PCW Memorial Observatory – Erika Rix

Several days before and after New Moon, sunlight reflects off Earth’s surface and illuminates the lunar disk, especially the darker portion – the glow is known as Earthshine. Basic shapes of lunar features in the shadowed portion of the Moon can be seen, becoming more-defined the closer the lunation is to New Moon. Today, Mare Tranquillitatis is the most apparent of the shadowed features. With the unaided eye, the bright crescent appears to pop out of the Moon’s disk.

Erika Rix, Texas, http://www.pcwobservatory.com
102mm f/9.8 refractor, LXD75, 20mm, 50x, no filter
S: Antoniadi II-III, T: 4/6, 42F, 46% H, c/c
Colongitude: 227.5°
Phase: 228.4°
Lunation: 25.98 days
Illumination: 16.8%

Eyepiece sketch on black Strathmore Artagain paper, white Conte crayon, white charcoal pencil, black Derwent charcoal pencil, black woodless oil pencil, blending stump.

~ by Erika Rix on January 27, 2014.

Posted in Lunar Observations, Lunar Observations 2014, Moon Phase Drawings
Tags: 25.98-day Moon, earthshine, full phase sketch