Well, I did manage a session a couple of nights later. Seeing was pretty good too, with the finest of riles visible. Beautiful stuff, and with a 30 year old scope. She doesn't make me coffee, but she does satisfy, .
The seeing was just so good, I got a bit carried away with the range of the sketch. Plato and some if its surroundings would have been enough, but I couldn't resist following the Terminator down to the north pole and a little down the limb. It was a bit much in the end, and had had enough by then.
Seeing the Alpine Valley so clearly was a must include too. An interesting exercise to achieve the necessary effects too. White on white is always a challenge.
Not my best, but some elements I do like.
Object: Crater Plato through to North Pole, 2 1/2 hours
Scope: C8
Gear: 9mm TMB Type II, 222X
Date: 8th August, 2011
Location: Sydney
Media: White & grey pastel, black charcoal and white ink on A5 size black paper.
Tonight was the first chance I’ve had to use a scope productively for some two months. Sky was crystal clear, and a beautiful first quarter Moon was beckoning.
After a little amming and ahhing on what to select to sketch, I chanced upon a feature that resembled the famous ‘Lunar X’. This was a feature I’ve been dying to not only see but to have a crack at sketching as it is a short lived feature of some three hours before it is rendered unrecognisable by the rising sun over the lunar surface. This feature looked oddly “squashed” from the pictures I had seen of it, but just took it for the way it was.
As I started finishing of the sketch with just outlines of surrounding craters, ANOTHER Lunar X appeared! I grabbed my lunar map and noted the surrounding craters to these two features to help me identify between the Real McCoy & the imposter.
As it turns out the imposter is the feature I originally deemed as the true Lunar X, with the real one a lucky chance find.
The first picture is of the plain sketch. The second has the respective “X”s and surrounding craters noted.
Alex.
Object: “2 Lunar ‘X’s”
Scope: Celestron C8
Gear: 9mm TMB Type II Planetary EP, 222X
Date: 4th October 2011
Location: Sydney, Australia
Media: White and black charcoal on A5 size black paper.
Great sketch Alex, the detail in the main part of your sketch around Stofler is excellent. The technique you are using results in a very realistic 3D effect.
I caught the Lunar X by chance last year, it is a very striking feature. For reference here is an APOD which covers the Lunar X and also shows your imposter in the image.
Ahh, the days when there was no TV & no internet! Time was all there was, and the luxury that went with it to hone skills. Real treasures of a time long ago.
I wonder though, would they have cussed and carried on like we do if seeing was poor?
On the 3'rd of December, a few of us mad dogs went up to Katoomba Airfield for a bit of a session. I managed to get one sketch done of the Moon with seeing conditions being really quite good that night. I used my little C5 this time, and I was amazed at the level of resolution that was possible that night.
I had my first go at the prominent trio during this phase of Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus & Arzchel. This trio lies very close to the terminator and almost dead centre of the Moon.
I was astounded at the amount of detail that could be seen. So many tiny craters within the three, and the highly textured crater walls.
The sketch took longer than normal, 2hrs this time, as there were a lot of folks up at the Airfield that night, so some time was dedicated to showing fellow astro-nuts what I was sketching and the view through the EP. A very pleasent evening actually, .
Object: craters Ptolemaues, Alphonsus and Arzachel
Scope: Celestron C5, 5" SCT
Gear: 6mm TMB Planetary Type II, 208X
Date: 3rd December, 2011
Location: Katoomba Airfield, NSW, Oz, approx 1015m elevation
Media: White pastel & black charcoal on A5 size paper.
Not without drama though. Got up at 2am, went outside and clear. Got the tripod out to set up, damned clouded over in just 2 minutes I was back inside, . Looked again an hour later, and would you believe it, crystal clear! Better than earlier. I did still end up playing "spot the gap in the clouds", but I got a sketch done.
Copernicus eastern rim was right on the terminator this morning as the sun sets on it. I was amazed at the level of terracing that could be seen in the its eastern internal walls. The northern boundary of its ray system showed a capilary network of fine ridges and cravases that were revealed by the shallow angle of the incident light. And a dazzaling amount of tiny, tiny craters that pot mark the entire Moonscape. I was also surprised to see that the internal walls of the crater Reinhold (the crater in the top left of the sketch) was also very terraced.
The amount of detail on offer had me feel like I was in a bottle and being rattled around - so much of it! I loved it.
I hope you enjoy it too.
Object: Crater Copernicus
Scope: Celestron C5, 5" SCT
Gear: 6mm TMB type II, 208X
Date: 17th Jan. 2012
Location: Sydney, Oz.
Media: White pastel and charcoal pencils on A5 size black paper
Time: about 1hr
I've managed to pinch another couple of sketches over the last couple of weeks. The first is of one of the brightest features on the Moon, the screaming bright crater Aristarchus.
Just inside of the terminator, Aristarchus' western internal wall is an incredibly bright feature. Very textured too that needs careful inspection to make out as the brilliance of the illumination can cause the many fine details to be washed out.
The evening was particularly good. So many lacey rimae, or fissures, were traceable all around Aristarchus. Atlas's collectively call the cluster of fissures to the south Rimae Aristarchus (Rima being the singular).
Just to the west is the crater Herodtus which has just crept inside of the terminator. Flowing from the north of Herodtus is the extraodinary scar of Vallis Schröteri. This meandering fissure has an almost riverbed look to it. The illumination of the valley's wall switching sides as the meander changes direction. The width of the valley also varies.
This was an enjoyable sketch to do. Stable conditions made following details easy, and the network of fissures was a good challenge.
Object: Craters Aristarchus & Herodtus and Schröteri's Valley
Scope: Celestron C5, 5" SCT
Gear: Hyperion 5mm, 250X
Date: 4th Feb. 2012
Location: Sydney, Oz
Media: Charcoal, pastel & white ink on A5 size black paper
Time: 2hrs
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. Looked again an hour later, and would you believe it, crystal clear! Better than earlier. I did still end up playing "spot the gap in the clouds", but I got a sketch done.
