Get ready to let your imagination sweep you away as we go mountain climbing – on the Moon! We’re heading for a nice half Moon this weekend and it’s a good time to scour the lunar rim for some very interesting craters. Even small telescopes win out here, and binoculars are good too, so let’s head outside late evening for a better look.
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Although full Moon is pretty bright you can cut the glare down by a bit putting on your sunglasses or using a proper Moon filter. These days before and after full Moon are magic. I always try to aim for half or even three quarter Moon phase like we’re having now.
What’s so special about that? Well, it means it’s a great time to check out the valleys, hills and craters along the ‘terminator’ – that line where dark and light meet. Some of those smaller craters seen through your telescope are over a dozen kilometres wide and hundreds of metres deep. Magnificent!
It’s always fun, especially with kids around, to try and find the face of the ‘Man in the Moon when full. I know it sounds silly but it’s really there if you look hard enough.
Ready for some fun facts about the Moon? Did you know, the Moon rings like a bell when struck by meteors and has moonquakes? True. Vibration sensors were left on the moon by Neil Armstrong in 1969. Is there really a Blue Moon? You bet! The second full moon occurring within a calendar month is called a ‘Blue Moon.’
Yes, people really do strange things when it’s full Moon. That’s where the word ‘lunatic’ comes from. Believe it or not, over 40 pieces of Moon rock bought back from the Apollo missions have gone missing worth over $1 million each!
Here’s one for the newlyweds. The honeymoon is named after the full Moon in June. As it fell between the planting and harvesting of crops this was traditionally the best month to get married. For a free 323 page astronomy e-book see Dave’s website www.davidreneke.com
