Lunar Observing Schedule for: Malta - Valetta



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


2026-Jul-02 UT 02:17-03:50 Ill=96% Aristarchus

     BAA Request: Do the appearance of the bands on the crater rim 
     vary (blur) in appearance over time? Compare them to bands in 
     other craters e.g. Herodotus, Kepler, Copernicus. If you do 
     see any variations in sharpness, see how it relates to 
     atmospheric seeing condtions. All images or sketches should 
     be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k 


2026-Jul-02 UT 23:47-04:51 Ill=92% 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-Jul-05 UT 03:27-04:19 Ill=77% Alphonsus

     BAA Request: Please monitor the brightness of the central peak 
     by comparing it to similar sized mountain peaks elsewhere on the 
     Moon. Make regular measurements/images e.g. every 5 to 10 
     minutes over the observing slot. Does the brightness vary with 
     atmospheric seeing conditions? Any brightness measurements or 
     images made should be emailed to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c . u k


2026-Jul-08 UT 01:46-02:09 Ill=47% Plato

     BAA Request: Its around this Co-Longitude that some observers 
     have reported seeing an Ashen Light effect on the shadowed floor 
     of Plato, caused by scattered light off of an illuminated peak 
     on the rim. Please have a go either visually, or with long 
     exposure time lapse imagery to see if you can pick up the 
     development of this weak illumination effect on the floor. 
     Please send any sketches or images to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2026-Jul-08 UT 02:11-05:20 Ill=45% 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-Jul-09 UT 02:44-05:20 Ill=34% Earthshine: July Pegasids: ZHR=3 vel=63km/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


2026-Jul-10 UT 03:25-05:21 Ill=24% Earthshine: July Pegasids: ZHR=3 vel=63km/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


2026-Jul-11 UT 04:15-05:22 Ill=14% 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-Jul-12 UT 05:15-05:22 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-Jul-18 UT 20:42-21:07 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-Jul-19 UT 20:42-21:29 Ill=34% 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-Jul-20 UT 20:41-21:49 Ill=44% 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-Jul-21 UT 20:40-22:08 Ill=54% 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-Jul-22 UT 22:36-23:03 Ill=64% Plato

     Plato's Hook: a hook like effect in one of the shadow spires in Plato, 
     near a rim - this is a Clair-Obscur effect. It was first seen by 
     H.P.Wilkins in 1952. 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-Jul-25 UT 21:16-22:13 Ill=88% 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 .


2026-Jul-26 UT 20:13-23:08 Ill=93% Cavendish_E

     BAA Request: Cavendish E - we are attempting to check out two 
     reports made on 2021 Jun 22 UT 20:44 and 2025 Sep 04 UT 20:04 
     which both said that part of the northern rim of this crater 
     was as bright as Aristarchus. Visual observation or images 
     - high resolution and/or wide angle (to compare with other 
     bright features) would be welcome. Telescopes of aperture 5", 
     or larger, should be used. Please send any images to: 
     a t c @ a b e r . a c. u k .


2026-Jul-26 UT 21:30-22:21 Ill=93% Aristarchus

     ALPO Request: Take a look at the bright area on the crater 
     floor, and the bright east facing part of the western rim, in 
     red and blue light e.g. Wratten 25 and 38A. Do these look 
     brighter to you in red or blue light? If you have these filters, 
     is it the fact that the Wratten 38A filter, being denser, makes 
     these areas brighter in one filter than in the other? Test them 
     out on other features. Any visual descriptions, sketches or 
     colour images should be emailed to: 
     t o n y . c o o k @ a l p o - a s t r o n o m y . o r g


2026-Jul-26 UT 22:10-23:08 Ill=93% Prinz

     ALPO Request: Compare the crater in red and blue light - if 
     possible use Wratten 25 and Wratten 38A filters. If its 
     brighter in one filter than the other, is this because one 
     filter is a lot darker than the other, or is the effect 
     confined only to this crater? Any visual descriptions, 
     sketches, or colour images should be emailed to: 
     t o n y . c o o k @ a l p o - a s t r o n o m y . o r g


2026-Jul-28 UT 22:12-00:09 Ill=99% Copernicus

     ALPO Request: Can you see a darkening on the northen floor of 
     this crater? All visual reports, sketches or color images should 
     be emailed to: 
     t o n y . c o o k @ a l p o - a s t r o n o m y . o r g