The Moon in Close-up (eBook)

John Wilkinson is a science educator with over 30 years experience in teaching science, physics and chemistry in secondary colleges and universities in Australia. He is author of over 100 science textbooks. He completed his Masters degree and PhD in science education at La Trobe University, Australia. Throughout his life he has been a keen amateur astronomer and operates his own observatory from his backyard.

Preface 6
Acknowledgements 8
Contents 10
Chapter One: Introducing the Moon 14
What´s New? 15
Introduction 16
Early Ideas About the Moon 18
Landmarks in Lunar Astronomy 20
Orbit and Motion 22
Libration 24
Phases of the Moon 27
Sidereal and Synodic Month 30
Features of the Moon 31
The Lunar ``Maria´´ 31
Lunar Craters 35
Terms Used When Observing the Moon 39
Maps of the Moon 40
Gravity and Tidal Forces 42
Atmosphere 44
Water 45
Temperature 46
Magnetic Field 47
Far Side of the Moon 48
Web Notes 51
Chapter Two: Probing the Moon 52
What´s New? 53
Early Space Probes to the Moon 55
Apollo Missions 57
More Lunar Missions 59
Getting to the Moon 64
Recent Lunar Missions 69
Lunar Exploration by Japan 70
Lunar Exploration by China 71
Lunar Exploration by India 72
USA Return to the Moon 74
Further Lunar Probes 77
Web Notes 81
Chapter Three: Geological History of the Moon 82
What´s New? 83
Origin of the Moon 84
History of the Moon 87
The Moon´s Periods 88
Lunar Rocks and Soil 90
Ancient Impact Basins 92
Mare Geology 95
The Highlands 100
Lunar Mountains 102
Lunar Valleys 105
Transient Lunar Phenomena 107
Interior of the Moon 110
Mascons 112
The Far Side of the Moon 114
Web Notes 117
Chapter Four: Occultations and Eclipses 118
What´s New? 119
Occultations 120
Observing Occultations 121
Occultation Case Study 122
Multiple Occultations 123
Usefulness of Occultations 124
Eclipses 125
Solar Eclipses 125
Viewing a Solar Eclipse 126
Solar Eclipse Case Study 129
Time of a Solar Eclipse 130
Recording a Solar Eclipse 130
Lunar Eclipses 132
Time of a Lunar Eclipse 133
Observing a Lunar Eclipse 135
Lunar Eclipse Case Study 136
Web Notes 139
Chapter Five: Observing the Moon 140
What´s New? 141
Beginning a Study of the Moon 143
Observing with Binoculars 144
Types of Optics in Binoculars 148
Using a Telescope 149
The Refractor 150
Reflectors 152
Eyepieces 154
Filters 155
Mounting for Telescopes 156
Observing the Moon 161
New Moon to Day 4 161
Day 4 to Day 7 (First Quarter) 163
Day 7 to Day 11 164
Day 11 to Day 14 (Full Moon) 165
Day 14 to Day 28 166
Photographing the Moon 168
Single Lens Reflex Photography 169
CCD Cameras 170
Determining Exposures 172
Video and CCD Cameras 174
