Lunar Observing Schedule for: USA MT Helena



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


2026-Feb-01 UT 05:42-06:40 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 .


2026-Feb-05 UT 09:35-13:50 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


2026-Feb-08 UT 09:48-10:58 Ill=60% Calippus

     BAA Request: Images needed of the area around this crater, 
     including the nearby terminator. Any images should be 
     emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2026-Feb-20 UT 01:31-01:50 Ill=7% 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


2026-Feb-21 UT 01:32-03:08 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


2026-Feb-22 UT 01:34-04:25 Ill=24% 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


2026-Feb-23 UT 01:35-05:41 Ill=35% 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


2026-Feb-24 UT 06:25-07:25 Ill=47% Ukert

     Ukert: a "V" on the Moon - this is a Clair-Obscur effect. 
     Clair-Obscur have no scientific importance and are just tricks of the 
     light that make us think we see something like a letter of the alphabet 
     or a shape or face. Clair-Obscur effects are scientifically pointless 
     to observe. However, if you want to be thrilled, or obtain an image to 
     impress someone then give them a go. If you do observe, or image this, 
     by all means send your observation into ALPO or the BAA, but we 
     probably won't publish, but will nevertheless retain in our archives, 
     just in case features elsewhere in the image are of interest to 
     future researchers.


2026-Feb-24 UT 06:25-07:25 Ill=47% Werner

     Werner: an "X" on the Moon - this is a Clair-Obscur effect. 
     Clair-Obscur have no scientific importance and are just tricks of the 
     light that make us think we see something like a letter of the alphabet 
     or a shape or face. Clair-Obscur effects are scientifically pointless 
     to observe. However, if you want to be thrilled, or obtain an image to 
     impress someone then give them a go. If you do observe, or image this, 
     by all means send your observation into ALPO or the BAA, but we 
     probably won't publish, but will nevertheless retain in our archives, 
     just in case features elsewhere in the image are of interest to 
     future researchers.


2026-Feb-24 UT 01:37-06:55 Ill=47% 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


2026-Feb-25 UT 07:52-08:26 Ill=59% Plato

     BAA Request: It has been noticed that a bright carterlet can 
     appear very suddenly on the floor of Plato in between needle 
     like shadows, during local lunar sunrise. This happens in the 
     space of just a minute or so, and can look really quite dramatic.
     This effect was first spotted by Brian Halls on 2014 Oct 31 
     Please send any high resolution images, detailed scetches, or 
     visual descriptions to: a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2026-Feb-26 UT 06:32-07:31 Ill=69% Copernicus

     BAA Request: On 2012 Sep 24 E. Horner noticed a very strong red 
     colour around part of the sunlit inner rim of Copernicus, 
     sometimes a 1/4 and sometimes 1/2 around the interior. Quite 
     likely this was some form of atmospheric spectral dispersion - 
     though the observer checked for similar effects on other craters 
     but saw none. But to be sure we would like to obtain some colour 
     images or visual observations of this crater. The minimum sized 
     telescope to be used would ideally a 6" reflector. Low elevation 
     angles for the Moon are ideal as we want to try to replicate 
     this effect if it is indeed due to atmospheric spectral 
     dispersion. Please send any high resolution images, detailed 
     sketches, or visual descriptions 
     to: a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2026-Feb-27 UT 09:18-10:16 Ill=80% Apollo_15

     Apollo 15: This is what the lunar surface would have looked like when 
     Apollo 15 blasted off from the Moon. Aim for the area 
     of Rima Hadley. The illumination and the shadows are
     exactly the same. There is no scientific value in imaging 
     this, but from the nostalgic point of view it might be interesting 
     to observe. Feel free to send your observation in to the BAA or 
     ALPO and we will put it in our archives, but as we have 
     a lot of these images already, we may not publish it, unless it is 
     exceptionally high in resolution. Minimum diameter scope to use 
     would be 20cm, but larger apertures are preferred: 


2026-Feb-28 UT 01:36-02:35 Ill=87% Proclus

     ALPO Request: On 1989 Feb 17 David Darling made an observation 
     about the brightness of the east and west walls of Proclus. We 
     would like you to image, sketch, or just visually note which 
     is brighter, the east or the west rim of this crater? 
     Telescopes of aperture 6 inche or larger should be used. 
     Please send any observation you make to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2026-Feb-28 UT 02:16-03:15 Ill=87% Apollo_14

     Apollo 14: This is what the lunar surface would have looked like 
     when Apollo 14 blasted off from the Moon. Aim for the area 
     north of Fra Mauro. The illumination and the shadows are
     exactly the same. There is no scientific value in imaging 
     this, but from the nostalgic point of view it might be interesting 
     to observe. Feel free to send your observation in to the BAA or 
     ALPO and we will put it in our archives, but as we have 
     a lot of these images already, we may not publish it, unless it is 
     exceptionally high in resolution. Minimum diameter scope to use 
     would be 20cm, but larger apertures are preferred: 


2026-Feb-28 UT 10:00-10:46 Ill=89% Aristarchus

     ALPO Request: On 2013 Apr 22 Paul Zellor noticed that the two 
     closely spaced NW dark bands in Aristarchus had some (non-blue) 
     color to them. Can we confirm his observation of natural colour 
     here? Ideally you should be using a telescope of 10" aperture, or 
     larger. Please send any high resolution color images, detailed 
     sketches, or visual descriptions to: a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .