Waning Gibbous

[The Wave Catcher]

I thought I'd share a couple of photos that I took of the Moon on February 1, 2021 about 2150 UTC.

Here are the details:

• Camera: iPhone XS (hand held burst mode, best image selected)

• Telescope: Bresser AR102s (BR-AR102S-00) 102 mm, f/4.5 Achromatic Refractor

• Mask: (painted yogurt lid) Stops telescope down to 60 mm for effective f/7.65 reducing CA to nil

• Mount: Alt/Az Manual

• Eyepiece: Astro-Tech Paradigm ED 12 mm

I find that the mask makes this inexpensive little telescope even more incredible when needed and my Astro-Tech Paradigms are very forgiving when trying to line up a camera. This has been a fine 4" telescope and enjoy about every free and clear night with it. 99% of the time I am a visual observer so I hope my photos don't fall too short of expectations.



When I am observing and if I find something interesting I like to research and learn more about what I'm looking at. Below are some cool moon features that I really enjoyed that night. In researching the Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis) I found some very interesting historical observations of the region.
https://the-moon.us/wiki/Mare_Crisium



Steve
Fort Worth, Texas

[messier 111]

very nice , thx .

[Ylem]

Very nice Steve

[Gordon]

Congratulations Steve on having your image selected as todays TSS APOD!!!

app.php/article/2-13-2021-tss-astrophot ... of-the-day

[Thefatkitty]

Nicely done Steve, and quite ingenious with the yogurt container lid; that's brilliant! You're right, no CA I can see, and good job with the phone!

Congrats on the APOD too; well deserved!

All the best,

[helicon]

I've tried a few of these moon shots with less success...excellent job Steve! And, congrats on winning the APOD for today...

[The Wave Catcher]

Wow! Awesome about the APOD. Thanks!

Steve

[Makuser]

Hi Steve. As a lunartic myself, I really enjoyed your waning gibbous moon images. You have superb contrast and very sharp surface details in your capture. Thanks for sharing this with us on here Steve, and congratulations on winning the TSS APOD Award today.

[John Donne]

This is a very fine report, Steve.
The pleasure you share in your review of your activity reveals very much the heart of a visual observer.
There is an immediacy in the experience as you have expressed here.
The cell phone shot makes a fine "note" of your observation.
The area you have highlighted and labeled is also a favorite of mine.
Although you did not label it, there is the mysterious feature "Palus Somni" prominant at the bottom of Mare Crisium in the cropped second image. When I was a kid looking at the moon with binoculars I always read this visually as a plateau. The differing albedo I later discovered was the true reason this feature looked this way. But back then I did not know what albedo was.
Thank you, Steve, for a fine report and image set.

[OzEclipse]

Nice images and report Steve and congratulations on your first TSS APOD
Joe

[BABOafrica]

Cool trick with the mask.

Congrats for the award!

BABO

[TheButcher]

Very Nice and Congrats on the APOD!