Image Processing 175
List of Recommended Astrophotography Books 176
Web Notes 177
Chapter Six: Studying the Moon 178
Study Area 1: Mare Crisium 180
Mare Crisium 181
Mare Fecunditatis 182
Mare Tranquillitatis 183
Apollonius (4.5N, 61.1E) 183
Cauchy (9.6N, 38.6E) 183
Condorcet (12.1N, 69.6E) 184
Firmicus (7.3N, 63.4E) 185
Macrobius (21.3N, 46.0E) 185
Messier and Messier A (1.9S, 47.6E) 185
Peirce (18.3N, 53.5E) 186
Picard (14.6N, 54.7E) 186
Proclus (16.1N, 46.8E) 186
Secchi (2.4N, 43.5E) 186
Taruntius (5.6N, 46.5E) 186
Webb (0.9S, 60.0E) 187
Yerkes (14.6N, 51.7E) 187
Study Area 2: Southeast Limb 188
Mare Fecunditatis 190
Mare Nectaris 190
Bohnenberger (16.2S, 40.0E) 190
Colombo (15.1S, 45.8E) 191
Cook (17.5S, 48.9E) 191
Fracastorius (21.5S, 33.2E) 191
Furnerius (36.0S, 60.6E) 191
Goclenius (10.0S, 45.0E) 192
Langrenus (8.9S, 61.1E) 193
Lohse (13.7S, 60.2E) 194
Metius (40.3S, 43.3E) 194
Petavius (25.1S, 60.4E) 194
Piccolomini (29.7S, 32.2E) 194
Pyrenees Mountains (15.6S, 41.2E) 195
Rheita (37.1S, 47.2E) and Rheita Valley (42.5S, 51.5E) 195
Rosse (17.9S, 35.0E) 195
Santbech (20.9S, 44.0E) 196
Snellius (29.3S, 55.7E) 196
Stevinus (32.5S, 54.2E) 196
Vendelinus (16.4S, 61.6E) 196
Study Area 3: Northeast Limb 198
Mare Serenitatis 200
Lacus Somniorum (38.0N, 29.2E) 200
Lacus Mortis (45.0N, 28.2E) 200
Atlas (46.7N, 44.4E) 200
Burg (45.0N, 28.2E) 201
Cepheus (40.8N, 45.8E) 201
Chacornac (29.8N, 31.7E) 201
Daniell (35.3N, 31.1E) 201
Franklin (38.8N, 47.7E) 201
Grove (40.3N, 32.9E) 202
Hercules (46.7N, 39.1E) 202
Le Monnier (26.6N, 30.6E) 202
Messala (39.2N, 60.5E) 202
Posidonius (31.8N, 29.9E) 203
Taurus Mountains (28.4N, 41.1E) 203
Study Area 4: Mare Tranquillitatis 204
Mare Tranquillitatis 206
Mare Serenitatis 206
Arago (6.2N, 21.4E) 206
Ariadaeus and Ariadaeus rille (6.4N, 14.0E) 207
Dawes (17.2N, 26.4E) 207
Dionysius (2.8N, 17.3E) 207
Haemus Mountains (19.9N, 9.2E) 207
Jansen (13.5N, 28.7E) 208
Julius Caesar (9.0N, 15.4E) 208
Lamont (4.4N, 23.7E) 209
Maclear (10.5N, 20.1E) 209
Maskelyne (2.2N, 30.1E) 209
Menelaus (16.3N, 16.0E) 209
Plinius (15.4N, 23.7E) 210
Ritter (2.0N, 19.2E) 210
Ross (11.7N, 21.7E) 210
Sabine (1.4N, 20.1E) 210
Silberschlag (6.2N, 12.5E) 211
Study Area 5: Mare Serenitatis 212
Mare Serenitatis 212
Bessel (21.8N, 17.9E) 214
Caucasus Mountains (38.4N, 10.0E) 215
Chacornac (29.8N, 31.7E) 215
Daniell (35.3N, 31.1E) 215
Dawes (17.2N, 26.4E) 215
Haemus Mountains (19.9N, 9.2E) 216
Le Monnier (26.6N, 30.6E) 216
Menelaus (16.3N, 16.0E) 216
Mount Argaeus (19.0N, 29.0E) 216
Plinius (15.4N, 23.7E) 217
Posidonius (31.8N, 29.9E) 217
Serpentine Ridge 217
Sulpicius Gallus (19.6N, 11.6E) 217
