METEO AND SEEING FORECASTS
Tycho is one of the most prominent crater of the Moon, not because its size (barely reaching 90 km) but for the extremely high albedo both of the crater and its exceptionally wide ray system. The well defined terraces, and the optically immature rays (not visible here) concur in placing Tycho easily it in the Copernican lunar period, reserved to the youngest features of our satellite. In this image (south is on top) is emphasized a long chain of craterlets, running diagonally from the western wall of the crater. Classical Cassegrain 12" f/20 ASI178MM Astronomik G filter
Thanks to low illumination angles you can easily see the well known system of rilles (a delicious eyepiece sight!), the smallest of which have a width around 600 meters, comparable to Vallis Alpes central rima. Good, despite not exceptional, seeing conditions. CFF 12" f/20 Classical Cassegrain ASI178MM Astronomik G filter
A classic lunar trio: Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel, from North to South (left to right). In this case it is actually a quintet as you can see also Herschel, on the norhern edge, and Alpetragius. Herschel is the youngest of the five, followed by Arzachel, while Ptolomaeus is the older (its formation being estimated around 4 billions of years ago). Note the chains of craterlets on the east and west of Ptolemaeus, and the dark spots inside Alphonsus. CFF 30 cm Classical Cassegrain ASI178MM Astronomik R filter
