lördag 10 januari 2026

Good seeing watching the moon

Very good view through the telescope when I looked at the moon the other week. At the top is Montes Jura, it surrounds the smooth lava bed Sinus Iridum (Bay of Rainbows) on the northwestern edge of Mare Imbrium (Sea of ​​Rain). A little to the south is the mountain range Montes Recti where the highest peaks reach a height of about 1.8 km (Latin for "Straight Mountains") is a distinctive, linear mountain range on the moon, located in the northern part of Mare Imbrium. Below are the mountains Montes Teneriffa (Tenerife Mountains) with individual peaks at heights of up to 2.4 kilometers. The crater Plato (in Swedish often called Platon) is one of the moon's most famous and easily recognizable impact craters. It is particularly famous for its dark, flat bottom and its location at the edge of one of the large lunar oceans. Plato has one of the darkest surfaces on the moon because it is filled with old, solidified basaltic lava. Astronomers like Johannes Hevelius once called it "The Great Black Lake"



 

måndag 5 januari 2026

Moonlit snow crystals


97% moon and the bright planet Jupiter next to it. In the cold snowy landscape, small crystals of different colors are seen in the snow taken with a macro lens. Even the two-bright stars Castor and Pollux are seen above the moon.
Snow crystals appear in different colors primarily due to light interference (thin films, prisms) or contamination, with thin-film interference causing iridescent blues, purples, and rainbow hues from light reflecting off layers, while contamination from algae (watermelon snow, green) or dirt/pollen creates vibrant reds, greens, and even blacks, altering the crystal's pure white appearance