Vitruvius (17.6N, 31.3E) 218
Study Area 6: Mare Nectaris West 219
Mare Nectaris 220
Altai Scarp (24.3S, 22.6E) 221
Abulfreda (13.8S, 13.9E) 221
Almanon (16.8S, 15.2E) 221
Beaumont (18.0S, 28.8E) 222
Catharina (18.1S, 23.4E) 222
Cyrillus (13.2S, 24.0E) 222
Fracastorius (21.5S, 33.2E) 223
Geber (19.4S, 13.9E) 223
Madler (11.0S, 29.8E) 223
Piccolomini (29.7S, 32.2E) 223
Rosse (17.9S, 35.0E) 224
Sacrobosco (23.7S, 16.7E) 224
Theophilus (37.0N, 6.0E) 224
Study Area 7: Mare Vaporum 225
Mare Vaporum 226
Agrippa (4.1N, 10.5E) 227
Apennine Mountains (18.9N, 3.7W) 228
Bode (6.7N, 2.4W) 228
Boscovich (9.8N, 11.1E) 228
Conon Rille (18.6N, 2.0E) 228
Eratosthenes (14.5N, 11.3W) 229
Godin (1.8N, 10.2E) 230
Hyginus (7.8N, 6.3E) and Hyginus Rille 230
Manilius (14.5N, 9.1E) 230
Pallas (5.5N, 1.6W) 230
Schroeter (2.6N, 7.0W) 231
Sinus Aestuum (10.9N, 8.8W) 231
Sinus Medii (2.4N, 1.7E) 231
Triesnecker (4.2N, 3.6E) and Triesnecker Rille 231
Ukert (7.8N, 1.4E) 232
Study Area 8: Central Highlands 233
Mare Nubium 235
Albategnius (11.7S, 4.3E) 235
Alpetragius (16.0S, 4.5W) 235
Alphonsus (3.7S, 3.2W) 236
Arzachel (18.2S, 1.9W) 236
Davy (11.8S, 8.1W) 236
Herschel (5.7S, 2.1W) 237
Hipparchus (5.1S, 5.2E) 238
Horrocks (4.0S, 5.9E) 238
Lassell (15.5S, 7.9W) 238
Ptolemaeus (9.3S, 1.9W) 238
Sinus Medii (2.4N, 1.7E) 239
Study Area 9: Mare Nubium 240
Mare Nubium 241
Aliacensis (30.6S, 5.2E) 242
Arzachel (18.2S, 1.9W) 242
Ball (35.9S, 8.4W) 242
Birt (22.4S, 8.5W) 243
Hell (32.4S, 7.8W) 243
Hesiodus (29.4S, 16.3W) 243
Lexell (35.8S, 4.2W) 243
Nicollet (21.9S, 12.5W) 244
Pitatus (29.9S, 13.5W) 244
Purbach (25.5S, 2.3W) 244
Regiomontanus (28.3S, 1.0W) 244
Rupes Recta (22.1S, 7.8W) 245
Thebit (22.0S, 4.0W) 245
Walter (33.1S, 1.0E) 245
Werner (28.0S, 3.3E) 246
Wolf (22.7S, 16.6W) 246
Study Area 10: Northern Plains 247
Mare Serenitatis 249
Mare Frigoris 249
Mare Imbrium 249
Alps (46.4N, 0.8W) and Alpine Valley (48.5N, 3.2E) 250
Archimedes (29.7N, 4.0W) 250
Archytas (58.7N, 5.0E) 252
Aristillus (33.9N, 1.2E) 252
Aristoteles (50.2N, 17.4E) 252
Autolycus (30.7N, 1.5E) 252
Calippus (38.9N, 10.7E) 253
Cassini (40.2N, 4.6E) 253
Caucasus Mountains (38.4N, 10.0E) 253
Egede (48.7N, 10.6E) 253
Eudoxus (44.3N, 16.3E) 254
Mt Piton (40.6N, 1.1W) 254
Plato (51.6N, 9.4W) 254
Theaetetus (37.0N, 6.0E) 255
Study Area 11: Southern Highlands 256
Bettinus (63.4S, 44.8W) 256
Blancanus (63.8S, 21.4W) 257
Clavius (58.8S, 14.1W) 258
Kircher (67.1S, 45.3W) 259
Longomontanus (49.6S, 21.8W) 259
Maginus (50.5S, 6.3W) 260
Moretus (70.6S, 5.8W) 260
Scheiner (60.5S, 27.5W) 260
Schiller (51.9S, 39.0W) 260
Tycho (43.4S, 11.1W) 261
