Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 53

Contributing Editor Charles A. Wood (www2.lpod.org) is coauthor
of 21st Century Atlas of the Moon.

Dionysius

Sabine

NASA / LUNAR RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER

Aldrin

Collins
Armstrong
✦
Apollo 11

Rim

ae H

ypa

Delambre

tia

Moltke

You'll need a good scope and steady seeing to
appreciate the three craters on southwestern
Mare Tranquillitatis that honor the crew of
Apollo 11. Armstrong, the largest, is 4 km across.

MAK IN G YO UR OWN
In case you're looking for ideas for an observing list,
note that 31 lunar features are named for women, 11 for
mythological figures, 8 for astronomers royal, and 7 for
Australians. For something more challenging, about 300
features are named for mathematicians. Not all of these
appear on the Moon's nearside, however.

the first photographic maps of the Moon by Loewy and
Puiseux (1896 to 1910) and Pickering (1903). The modern
British period of mappers included Goodacre (1931),
Blagg and Müller (1935), and Wilkins and Moore (1955).
The period of professional mapping started with
Kuiper (1960) and Alter (1964), but I have never observed
the latter's crater since it's on the farside. As yet, none
of the authors of the hundreds of maps published since
1964 have craters named for them. (As a member of that
group, I'm actually glad - because you have to be dead
for at least three years to be honored with a crater!)
My second, personal, observing list is much smaller
and is comprised of people I have met during my
scientific career. Because I was lucky to work in Gerard
Kuiper's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in the early
1960s, I met many of the leading lunar scientists of the
time. At the head of this personal list are Kuiper and his
archrival Harold Urey. Kuiper's small crater is in Mare
Cognitum, a lava-covered expanse that he named in 1964
because it was the impact site for Ranger 7 (NASA's first
successful lunar-imaging spacecraft). Urey's larger crater
is squished near the eastern limb, and I have never
knowingly observed it.
Another crater I have undoubtedly seen but not identified at the time is Harlan, a dark-floored crater on the
nearside-facing shore of Mare Australe. It's named for
Harlan Smith, whom I met only once at a conference, and
it's one of a very few lunar craters given the first name of
its honoree. My final scientist is George Van Biesbroeck, a

famous Yerkes Observatory astronomer who retired to the
Lunar Lab when I was there in the 1960s. His crater sits
on the rim of Krieger, southeast of Aristarchus.
I met a number of other honorees when I worked at
NASA's Johnson Space Center in the 1980s. Most were
lunar scientists and colleagues who died too young. Their
names are on farside craters and thus aren't on my observing list. One that is on it - just barely, because it only
occasionally peeks into view near the south pole - is the
crater named for iconic lunar scientist Gene Shoemaker.
Seven names on my "personal" list were the final
crewmembers of the Space Shuttle Challenger, whom I
helped train. Unfortunately, the craters for astronauts
Dick Scobee, Mike Smith, Ron McNair, Ellison Onizuka,
Judy Resnik, and Christa McAuliffe are out of sight on
the farside. However, the Apollo 11 crew was honored
with three nearside craters close to their landing site in
southern Mare Tranquillitatis. I once served on a committee with Michael Collins, so his crater is the only one
on my personal list named for an astronaut.
It might seem that I'm bragging about famous
people I have known, all due to being born at a time that
allowed me to be a bit player in lunar exploration. But
ultimately these are simply examples, personal observing lists that are unique to me.
Yours will be unique as well, drawn from people or
circumstances special to you. To get started, you'll need
a detailed lunar map. I suggest Sky & Telescope's Field
Map of the Moon (https://is.gd/lunar_field_map) or the
IAU's comprehensive Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature (https://is.gd/lunar_gazetteer). ✦

The Moon * October 2016
16

Phases

19

NEW MOON

October 1, 0:11 UT
FIRST QUARTER

October 9, 4:33 UT
FULL MOON

NASA / LRO

50 km
Ritter

Charles A. Wood

October 16, 4:23 UT
Oct. 5

LAST QUARTER

October 22, 20:04 UT

For key dates, yellow dots indicate which part
of the Moon's limb is tipped the most toward
Earth by libration under favorable illumination.

NEW MOON

October 30, 17:38

Distances

Favorable Librations

Apogee
406,096 km

October 4, 11h UT
diameter: 29′ 26″

Perigee
357,861 km

October 17, 0h UT
diameter: 33′ 23″

Demonax (crater)

October 5

Byrd (crater)

October 16

Peary (crater)

October 19

Sk yandTelescope.com October 2016

53


http://www2.lpod.org https://is.gd/lunar_field_map https://www.is.gd/lunar_gazetteer http://www.SkyandTelescope.com

Sky and Telescope - October 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - October 2016

Contents
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - Cover1
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - Cover2
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 1
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - Contents
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 3
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - A
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - B
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 4
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 5
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 6
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 7
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 8
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 9
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 10
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 11
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 12
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 13
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 14
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 15
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 16
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 17
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 18
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 19
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 20
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 21
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 22
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 23
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 24
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 25
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 26
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 27
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 28
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 29
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 30
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 31
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 32
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 33
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 34
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 35
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 36
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 37
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 38
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 39
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 40
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 41
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 42
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 43
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 44
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 45
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 46
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 47
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 48
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 49
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 50
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 51
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 52
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 53
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 54
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 55
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 56
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 57
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 58
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 59
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 60
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 61
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 62
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 63
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 64
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 65
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 66
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 67
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 68
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 69
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 70
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 71
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 72
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 73
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 74
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 75
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 76
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 77
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 78
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 79
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 80
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 81
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 82
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 83
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - 84
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - Cover3
Sky and Telescope - October 2016 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202404_qr
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202401_aus
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202312_aus
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202304_qr
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/skywatch_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_mars
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/aas/st_201001
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com