Okay... what am I seeing on the moon?

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

Scott Lowther wrote:
Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

Those look like peaks of the other side of the jagged crater
rim which are tall enough to be illuminated though their
bases are not.

"Christopher M. Jones" wrote in message
...
Scott Lowther wrote:
Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version
of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do
in
real life...

Those look like peaks of the other side of the jagged crater
rim which are tall enough to be illuminated though their
bases are not.

I was about to say the same.

"Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote in message
...

"Christopher M. Jones" wrote in message
...
Scott Lowther wrote:
Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version
of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do
in
real life...

Those look like peaks of the other side of the jagged crater
rim which are tall enough to be illuminated though their
bases are not.

I was about to say the same.




I saw the same thing several years ago with my 10' Meade.
I was looking at the terminator when suddenly a single
light appeared just in the dark side. Wow! As I continued
watching another light appeared alongside. What the heck!

So I got out my map of the moon and found two peaks
at the same place as the lights. It seems I'd managed to
catch the scene just as the tips of the peaks became
illuminated one after the other.

That was perhaps one of my most memorable moments
under the stars.

S

This is it. It's a common sight actually near the terminator. Nothing
special or unique.
--
Yours Truly,
--- Dave

----------------------------------------------------------------------
'raid if you're afraid you'll have to overlook it.
Besides, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Christopher M. Jones" wrote in message
...
Scott Lowther wrote:
Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version
of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

Those look like peaks of the other side of the jagged crater
rim which are tall enough to be illuminated though their
bases are not.

"Scott Lowther" wrote in message
...


Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...


Excellent! More conclusive proof from an independent source!!! That's
exactly what the Halogen headlights on my LDB (Lunar Dune Buggy) look like,
2 white spots. The camera doesn't lie and neither do I. All that remains
to be done is to put my story and your pics on a website. Then EVERYBODY
will know the truth. After all, if it's on a website then it's obviously
true.

CNR

--

mount peaks just beyond the (horizon).

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

Yes in real time they do look - unusual? Try The Abulfeda and Cobra Head
regions for nice thought provoking light shows. Likewise any area with
deep rilles. Light bounces off the walls and makes for some tricky seeing,
depending on the incident angle of the incoming sunlight, of course. If you
never tire of the Moon you will never tire of astronomy - someone once said.

Hi Scott,

one is Mount Pico, 2400 m high discovered in 1802, the other mountain has
no name (as far as I know). Download Virtual Moon Atlas, it's free and
you'll find everythign about Monn in it.

Regards,
Franc



"Scott Lowther" wrote in message
...


Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

On 2004-09-22, Scott Lowther wrote:


Scott Lowther wrote:

I'm extremely amateur, but I saw something a little surprising tonight
(between 8:40 and 8:50 PM mountain time) Looking at the moon through my
Celestron, there were two very bright white spots jsut *behind* the
terminator in Palus Nebularum. Tried taking some photos, but as my setup
is jamming a digital camera in the eyepeice, the results were
disappointing. The spots did not move over ten minutes. Changing the
eyepiece up and down in magnification did not get rid of them.A little
help?

I found a few photos that do show the lights. I've posted a 50% version of
the full photo and a cropped, unscaled version he
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-1.jpg
http://up-ship.com//Stuff/the-hell-2.jpg

The spots don't look terribly interesting on camera, but there sure do in
real life...

Mountain peaks - same principle that lets you see orbiting satellites in
the morning & evening, as the peaks are in sunlight whilst the area
below them is shadowed. If you look at the bottom of the first picture,
you can see a third one just past the edge of a crater...

It might be instructive to compare them to the solitary mountain just to
the left of the pair, which I think is Mt. Piton; a good example of a
half-shadowed mountain.

(If I had an atlas to hand I'd look up the site for you, but sadly I
don't - some poking suggests one is Mt Pico?)


--
-Andrew Gray