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03/11/2022 – Ephemeris – Looking at the northern part of the Moon and the crater Plato
This is Ephemeris for Friday, March 11th. Today the Sun will be up for 11 hours and 41 minutes, setting at 6:43, and it will rise tomorrow at 7:00. The Moon, 1 day past first quarter, will set at 4:18 tomorrow morning.
As the Moon moves around the Earth, now one day past first quarter, more of it is revealed in sunlight. The top or north part of the moon is of interest now. The second-largest lunar sea, Mare Imbrium, or Sea of Showers, is now half illuminated by the advancing terminator, the sunrise line. That can be seen with the naked eye. With binoculars, in the mountains north or above Imbrium can be found the flat floored crater or walled plain called Plato. This crater is situated in the lunar Alps. Mountains on the Moon are named after their earthly counterparts. Visible in telescopes now will be the Alpine Valley cutting through the Alps just to the right of Plato. Each night from new to full, more of the Moon’s features are revealed near the terminator.
The astronomical event times given are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (EST, UT – 5 hours). They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon tonight, a day past first quarter, March 11, 2022, outlining the Mare Imbrium, crater Plato area, which is seen in detail below. Created using Virtual Lunar Atlas.
The Moon tonight, March 11, 2022, highlighting the crater Plato and lunar Alps. The Alpine Valley (Vallis Alpes), lies under the caption “Alpes” for the mountains. One of cool things to watch when the terminator is situated just right is to watch the shadows of the mountains retreat across Plato’s crater floor as the Sun rises. The shadows of the peaks appear very jagged as they retreat. Created using Virtual Lunar Atlas.
09/08/2016 – Ephemeris – The Moon tonight: Two mountain ranges
Ephemeris for Thursday, September 8th. The Sun will rise at 7:14. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 51 minutes, setting at 8:05. The Moon, 1 day before first quarter, will set at 12:07 tomorrow morning.
The planet Saturn will appear below the nearly first quarter Moon tonight. The southern part of the Moon shows lots of craters in a pair of binoculars or small telescope. The area is called the lunar highlands. Most of the northern part of the Moon contains the lunar seas or maria. There is some interesting terrain there for the small telescope, including the mountain range the Alps to the North and the Apennines south of them. Lunar mountain ranges are named after Earthly ones. The two ranges are part of the broken ramparts around Mare Imbrium, the large Sea of Showers. In it are a few large craters that were created by impacts since the sea itself was created by a huge asteroid impact over 3.8 billion years ago.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
The Moon tonight at 9 p.m. September 8, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
A closer look at the emerging mountains on the Moon at 9 p.m. September 8, 2016. Created using Stellarium.
More of these mountains will be revealed in coming nights.
09/12/2013 – Ephemeris – A look at the first quarter moon
Ephemeris for Thursday, September 12th. The sun will rise at 7:18. It’ll be up for 12 hours and 40 minutes, setting at 7:58. The moon, at first quarter today, will set at 12:36 tomorrow morning.
By this evening the moon will be just past first quarter and the terminator will bulge a bit to the east. Through binoculars or the naked eye the scallop shell shaped sea will be visible at the upper right part of the moon, the man in the moon’s left eye. In telescopes the moon will be inverted and even also reversed, so Serenity could appear in any other quadrant depending on what your telescope does to the image. Toward the terminator from Serenity are two mountain ranges The south part is the Apennines, and the northern part is the Alps. The Alps is cut by a gash called the Alpine Valley. There’s also a triangle of distinctive craters also visible near the terminator.
Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan. They may be different for your location.
Addendum
First quarter Moon with some of the features on its northern hemisphere. Created using Virtual Moon Atlas.
Bob Moler's Ephemeris Blog 