ClavIIus - my favourite crater.

[MichaelSW]

I have just come in from viewing Clavius - my favourite Lunar crater. Of course it must appears like this every cycle, but I have never before noticed the floor in shadow with the rims of Clavius C and D illuminated to look like a pair of eyes. I just had a WOW moment. The joy of being an irregular Lunar observer.

A poor quality A-focal photo taken with my digital compact demonstrates the view. It Looks GREAT in real life.

[StuTodd]

Good stuff Michael.

I hardly ever turn the scope to the Moon and I really should. Subtle lunar features revealed with every sunrise and sunset, magic.

[Tinderboxsky]

One of my favourites too Michael. I was enjoying the "eyes" of Clavious just a little earlier this evening.

[Kunama]

The Moon is my very favourite target and Clavius is up there with the favourites among the features. My "First Light" for the new 18" scope was actually the Clavius region.

[mental4astro]

It is a remarkable feature, for sure. Being able to pick out the tiny craters inside it makes for a test of seeing conditions and quality of optics.

And spend two hours doing a sketch of it, and you will notice the shadows creeping across the floor, either shortening or extending all depending on the phase you are looking.

Also, this early sunrise over Clavius also helps reveal some of the very subtle, short features on its floor. By short I mean not very tall, so these texture shadows are very short lived. And viewing the same area when the sun is setting (as opposed to while it is rising as in your photo), it allows for other features to be visible as all features require the right angle of illumination to be noticed. Variations in the floor caused by ancient magma shifting of the floor, unseen fault lines, ejecta craterlets (especially those from an oblique asteroid impact), other riles, volcanic domes (yes, there are volcanoes on the Moon! We know there are lava fields on the Moon, but how many of us made the connection that if there is lava then there would have to be volcanoes too) and crater rims isolated by shadows. Like a totally new place!

This is one thing I really enjoy about sketching the Moon - one becomes uniquely familiar with features. And when the lighting is totally different, the differences from one phase to anther can be quite striking and even breath taking as these "new" features were not visible at all previously! The Moon has so much to offer, and it's cursed status among most astronomers is so unwarranted.

Alex.

[MichaelSW]

I appreciate the insightful responses to this thread. I haven't met many observers who appreciate the Moon, though I am aware of Alex's amazing sketches.

A couple of years ago at the Lifeline Bookfest, I jagged a copy of Antonin Rukl's, Atlas of the Moon illustrated with wonderfully drawn charts and black and white photos. Reckon I will be putting it to better use from now.

Cheers.

[mental4astro]

You may find Virtual Moon Atlas a better resource. It has not only a finer scale, but also volcanic features which I've not seen in any other atlas, such as domes, vents and pyroclastic deposits. Below is a screen shot of the highest zoom-in on Clavius - kinda leaves Ruki's atlas rather pedestrian. The second is of Alphonsus, showing how many pyroclastic deposits there are in Alphonsus that are just not noted in any other atlases.

Virtual Moon Atlas is also a free download:

https://virtual-moon-atlas.en.uptodown.com/windows

Alex.

[Saturnine]

Enjoying this lunar thread, whenever the moon is around and the seeing co-operative I always have a look at lunar and usually take some avis' of interesting features. I have the same Rukls' Atlas and find it a great resource. Clavius always makes a good target, guess it's been a favourite ever since 2001 A Space Odyssey
A couple of images from earlier tonight for your amusement. Seeing was a bit shifty, maybe 5 / 10, just a quick stack and processing in Registax.

[Kunama]

Antonin Rükl's book is my favourite lunar atlas, it sits on my coffee table and gets picked up at least once a week. (not just for dusting around it Lewis)...
The Moon in a binoscope is a sight to behold.....