Lunar section members have been observing a remarkable variety of the Moon's features - indeed, just about every class of object is covered in this report. With his 300mm reflector new SPA member John Coates (Burnley) observed the Kies dome, a long-extinct lunar volcano complete with a tiny summit craterlet (Jan 11), Moretus' central peak (Aug 7) and the mountain designated "M1" near the lunar south pole (Aug 10). Aristarchus was observed under high illumination (Jul 12) with a 75mm refractor; it displayed three dusky shadow bands on its bright inner western wall.
Another new member, Martin Farley (Huddersfield) has used his binoculars to best advantage by viewing lunar seas. Drawings received include Mare Imbrium, Mare Frigoris, Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Tranquillitatis (1994 Jul 15 & 20, Nov 16, 1995 Feb 4). His drawings show the outlines of the seas and the relative tones of the frozen grey lava flows which make them up. Once he obtains a telescope Martin hopes to make some more up-to-date observations.
Nigel Longshaw (Chadderton, Oldham) has been making excellent use of his 75mm reflector, producing detailed and accurate work. This is a prime example of just how much the Moon can offer the observer who uses a small telescope - confirmation that the Moon's surface is far and away the most spectacular object in the heavens. As it lay on the terminator, the Euler region (Mar 11 & May 9) displayed a wealth of detail, including a cluster of bright isolated mountain peaks and some dome-like swellings around 150km to the south. The craters Apianus and Playfair were surveyed on May 6. With his 200mm SCT Nigel observed the Gambart C area on Apr 8, charting a mountain complex and faint ridges in the mare to the east.
Bob Paterson (Speen, Newbury) continues to pursue the lunar wonders apace, making an impressive number of drawings and many written observational notes. General lunar views were made on Mar 6. Among Bob's drawings are:- Apianus on terminator / Horrocks emerging from terminator (both Mar 8); Encke & Kepler environs (Mar 12); terminator sweep from Phocylides to Drebbel / the fascinating Aristarchus region (both Mar 13); Endymion & de la Rue (Apr 3); sweep of Mare Nubium shoreline from Cichus to Campanus, including the flooded crater Kies / Bullialdus (both Apr 10); Babbage region / Herodotus & Schroters Valley / Rumker dome plateau (all Apr 12); Grimaldi region (Apr 13); Cassini & Theatetus / Aristoteles & Eudoxus (both May 7); southern upland region around Moretus (Jun 7), also noted Copernicus, Bullialdus, Straight Wall and Mare Humboldtianum. This is a superb tally which only an astronomer truly hooked on lunar observing might hope to match.
Ian Phelps (Warrington) observed the waxing crescent Moon, a mere 29h 34m old on Jan 2. Using 15x80 binoculars he noted the earthshine, several limb irregularities, mountain beads along the north and south tips of the narrow crescent and a dark section of western limb which may well have been in the Mare Orientale region. A very nice view of Theophilus, Cyrillus & Catharina was had on Mar 7. This crater chain, on the border of Mare Nectaris, is spectacular when the Moon is around 5 days old or 5 days after Full Moon (for more information see my report in News Circular 170).
Edward Polehampton (Wymeswold, Leicestershire) uses an 80mm reflector, and has been producing some very fine drawings of lunar features. He observed Vlacq (Jan 6); Petavius / general view of lunar disc (both Mar 3); Piccolomini on terminator, showing radial ridges (Mar 6); Clavius (Jul 7); the elongated walled plain of Schiller (Jul 8); Grimaldi (Jul 11); Aristoteles & Eudoxus on terminator (Aug 2).
