2005 05 21, Mons Rumker
2005 05 21
Mons Rumker
I can now say I’ve viewed my first domes! It wasn’t the Valentine Domes, (otherwise known to me as Matt’s domes), but a complex group of domes creating a circular formation in the Northwestern region of the moon. Named after Karl Ludwig Christian Rumker (German astronomer and director of school of navigation in Hamburg; 1788-1862), this formation is approximately 70km across, found on Rukl 8 and is also Lunar 100 #62.
We had rains the last several days and even though I have to get up at the crack of dawn to load the trailer chuck full of flowers for Farmer’s Market tomorrow, I couldn’t pass up the chance to sit atop of my comfy new observing chair and soak in some more lunar rays! The clouds cleared around 6pm for the first time since my last report and the moon was in her glory shortly afterwards as if to remind me that we have some catching up to do. I wasn’t going to disappoint her….
Checking out VMA, I had a list of possible objects to serve as the main feature. What I assumed was a deep crater ended up being Rumker…much to my delight! Everything else paled in comparison this beautiful sight, so Rumker it was.
As I knew I would want to stay up to write a report, I cut my observing time short by studying this object exclusively. But with a smile on my face I am reminded that it isn’t necessarily the quantity that matters, but the quality!
PCW Memorial Observatory - Erika Rix 