though still relatively steep. It rises above the mare plain ~250 to 300 meters high with ~20 degree grade as reported by some authors. The fault runs NW to SE for ~120 km terminating at the south end as a jumble of rubble and then a smooth curved wall. This creates the appearance of a sword as likened by 17th century Huygens, the curved region being the sword handle with the cliff edge being the sword blade.

Seeing was very good on this night but the angle of light at the terminator did not illuminate the “handle” as well as on other nights of observing. When this region is observed days later the steepness of the fault vanishes and appears as a step transition instead. The light plays amazing tricks on the eye.

Sketched in relief to the west of the fault is crater Birt just becoming lit. Thebit and Thebit A are sketched to the SE of Rupes Recta.

Cindy (Thia) Krach
Maui, Hawaii
4,000 el.
12.5” Portaball
14mm 109x, 9mm 169x

Plato, Archimedes and Environs

Plato, Archimedes and Environs
Plato, Archimedes and Environs

Plato and Archimedes craters
Lunar craters
Eastbourne, UK
28th Aug 2013, 01:15 – 03:15 UT. Temperature 12C
Meade LX90 8″ Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with 26mm super Plossl eyepiece, 77x
White and black pastel on Daler Rowney Canford black paper

As a little summer holiday project I made a pledge to myself to sketch lunar craters at every opportunity, casually assuming that the usual poor British summer weather would make this an easy commitment to keep. However, I have been kept busy over the last couple of weeks!

I have been inspired by the quality of the sketches on your website and as you can see I am still some way off those standards; however, I am pleased to see (I think) some improvement in my efforts. I sketched this at the eyepiece using the pastels and just my finger as a blending tool.

Yours faithfully,

Oli Froom

Occultation of Beta Scorpii by the Moon

Occultation of Beta Scorpii by the Moon
Occultation of Beta Scorpii by the Moon

Object Name: The Moon and Beta Scorpius
Object Type: The Moon and a double star
Location: Haleakala Summit on Maui, HI
Date: August 14, 2013
Media: Pencil on a white sketch notebook page, reworked in GIMP and color inverted.
Because this event occurred over a short period of time, I was not able to make a detailed sketch of the moon. I’ve added details to one crater that lies near the double star which I’m guessing is Moretus. If anyone knows differently, please make a note of it in the comments.
The information about the equipment and the objects are included in the sketch submitted.
I give permission to display this sketch anywhere as long as I’m credited.
Thank you.

Steve McGaughey