3towers Observatory Lunar 100/Lunar Features

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 Moon's 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
11. Aristarchus	11.7 days
11. Aristarchus	12 days
11. Aristarchus	12.33 days
11. Aristarchus	13.44 days
11. Aristarchus	21.7 days
12. Proclus	10 days
12. Proclus	13 days
12. Proclus	14.7 days (Full Moon)
13. Gassendi	10.7 days
13. Gassendi	11.6 days
13. Gassendi	12.3 days
13. Gassendi	13.33 days
13. Gassendi	23.7 days
14. Sinus Iridum	11.7 days
14. Sinus Iridum	12.3 days
14. Sinus Iridum	21.7 days
14. Sinus Iridum	26.6 days
15. Straight Wall	8.1 days
15. Straight Wall	8.61 days
15. Straight Wall	9 days
15. Straight Wall	9.3 days
15. Straight Wall	10 days
15. Straight Wall	11.6 days
15. Straight Wall	20.2 days
15. Straight Wall	20.42 days
15. Straight Wall	21.7 days
15. Straight Wall	22.0 days
16. Petavius	4.5 days
16. Petavius	16 days
17. Schroter's Valley	11.7 days
17. Schroter's Valley	13.1 days
17. Schroter's Valley	25.7 days
18. Mare Serenitatis dark edge	5.7 days
18. Mare Serenitatis dark edge	6.05 days
18. Mare Serenitatis dark edge	7 days
18. Mare Serenitatis dark edge	9.3 days
19. Alpine Valley	8.64 days
19. Alpine Valley	9.3 days
19. Alpine Valley	9.5 days
19. Alpine Valley	9.7 days
19. Alpine Valley	12.3 days
19. Alpine Valley	20.2 days
20. Posidonius	5 days
20. Posidonius	5.7 days
20. Montage showing Posidonius and portions of Mare Serenitatis and Mare Tranquillitatis	6 days
20. Posidonius	6.05 days
20. Posidonius	6.1 days
20. Posidonius	8.1 days
20. Posidonius	8.62 days
20. Posidonius	9.3 days
20. Posidonius	9.7 days
20. Posidonius	11.6 days
20. Posidonius	12.3 days
20. Posidonius	16 days