Lunar Observing Schedule for: Sri_Lanka - Colombo



Produced by the Department of Physics at Aberystwyth University, UK
Ill is percentage illumination of the Moon


2024-Dec-02 UT 12:41-13:00 Ill=2% Moon

     BAA Request: Please try to image the Moon as a very thin 
     crescent, tryimg to detect Earthshine. A good telephoto lens 
     will do on a DSLR, or a camera on a small scope. We are 
     attempting to monitor the brightness of the edge of the 
     earthshine limb in order to follow up a project suggested by 
     Dr Martin Hoffmann at the 2017 EPSC Conference in Riga, 
     Latvia. This is quite a challenging project due to the sky 
     brightness and the low altitude of the Moon. Please do not 
     attempt if the Sun is still above the horizon. Do not bother 
     observing if the sky conditions are hazy. Any images 
     should be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2024-Dec-04 UT 13:03-13:57 Ill=11% Cyrillus

     BAA Request: Cyrillus. There is a small white craterlet just 
     north of the three central peaks. We are interested to receive 
     high resolution images of this in order to find out at what 
     selenographic colongitude, in the lunar morning, that it 
     starts to show it's white spot appearence. Please use scopes 
     largher than 6 inches in diameter. 
     Please email these to: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2024-Dec-04 UT 12:46-13:35 Ill=11% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-05 UT 12:38-00:00 Ill=18% Mutus_F

     BAA Request: Can you see, or image, 4 points of light in the 
     shadowed floor of the crater? How do these change in 
     appearance over time? This is not a TLP but is still 
     interesting to observe as it might look like a string of 
     pearls effect. Please send any images, or sketches, to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k 


2024-Dec-05 UT 12:47-14:34 Ill=19% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-06 UT 12:47-15:32 Ill=28% Earthshine: Puppid/Velids: ZHR=10 vel=44km/s

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-07 UT 12:43-13:00 Ill=38% Torricelli

     ALPO Request: On 2011 Dec 31 Raffaello Braga found the north rim 
     or Torricelli to be very bright at the start of the observing 
     session but dimmed considerably later. He was not sure on the 
     normal appearance of this crater, hence why it is really 
     imortant to establish this by re-observing under similar 
     illumination. Minimum telescope aperture required: 3", and try 
     to use a refractor if possible. Please send any high resolution 
     images, detailed scetches, or  visual descriptions to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2024-Dec-07 UT 12:47-16:28 Ill=39% Earthshine: Puppid/Velids: ZHR=10 vel=44km/s

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-08 UT 12:30-12:48 Ill=49% Ptolemaeus

     BAA Request: Examine the floor visually, sketch, or image to 
     show the progression of the shadow spires across floor and 
     the emergence of the centre of the floor into sunlight. If 
     observing visually, how would you describe the appearance of 
     the central lit area on the floor? If imaging, do a time lapse 
     e.g. 1 image per minute to show the progression of the shadow 
     spires. We are asking for these observations following an 
     observation by P. Shepherdson (BAA) on 2020 Feb 01 UT 
     19:40-19:50 who commented on an unusual appearance to the
     floor. However an image supplied suggests it is just shadow 
     spires. Nevertheless we would like to check at a repeat
     illumination. As another challenge, we have seen bright 
     stripes appear between shadow spires on the floor but these 
     fade in brightness after the shadow spires recede. See if you 
     can capture these on an image sequence and help us learn more 
     about what is causing this effect.Any sketches, visual 
     descriptions, or images taken, should be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k 


2024-Dec-08 UT 12:48-17:21 Ill=50% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-14 UT 16:18-17:16 Ill=99% Plato

     BAA Request: Two observers have reported colour on the rim 
     around this colongitude, once in 1938, and again in 2013. Please 
     take a look and report what you see, and where on the rim. 
     Please send any high resolution images, detailed sketches, or 
     visual descriptions to: a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2024-Dec-15 UT 13:45-14:27 Ill=100% Full_Moon