Wilhelm (43.4S, 20.4W) 261
Zucchius (61.4S, 50.3W) 262
Study Area 12: Mare Cognitum 263
Mare Cognitum 264
Oceanus Procellarum 265
Euclides (7.4S, 29.5W) 266
Flamsteed (4.5S, 44.3W) 266
Gassendi (17.6S, 40.1W) 266
Herigonius (13.3S, 33.8W) 266
Kuiper (9.8S, 22.6W) 267
Lansberg (0.3S, 26.6W) 267
Letronne (10.8S, 42.5W) 268
Lubiniezky (17.8S, 23.8W) 268
Norman (11.8S, 30.4W) 268
Riphaean Mountains (7.7S, 28.1W) 268
Wichmann (8.0S, 38W) 269
Study Area 13: Sinus Iridum 270
Mare Frigorus 272
Mare Imbrium 272
Bianchini (48.7N, 34.3W) 272
Foucault (50.4N, 39.7W) 272
Gruithuisen Mountains (36N, 40W) 273
Harpalus (52.6N, 43.4W) 273
Helicon (40.4N, 23.1W) 273
Jura Mountains (47N, 34W) 273
Le Verrier (40.3N, 20.6W) 274
Mairan (41.6N, 43.4W) 274
Sharp (45.7N, 40.2W) 274
Sinus Iridum (44N, 32W) 274
Straight Range (48N, 20W) 275
Study Area 14: Mare Insularum 276
Mare Insularum 276
Carpathian Mountains (14.5N, 24.4W) 277
Copernicus (9.7N, 20.1W) 278
Encke (4.6N, 36.6W) 279
Gambart (1.0N, 15.2W) 280
Gay-Lussac (13.9N, 20.8W) 280
Hortensius (6.5N, 28.0W) 281
Kepler (8.1N, 38.0W) 282
Lansberg (0.3S, 26.6W) 282
Milichius (10N, 30W) 283
Reinhold (3.3N, 22.8W) 283
Tobias Mayer (15.6N, 29.1W) 283
Study Area 15: Mare Humorum 285
Mare Humorum 286
Agatharchides (19.8S, 30.9W) 287
Bullialdus (20.7S, 22.2W) 288
Campanus (28.0S, 27.8W) 288
Capuanus (34.1S, 26.7W) 288
Doppelmayer (28.5S, 41.4W) 289
Gassendi (17.6S, 40.1W) 289
Hippalus and Hippalus rilles (24.8S, 30.2W) 289
Kelvin Scarp (27.3S, 33.1W) 290
Kies and Kies Pi (26.3S, 22.5W) 290
Konig (24.1S, 24.6W) 290
Lee (30.7S, 40.7W) 291
Lubiniesky (17.8S, 23.8W) 292
Mercator and Mercator Scarp (29.3S, 26.1W) 292
Ramsden (32.9S, 31.8W) 292
Vitello (30.4S, 37.5W) 292
Study Area 16: Oceanus Procellarum 294
Oceanus Procellarum 294
Agricola Mountains (29.1N, 54.2W) 296
Aristarchus (23.7N, 47.4W) 296
Aristarchus Plateau (25N, 48W) 297
Brayley (20.9N, 36.9W) 298
Briggs (26.5N, 69.1W) 298
Harbinger Mountains (27N, 41W) 298
Herodotus (23.2N, 49.7W) 298
Krieger (29.0N, 45.6W) 299
Lichtenberg (31.8N, 67.7W) 299
Prinz (25.5N, 44.1W) 299
Schiaparelli (23.4N, 58.8W) 299
Schroter´s Valley (26.2N, 50.8W) 299
Seleucus (21.0N, 66.6W) 300
Study Area 17: Western Limb 301
Oceanus Procellarum 303
Cardanus (13.2N, 0.0E) 303
Cavalerius (5.1N, 66.6W) 304
Flamsteed P (3S, 44W) 304
Galileo (10.5N, 62.7W) 304
Hevelius (2.2N, 67.6W) 304
Kepler (8.1N, 38.0W) 305
Krafft (16.6N, 72.6W) 305
Marius (11.9N, 50.8W) 305
Marius Hills (14N, 50W) 305
Olbers (7.3N, 75.8W) 307
Reiner (7.0N, 54.9W) 307
Reiner Gamma (7N, 60W) 307
Riccioli (3.3S, 74.6W) 307
About the Author 309
Glossary 310
Index 318