Astronomical Society of Greenwich - Good Old Mister Moon

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Good Old Mister Moon

Don't forget the Moon!

With all the interesting things to see in the night sky it's easy to forget about the Moon. I've looked at the night sky for a long time, and I've seen lots of fascinating things, but I never get tired of seeing our nearest neighbor in space.

Did you know?

The moon formed when another planet crashed into the Earth about 4 billion years ago. The pieces that few out into space from the crash came together to form the moon.
One day on the Moon is about 29 Earth days.
On the sunlit side of the moon it's 250 degrees.
On the night side of the Moon it's 250 below zero.
The Moon has about 30,000 craters made by meteors, comets, and asteroids hitting it after it formed.

Yeah, I know there are more challenging objects to track down, but when the Moon is out, don't give up on the night and pack it in. Remember back to the days when you first started astronomy. The Moon was probably where you first looked!

Seen through a telescope the Moon is fantastic! The mountains! The craters! The craters within craters! The cliffs, the frozen lava flows, there's almost too much to see at once.

Take a look at 2 images I took at the Bowman Observatory recently. In the top photo is the crater Clavius (C in the photo). It has at least 6 craters inside it. It's the largest crater on the moon at 162 miles across. That's larger than the state of Connecticut!

Below Clavius is Tycho (T). Tycho is about 80 miles across. Notice the mountain in the center of Tycho. Central mountains can be found in a lot of moon craters. Meteors have pounded the whole area around Tycho and Clavius. It's almost impossible to find a spot that isn't cratered.

In the bottom photo is the crater Bullialdus (B). It's about 60 miles across. Notice how it is in a smooth area, unlike Tycho and Clavius. Nearby rings can be seen. These rings are old craters that have been filled in by lava flows. Mountains in the lower right of the photo peek up through the darkness. It is morning for this area of the Moon.

These are just some of the great sights awaiting you on the Moon. And its practically in our backyard! I say, when the sky is bright with that glowing orb, don't go back inside, go back to the Moon!

	Take a look at 2 images I took at the Bowman Observatory recently. In the top photo is the crater Clavius (C in the photo). It has at least 6 craters inside it. It's the largest crater on the moon at 162 miles across. That's larger than the state of Connecticut!
	Below Clavius is Tycho (T). Tycho is about 80 miles across. Notice the mountain in the center of Tycho. Central mountains can be found in a lot of moon craters. Meteors have pounded the whole area around Tycho and Clavius. It's almost impossible to find a spot that isn't cratered.
	In the bottom photo is the crater Bullialdus (B). It's about 60 miles across. Notice how it is in a smooth area, unlike Tycho and Clavius. Nearby rings can be seen. These rings are old craters that have been filled in by lava flows. Mountains in the lower right of the photo peek up through the darkness. It is morning for this area of the Moon.