East Moon's dark and bright features.

East Moon is interesting to observe thtough binoculars and telescope. Here we see large basins distinct between them, such as Mare Crisium, Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis, Fecunditatis and Nectaris.

These are dark parts of the Moon. With the bright parts of the Moon is another story. They are bright because they have a high albedo, being excavated materials scattered like rays following impacts, and in contact with sunlight have a high brightness. Among them we identify a small crater on the western Mare Crisium named Proclus (28 km), but which is very highlighted when it is full Moon, around it observing rays like spikes. The same situation is also with another 2 small craters in southeastern Moon called Stevinus A (8 km) and Furnerius A (12 km).

Craters were filmed with a video camera attached to an astronomical 203 mm Newtonian telescope.

In the Gif picture below are labeled craters and other lunar features in the region. To better understand this photo, you should note that the label with the name or the letter of larger craters could be found at their center, and on the small craters, you should find them around them, usually above.

Magnitude: -11.90
Phase: 0.86
Distance: 400.253 km
Illuminated: 85.8% (0% = new, 100% = full)

Astronomical Instrument: Celestron C8-Newtonian telescope
Eyepiece: Plossl 20mm, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Camera: Sony CX105
Filter: no
Date: 06.11.2011
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing: FastStone Image Viewer





The video was made with the camera mounted on the telescope, to be more exact on the telescope eyepiece. To protect the telescope from vibrations, I used a tracking motor from Lacerta, and thus the image was more stable.

However, even with this tracking device for celestial bodies, there were vibrations of the telescope tube, causing the image to be slightly unstable. For this, I used the video stabilization option in Sony Vegas editing software, so the video was 100% correct on this issue.

Unstable aspect of the image through the telescope is caused by a combination of turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere and increased streams of heat from the ground and buildings.

Images were obtained by attaching a camera directly into the eyepiece of an astronomical telescope of 8 inch Newtonian; For this reason the eyepiece visual field was increased.

Read more »

East lunar basins Astronomical images

48 frames at 90% best quality

2 frames at 100% best quality

In these photos made in Registax program, we see more lava basins, larger and smaller (second photo), such as Mare Serenitatis, Mare Tranquillitatis, half of Mare Fecunditatis, Mare Nectaris, and about a quarter of Mare Crisium, the rest being sunk in shadow.

   Note the claw-shaped mountain that separates the two basins Serenitatis and Tranquillitatis, of which termination is Promotorium Archerusia. Note also Taruntius crater, situated between Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Fecunditatis, and Posidonius crater on the northeast edge of Mare Serenitatis.

In the first photo in the article, we see the western edge of Mare Crisium. Three quarters of this plateau is in shadow, and at the terminal are still observed two craters, one below, called Picard, and one to the north, called Peirce.

  Proclus, the the crater of which is most lit in the first photo because it shows a very high albedo. In this picture, the Sun shines in the eastern inner wall. Proclus, is located on Palus Somni, and in other lighting conditions, it can be seen the rays scattered from north-west, north-east and south, these being the ejection from the impact that produced the crater.

  Images are processed in Registax of a video that were taken a few shots, merged to form a single image.

Moon Age: 17 days
Phase: 90% (0% = New, 100% = Full)
Distance: 399,796 km

Optics: Celestron C8-Newtonian telescope, 20mm Plossl, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Camera: Sony CX130
Filter: no
Date: 03/09/2012
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing: Registax, FastStone Image Viewer

Read more »

Mare Fecunditatis and crater Messier (video)

Messier (9x11 km), is an interesting small crater located on Mare Fecunditatis, a little left to the center of the basin. Despite the fact that it is small, it is easy to notice with a telescope of 8 inches (203 mm), because it is on a wide and smooth plateau. This crater is elongated from east to west, is like an eye, with a dark floor and with the same shape as its border.


But more interesting than Messier, is a satellite crater, Messier A (11x13 km), located to the left, at a distance of 21 km. From this, starting to east, are 2 impressive and spectacular rays, long, compared to the small size of the crater. It stretches over a length of about 150 km, to the western edge of Mare Fecunditatis, and were created by the ejection of material from the impact that formed the crater. To the west edge, Messier A has a lip, which is because of the asteroid that came from the East, and heavy materials remained at the crater rim. I suspect that both impacts Messier and Messier A have occurred simultaneously. Messier has other satellite craters around it, namely Messier B (6 km) to the northeast, D (8 km) south-west, and E, J and L.
Videos are upside down as seen through the telescope.




Optics: CelestronC8 "-Newtonian telescope, plossl20mm, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Device: Sony CX-130
Video mode: Full HD progressive 1920x1080
Filter: no
Date: 03/09/2012
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing and editing: Sony Vegas 10

Read more »

Lunar East seas Mare Fecunditatis

Photographer: Victor Lupu
Optics: Celestron C8-Newtonian telescope, plossl 20mm, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Device: Sony CX105
Filter: No
Date: 12/03.2011
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing: Sony Vegas 10 captures video

These images of the east side of the Moon are video captures. We can see Mare Tranquillitatis and Serenitatis, Crisium Sea and Nectaris and Fecunditatis.Photos seem very clear despite the fact that they are snapshots.
         Mare Fecunditatis is under Mare Tranquillitatis. Fecunditatis ("sea of Fecundity" or "sea of Fertility") is stretching 840 km . Fecuditatis basin formed in the pre-nectarian era, while the material surrounding the basin, is from nectarian era. This basin overlaps with Nectaris, Tranquillitatis and Crisium seas. Mare Fecunditatis meets Mare Nectaris along the western edge. At the eastern edge of Fecunditatis is the crater Langrenus.

Read more »