Ruined But Not Gone

It’s good to have dark skies returning again here in the North and a new season to look forward to.

I’ve always admired survivors, and on the moon Janssen has to count as one of the best; like a old warship that has taken hit after hit but refuses to sink. It’s classed as Pre-Nectarian, along with Brenner to its North, making it as old as solar system craters get. Metius, Lockyer and Steinheil however are later (Nectarian), and Fabricius later still (Eratosthenian). As well as the fun of picking out the subtle shadows of the rim of Jansen, there’s a curved (branched) rille to trace cutting its floor, which is one of the only highland rilles. Fabricius has two parallel mountain ridges on its floor. One can’t but wonder at the powerful forces that shaped this part of the moon billions of years ago.

Date and Location: 27th August 2010, York, UK; 21.30-22.30 UT.

Medium: Graphite pencil on white paper, sketched at the eyepiece.

Instrument: Skywatcher skyliner 152mm f8 Dobsonian, 10mmm ep with x2 Barlow.

Artist: Peter Mayhew