Friday, September 7, 2007

Lunar Craters


I love Lunar craters, went out last weekend got my high power scope setup and took a couple of images of my 2 favorite craters.

So you're in your brand new Ares I crew module, you look out the window, you see the above Lunar landscape, you are about 120 miles above the Lunar surface and are slowing down to enter Lunar orbit at around 60 miles high. When ever I'm looking at the Moon through my telescope I daydream the above scenario, makes it a lot more interesting and fun.

The 3 billion year old crater Plato is the darkest and one of the most mysterious craters on the Moon. In the picture above it is the dark crater lower right of center. Plato is situated between 2 mountain ranges, the Montes Alpes, the mountain range on top of Plato in the pic above, and Montes Teneriffe, the mountain range just below Plato in the pic above. The mysterious part of Plato is that it has one of the highest occurrence rates for all kinds of Transient Lunar Phenomenon ranging from gaseous anomalies to bright flashing lights.

The relatively young crater Tycho at only 108 million years old is pictured below, just off center with a central rock formation peak. Tycho is noted for its impressive ray system, some as long as 2,000 kilometers. Actually one such ray intersected Apollo 17's landing site, 2,000 kilometers from Tycho, the Astronauts gathered some of the ejecta and that's how they determined Tycho's age, cool.


16 comments:

Scruffyhippo said...

One of my final art drawing foe my school exam was one of craters, drawn as if you were there above the moon, brilliant picture Bob. I assume you need a special camera to attach to a telescope?

Nature Nut /JJ Loch said...

Great photos!!! How interesting about Plato's flashing lights!!!

I read your post below about the technology lost for landing on the moon. Not surprised.
JJ

kml said...

Great crater info - and I am sure you feel like you are right there when you are looking through your scope. It is so close!

Bob Johnson said...

Hi Peter, yep you need a special camera that hooks up to your laptop, then you have to set exposures then the camera stacks images on top of each other.

JJ, thanks, the NASA not keeping stuff is kinda scary.

Thanks Kathy, you can really get into imagining your right there.

myonlyphoto said...

Bob, I want your telescope now. When I was young or younger, like 10, I used to have these binoculars that allowed me see moon up close, it was not much of magnification. No digital camera then, but like you I used to sit on th porch and stare at the Moon and daydream. Same I daydream during the day when I see puffy clouds lol. Cool story and really cool photos, enjoyed. Anna :)

Bob Johnson said...

Thanks Anna, the Moon has given me many hours of enjoyment for sure, Oh I think I have a couple of scopes for sale,lol

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Your scope must be a really powerful one. Excellent pictures and information.

Bob Johnson said...

Thanks jean-luc!

Anonymous said...

love the pics bob. the detail is amazing.

Bob Johnson said...

Thanks Aura!

myonlyphoto said...

Bob, I think about it - I am still paying off my telephoto lens, lol. Anna :)

Bob Johnson said...

Anna, I'll always have scopes for sale, lol

p said...

wow i like those craters too! makes me want to make a mixed media piece with them..cool how they look very industrial no?

Bob Johnson said...

Thanks , Paula, there's your next project, get a rusty nail and knock yourself out, lol

Unknown said...

Fabulous post... It's still amazing to me that you can look through your telescope and see the moon. Wild. Beautiful photos!! (thanks also for the hysterical comment on my site)

Bob Johnson said...

lol Thanks missladybug