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3towers Observatory Lunar 100: 1-6

The Lunar 100 was created by Charles A. Wood who states: "The Lunar 100 list is an attempt to provide Moon lovers with something akin to what deep-sky observers enjoy with the Messier catalog: a selection of telescopic sights to ignite interest and enhance understanding. [It is]... a selection of the Moons 100 most interesting regions, craters, basins, mountains, rilles, and domes."

Woods challenges "...observers to find and observe them all and, more important, to consider what each feature tells us about lunar and Earth history."

To find out more about the Lunar 100 see the Sky & Telescope web site at: http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/moon/article_1199_1.asp .

The Lunar 100 features are arranged from the easiest to view to the most difficult. The Moon itself is L1. L2 is Earthshine, and L3 represents the dichotomy between the Lunar highlands and the Lunar Maria. While the Lunar 100 are concentrated all on the nearside of the Moon, they can not be seen in a single night or a single month. Some of them require special lighting conditions or phases of the Moon, and others, in addition, require very favorable librations of the Moon to bring them into view. The Lunar 100 is an observing list. However, the equipment at the 3towers Observatory was used to image the Lunar 100, mainly using the web cam techniques detailed.

 

Lunar Features|Lunar 100|Moon Halos|Lunar Webcam Imaging|Lunar Eclipses

 


Lunar Feature Lunar Age in days Thumbnail Image Comments
1. The Moon   Moon Phases The phases of the Moon are individually shown from day 1 through day 27. The Moon is oriented as viewed with the naked eye from the mid-Northern Hemisphere. The near Full Moon images (days 14-15) are labeled for Lunar East and West, which are opposite terrestrial East and West.
2. Earthshine   This image was taken at the 2004 Texas Star Party with a 5-inch f/5 refractor and a Nikon D100 digital camera.
3. Mare/Highland Dichotomy 15 days; Full Moon

Full Moon webcam mosaic

Webcam Moon mosaic with major Lunar features labeled

 

 

 

 

 

 

The major Maria are labeled in this image.

 

4. Apennines 9 days Apennines The Apennines are part of the Imbrium impact basin rim.
4. Apennines 9.3 days Apennines  
4. Apennines 14.7 days Apennines  
4. Apennines 21.7 days Apennines  
5. Copernicus 9.3 days Copernicus  
5. Copernicus 9.9 days Copernicus 9.5 days  
5. Copernicus 10 days Copernicus  
5. Copernicus 10.33 days Copernicus 10.33 days  
5. Copernicus 10.8 days Copernicus  
5. Copernicus 21.7 days Copernicus  
5. Copernicus 23.6 and 23.7 days

Copernicus 23.6 days

23.6 days

  Copernicus 23.7 days

23.7 days
Notice the subtle shift in the position of the terminator on Copernicus in the 2.4 hours from 23.6 days to 23.7 days.
6. Tycho 8.0 days Tycho  
6. Tycho 9 days Tycho  
6. Tycho 9.3 days Tycho  
6. Tycho

9.9 days

 

Tycho 9.9 days  
6. Tycho and Southern Highlands Montage 12 days Tycho  
6. Tycho 21.7 days Tycho