Steve’s Virtual Planet

Naked Eye Lunar Observing Pt 1

This is the first of (hopefully) several posts that discuss naked eye targets on our Moon. Instead of a map or a geographical approach, I’ll “follow the terminator”, the shadow line that progresses across the moon’s surface as the phases advance.

For some easy targets, why not start with the Lunar Mare (maria is singular), those dark and typically large areas on the lunar surface. Before the time of Galileo, most people thought these dark areas were “seas”, hence the name. Now we know they are large flat (dry) plains of fairly smooth basalt that formed 3-4 billion years ago from early volcanic activity.

It’s best to get a small moon map in front of you so you can get oriented. The are downloadable ones like this one from S&T with a printable map on page 10 or this image with different sizes for different screens.

With map in front of you, work from the right back towards the left. This is the way the moon will be revealed as the phases progress from New Moon to Full Moon. It is also the first half of the moon’s full cycle that is visible in the evening. The first obvious object you can see even within the first week is Mare Crisium. As the nights pass, you will then see more of the Mare (The Sea of) - Fecunditatis (fertitility), Tranquillitatis (tranquility), Serenitatis (serenity). By the time of the First Quarter, you will be able to see all of those features.

In the next post, we’ll look for some more challenging objects to be found during the week up to 1st Qtr.