Moon 26 June 2001

Image of the moon made 26 June 2001, approx. 22h00 EDT, at prime focus on Carleton University's 14" Schmidt-Cassegrain, through a reducer and an off-axis guider. North at top right. Done as an assignment for the 75.190 astronomy course.

This print was heavily dodged and burned on the enlarger, through a number 5 red filter, and printed from a relatively thin negative from the series, specifically to enhance contrast in the sunlit regions toward the eastern limb¹. Note the rayed craters this treatment brings out — the pair Petavius B and Snellius A in the southeast, and smaller Proclus, on the west-northwest edge of Mare Crisium. Also very noticeable is the very bright crater Lagrenus, prominent at the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis.

Note also the two darkened areas at the easternmost edge of the lunar disk — east of Lagrenus and of Mare Crisium. These are (probably) the edges of Mare Smythii (southern of the two) and Marginis. Smythii and Marginis, two of the very small, very few mare on the far side of the moon, peep around the edge of the disk when librations are favourable.

Negative on 35mm Ilford FP4, 1/125th sec exposure, developed with HC-110, no special treatment. Print was done at 5x7 on Ilford Multigrade IV RC deluxe, through a number 5 red filter, heavily dodged and burned (exposure from 6 seconds to 40, shortest exposures near the terminator) scanned through far too much dust on the flatbed.

This is almost the first quarter phase — technically, first quarter would have been the day after this was shot (yesterday, as I write this).

Thanks for technical advice, equipment, and telescope time to Professor Robert Dick, Pam Wolff, and Doctor David Sinclair of Carleton University, Ottawa.

— AJM 28/June/2001

¹ See undodged print from the same roll for comparison.