You can set up your scope in the backyard while dinner is cooking or take a break for a quick observing session with your kids between chores. Part of the joy of lunar observing is its relative ease. And, of course, Astronomy magazine’s “ Sky this month” and “ Sky this week” columns regularly feature timely lunar targets.
#21st moon atlas download#
You can then download a detailed map with lunar features labeled. NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio’s Moon Phase and Libration site allows you to “dial a Moon” to any date and time you wish (although note that time input is in Universal Time). I have used mine so much that I had to get it rebound! It’s appropriate for all levels of expertise.Ī basic online guide to what’s visible on the Moon daily can be found at but be forewarned the charts referenced are more advanced. It is brimming with sharp photographs and excellent descriptions. The best atlas currently in print is the 21st Century Atlas of the Moon by Charles A. The science is fascinating.įor another dive into such matters and as a necessity to supplement your map, you’ll need a good lunar atlas. That’s part of the pleasure of moongazing: Piecing together events over eons and understanding the violent past of our satellite. The out-of-print Astronomy Atlas of the Moon by Antonín Rükl is a must-have title as you become more adept at lunar topography, though a copy might be difficult to track down.īoth Grego and Planck include good information on lunar science. Read as a starter guide to our neighbor world. You can also try 50 Things to See on the Moon by John A. Andrew Planck’s self-published binder-book What’s Hot on the Moon Tonight? is a more readable and casual version of the same. My 2004 edition of Peter Grego’s Moon Observer’s Guide features an evening-by-evening description of visible features over an entire month. You can plan ahead using guides and online tools that tell you where the terminator is at any given moment. But first, focus on becoming adept at orienting yourself to the terminator and your map while at the eyepiece. As you become a more experienced lunar observer, you might appreciate some details under bright illumination, such as the white ray patterns of impact ejecta or the presence of dark patches in some craters. Farther away, surface definition gets washed out in the harsh sunlight. Features are best seen when closer to the terminator. The dividing line between lunar night and day is called the terminator. But preparing for observing is part of being a good observer. As a fan of punk rock, I associate this group with legendary club CBGB - which is just one letter off from those four craters.Įfforts such as these led me to doing my Moon-map homework in bed - hence, sleeping with my map. To remember feature names, I use little tricks. So, for example, north of Mare Crisium are four craters in a row: Cleomedes, Burckhardt, Geminus, and Messala. Craters first: Work within and outward from each mare. Second, get familiar with major craters and other standout features, like cliffs and rimae or rilles - long, narrow lunar valleys.
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