     ALPO Request: Please take images of the Full Moon, but make 
     sure you under expose as we want to avoid bright ray craters 
     like Aristarchus, Tycho, Proclus etc from saturating. The 
     purpose behind this is we want to compare with images of 
     Earthshine which are essentially zero phase illumination 
     images, like at Full Moon. There have been reports in the past 
     that Aristarchus varies greatly in brightness compared to 
     other features. David Darling (a past TLP coordinator) has 
     suggested this was simply due to libration effects, i.e. 
     viewing angles, so we would naturally like to test this 
     theory out. Also if you have any past images of close to Full 
     Moon, please send these in too if the above mentioned craters 
     are not saturated. Pretty much any size telescope can be used 
     to take these images so long as we can clearly see the above 
     craters. Obviously do not attempt this if the sky is cloudy or 
     hazy. Observations will be presented in the "Lunar Observer" 
     - a monthly publication of the Lunar Section of ALPO. All 
     reports should be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . uk


2024-Dec-15 UT 23:34-23:42 Ill=99% Aristarchus

     BAA Request: Please compare the brightness of Aristarchus 
     with Proclus, Censorinus, or any other similar sized bright 
     crater, over time e.g. every 5 or 10 min. Can you see any 
     changes in brightness? If so which crater is the one that is 
     varying Apertures as small as 2" diameter can be used for 
     this work, so long as the magnification is of the order of 
     100x. Please send all brightness meaurements or image 
     sequences to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k 


2024-Dec-18 UT 18:51-00:05 Ill=86% Cyrillus

     BAA Request: Cyrillus. There is a small white craterlet just 
     north of the three central peaks. We are interested to receive 
     high resolution images of this in order to find out at what 
     selenographic colongitude, in the lunar evening, that it loses 
     it's white spot appearence. Please use scopes largher than 6 
     inches in diameter. 
     Please email these to: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2024-Dec-22 UT 19:59-00:27 Ill=49% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-23 UT 20:42-00:27 Ill=40% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-24 UT 21:26-00:28 Ill=31% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-25 UT 22:13-23:26 Ill=23% Geminus

     BAA Request: On 2011 Jan 21 Nigel Longshaw suspected the 
     eastern side of Geminus (on the border of the crater filled 
     shadow and the eastern illuminated rim) had a colouration to 
     it. This extended for a short distance from the floor shadow 
     into the illuminated rim width and spanned  from the north to 
     the south of the crater. For a comparison, Cleomedes was 
     checked but nothing unusual was noticed in its shadow. The 
     observer notes that Elger also saw colour here too. Its 
     probable that some natural surface colouration was observed, 
     but this needs to be checked out? Telescopes of aperture 4" 
     or larger are needed to observe this effect. If you have a 
     refractor, then try using this, otherwise a reflector will do 
     just as well. Please send any sketches, images, or visual 
     descriptions to: a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2024-Dec-25 UT 22:13-00:28 Ill=22% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-26 UT 23:03-00:29 Ill=15% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-27 UT 23:57-00:29 Ill=8% Earthshine: sporadic meteors

     These can only be observed using low-light level cameras running at 25 frames per sec,
     or faster, and capable of recording 9th or 10th magnitude stars in real time.
     Dates/UTs of observing runs, or detections of impacts, should be emailed to:
     ALPO - email: c u d n i k @ s b c g l o b a l . n e t
     BAA - email: a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k
     UAI - email: a m . 5 4 8 5 2 @ g m a i l . c o m


2024-Dec-28 UT 23:17-00:32 Ill=4% Moon

     BAA Request: Please try to image the Moon as a very thin 
     crescent, tryimg to detect Earthshine. A good telephoto lens 
     will do on a DSLR, or a camera on a small scope. We are 
     attempting to monitor the brightness of the edge of the 
     earthshine limb in order to follow up a project suggested by 
     Dr Martin Hoffmann at the 2017 EPSC Conference in Riga, 
     Latvia. This is quite a challenging project due to the sky 
     brightness and the low altitude of the Moon. Please be very 
     careful around sunrise so as not to be observing once the Sun 
     has risen. Do not bother observing if the sky conditions are 
     hazy. Any images should be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k