Category: Media Combinations

Edge of the Schiller-Zucchius Basin

With no specific sketching target in mind, I was examining the south terminator region of the moon and noticed it was showing what is considered to be an unfavorable view because it was turned away from the observer. There was a poorly defined part of a scarp-like ring partially visible under craters Rost A, Weigel and Weigel B. This ring is just beyond the Schiller-Zucchius basin center which was not yet illuminated by sunlight. The southeastern portion of this ring illuminated by the rising sun presented a half dark, half illuminated pathway that ended at the terminator. I found this view at the eyepiece quite fascinating and had some difficulty capturing it correctly. The “unfavorable” libration of this part of the moon near the terminator contributed to the shallow angle view. Even the appearance of famous, elongated, paramecium shaped crater Schiller was unusual. These are the kinds of surprises that get me motivated to sketch the moon.

Sketching:

For this sketch I used: Black Canson sketching paper, 14”x 9”, White and black Conte’ pencils, a blending stump, plastic eraser. After scanning, contrast and brightness were adjusted slightly using the scanner.



Telescope: 10 inch f/5.7 Dobsonian and 9mm eyepiece 161x

Date: 6-23-2010, 1:45 – 2:30 UT 

Temperature: 27° C (80° F) 
clear, calm

Seeing: Antoniadi III 

Co-longitude: 44.3°

Lunation: 10.6 days 
Illumination: 88.2 %
Observing Location: +41°37′ +87° 47′

Frank McCabe

Bullialdus Crater

Eratosthenian period crater Bullialdus (63 km.) was just a few hours past full rim illumination and was not yet taking light on its central peaks but the western terraced wall was well illuminated by morning sunlight. The darkness over the floor of this caldera gives a sense of greater depth than the true drop of 3.5 kilometers.At the time of this observation ridges and furrows were clearly seen on the craters outer ramparts. Also included in this sketch are craters Bullialdus A and B at 10 o’clock and Konig at 12 o’clock. South is up in the sketch and East is to the right.

Sketching

Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian and 6 mm eyepiece 241 x
Date: 7-21-2010, 1:00-2:30 UT
Temperature: 22° C (72° F)
clear, calm
Seeing: Antoniadi III
Colongitude: 26.3 °
Lunation: 9.25 days
Illumination: 77.1%

Frank McCabe

On this last evening of Spring, I selected for sketching this region of the moon close to the terminator between Mare Nubium and Mare Cognitum. Four large craters noticeably damaged by low flying Imbrium ejecta formed the subject matter of this sketch. From south to north I sketched crater Guericke (59 km) with its flat lava flooded floor that opens to Mare Nubium. Crater Parry, smaller at 49 km in diameter is older than the former and also flat floored. The other two craters which look ghostly at high sun are larger, even older and share common walls with Parry. These craters are Bonpland (61 km.) to the west and Fra Mauro (96 km.) to the north of Parry. The wall of Parry encroaches on Bonpland and both together on Fra Mauro to betray the cratering sequence. The Apollo 14 landing site would be just beyond the bottom edge of the sketch. Thirty nine and a half years ago the late Alan Shepard Jr. and Edgar D. Mitchell were walking around at Fra Mauro while the late Stuart Roosa orbited the moon in the command module.

Sketching:
For this sketch I used: Black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper 9”x 14”, white and black Conte’ Pastel pencils and crayons, blending stumps, Pink pearl plastic eraser.
Telescope: 10 inch f/ 5.7 Dobsonian, 9mm eyepiece 161x
Date: 6-21-2010, 1:15-2:45 UT
Temperature: 20°C (68°F)
Clear, calm
Seeing: Antoniadi III
Colongitude: 19.5°
Lunation: 8.6 days
Illumination 70.6%
Observing Location: +41°37′ +87° 47′

Rűkl: Chart 42 and 43

Frank McCabe