Eratosthenes, Stadius & western spur of Montes Apenninus
Here’s my first lunar sketch since August last year.
This particular sketch has been most rewarding. Not only was a seemingly “featureless” lunarscape most detailed, but the subsequent research I did on this area opened my eyes to lunar geography that I was totally ignorant of. A most enlightening last couple of days it’s been.
One feature I hadn’t sketched before was a submerged crater. Stadius is a very ancient crater that has been flooded by lava, either that poured over from the surrounding Mare, or had been filled from below. Either way, its floor is level with the surrounding plain and the central peak covered.
Erastosthenes makes for a striking ‘full stop’ to the western spur of the Apenninus mountain range. The spur and crater are surrounded by flooded Mare which at first appear to be featureless. Yet these plains a pot marked with tiny craters and the flood plains are laced with subtle colour variation of light and dark, giving an insight to the mix of flows and compositions.
A surprising feature for me though was a wavy chain of craters that lies between these two craters and a little further west. When I started to research this chain, I came to find that it is actually a line of secondary impacts created from the ejecta from the impact formation of the crater Copernicus! This line of craters was the last feature that I sketched last, but conditions had deteriorated that prevented detailed examination.
This was a very satisfying sketch. From not initially seeing much detail or features turned into a great sketching exercise and a fascinating research project.
I hope you enjoy this sketch too.
Alex.
Object: Craters Erastosthenes, Stadius and western spur of Montes Apenninus
Scope: C8, 8” SCT
Gear: 5mm Hyperion, 400X
Date: 18th February 2013
Location: Sydney, Oz
Media: Soft pastel, charcoal and white ink on A5 size black paper.
Since my last sketch, I've been itching to have a go again at Alphonsus. Along with its two buddies, Arzachel (to left) and Ptolemaeus (at right), this trio are a time line of Lunar history.
Ptolemaeus is the oldest. The crater floor is totally flooded, even the central peak is covered. It was fromed when the Moon was still very hot and lava readily flowed with a large impact.
Arzachel is the youngest. The crater floor is intact with no flooding, the crater walls are terraced with land slides both inside and outside of the crater.
Alphonsus sits bewteen the two in age. The crater floor is only partially flooded with the central peak still visible. The Moon has cooled since Ptolemaeus and lava flow has slowed. BUT, volcanic activity was still occuring after the flooding process had stopped. This is seen from the pyroclastic deposits that sit within Alphonsus. Four deposits lie within this crater and are marked in the labelled pic, and are seen as the darker shaded areas that are easy to see through the eyepiece.
Quite remarkable to consider that from here on Earth we can see the effects of ancient volcanism on a body that isn't Earth.
Another treasure of the night was the Celestron Ultima LX 8mm eyepiece I used. These eyepiece are much underrated, but are surprisingly good. The 8mm in particular is easy to use for extended viewing. It made the 2.5 hours much more bearable, and my eyes were not as fatigued as they have been after with other sketches that have taken less time to do. It's one of my favourite eyepieces.
Object: Pyroclastic deposits in Alphonsus
Scope: C8, 8" SCT
Gear: 8mm Celestron Ultima LX, 250X
Location: Sydney, Oz
Date: 19th March 2013
Media: Soft Pastel, charcoal and white ink on A4 size black paper
Duration: approx 2.5 hrs
couple of quick sketches - never done the moon before cos i knew it would be difficult -it was, part the luna mountain regions couldn't get them right, also used a mismatch of materials from grey oil pastel, white pastel, blk oil pencil & white conti pencil
The hardest thing about sketching is just getting the first one down. The second becomes pig headed determination,
You'll find your technique will continue to develop to your own style, and the materials you use too will change until you find what best works for you.
Grabbing the bull by the horns is the only difficult part. Run with it, mate.
By the way, I too find depicting mountain ranges very tricky. They are so detailed, with so many nooks and crannies, and just so much of it. It is just overwhelming the amount of detail.
thanks for sharing 
Woaw ! Alex , thats just so good mate .
