HaleBopper
sage
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 239
Loc: Great White North
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For those of you who have the April 2008 issue of Astronomy magazine, page 45 has a small write up on the Purbach Cross, or Werner X, on the moon.
Last night I had a look at it, and it was fantastic! See if you can find in on my image. I took a quick afocal shot of it using a 2.0 Megapixel Kodak easy share camera. I used an Orion stratus 24 mm eyepeice, and an 8" SCT.
-------------------- 8" SCT CG5 mount
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 21, 24mm Orion Stratus
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Mare Nectaris
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 03/09/08
Posts: 1072
Loc: Toijala, Finland
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Yup - there it is - just and just visible right on 1 o'clock from those two craters into the darkness of the terminator - fantastically lit by almost fading light of the Sun!
What a catch of you - well done!!!
To be honest - would not have found it without the story on Astronomy - yet terminator into darkness on your pic is the other way round than in the article.
Thanks for sharing this with us - be well and clear skies!
-------------------- Share - and you shall have it all
Timo Keski-Petäjä
CtheMoon
Observation shelter KuuMaja (MoonHut)
TAL 250K*Celestron C8-N*SkyWatcher Skymax 150 Pro*TAL1(Mizar)*EQ6 Pro SynScan*Celestron Advanced GT (CG-5 GOTO)*Baader Hyperion Clickstop Zoom 8-24*17 mm UWA-70*TeleVue BIG 2x Barlow*Celestron 2x Barlow Ultima SV Series
Edited by Mare Nectaris (04/13/08 12:50 PM)
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Nice afocal of the Lunar X! Many here were pleased to see it hit the national magazine I'm sure. Good Job. It was rainning here...
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
Edited by 67champ (04/13/08 02:21 PM)
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HaleBopper
sage
Reged: 01/14/08
Posts: 239
Loc: Great White North
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Thank you both for the comments. I'll be honest though, I forgot all about the Werner X Astronomy article. I just wanted an afocal lunar image. Then when I stumbled upon it I thought, "hey wait a minute! I know what that is!"
Here is a cropped image from my original shot. No resizing done.
-------------------- 8" SCT CG5 mount
Canon Digital Rebel 400
Kodak Easyshare 2.0 Megapixels
5, 8, 13, 17, 21, 24mm Orion Stratus
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janehoustonjones
sage
Reged: 10/21/07
Posts: 240
Loc: 34 N 118 W, 637.0 feet
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Here's my lunar X from my International Sidewalk Astronomy Night program last night. While I had a short break in the crowd in line at my 12.5-inch reflector telescope eyepiece, I snuck in and snapped a couple images of the "X". All my 157 viewers had a look, too, and they all enjoyed the temporary optical "X".
http://photo.whiteoaks.com/2008-04-12-isan/slides/IMG_9833.html
-------------------- Jane Houston Jones
Cassini Program Outreach Office
JPL's What's Up Podcast is here!
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Jane,
That's great! Another success.
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
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kx9i
super member
Reged: 03/04/08
Posts: 112
Loc: Phoenix, AZ USA
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Well done, all!
I am embarrassed to admit I was out last night trying to sketch the straight wall, and didn't even notice the X. Rupes Recta is just above (L.south) the X in 1st posted photo. I had trouble finding the wall when I started Lunar observing, but I'll remember it even better now that I know the X is visible in that same time slot!
I read that article, too, but I don't remember if it's visible at sunset as well as sunrise (as depicted). Does anyone know for sure?
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Carol L
   
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Here's my pic from 2004: X Marks the Spot.
(If I knew Chuck would use my email as the LPOD text, I'd have written something a bit more intelligent. )
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*Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Alex,
"The X" is very unspectacular in the light of the lunar sunset.
Carol, You did a great job with that, don't beat yourself up too much...
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
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Tom Faller
member
   
Reged: 08/07/06
Posts: 51
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
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I took shots of the moon Saturday night, saw an article about the X on www.spaceweather.com Tuesday and when I looked at my second shot again, the X popped out at me. The original picture showed about half the moon, but was way too large to post, so I cropped it down to the basics. I sent the original on to spaceweather so it should be there Wednesday. Camera was a Kodak 6.1 MP point-and shoot, using an unguided 8-inch Newt and a Meade 20mm eyepiece. I used an eyepiece adapter and auto shutter speed.
-------------------- Tom Faller
80mm StellarVue Nighthawk refractor
127mm Orion Maksutov-Cassegrain
200mm homebuilt Dobsonian with Discovery optics
10x50 Carton Adlerblick Binoculars
12" homebuilt truss Dob with Discovery optics
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Carol L
   
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Quote:
Carol, You did a great job with that, don't beat yourself up too much...
dana t
Thanks, Dana! 
(now he tells me... )
--------------------
*Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Tom,
Those are some really nice images!!! 
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
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Mare Nectaris
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 03/09/08
Posts: 1072
Loc: Toijala, Finland
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Tom ... one really starts to get the x -shape
Thanks
Be well all
-------------------- Share - and you shall have it all
Timo Keski-Petäjä
CtheMoon
Observation shelter KuuMaja (MoonHut)
TAL 250K*Celestron C8-N*SkyWatcher Skymax 150 Pro*TAL1(Mizar)*EQ6 Pro SynScan*Celestron Advanced GT (CG-5 GOTO)*Baader Hyperion Clickstop Zoom 8-24*17 mm UWA-70*TeleVue BIG 2x Barlow*Celestron 2x Barlow Ultima SV Series
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Tom Laskowski
journeyman
Reged: 04/28/08
Posts: 7
Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
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It's 0330 UTC on June 11, 2008. I just came in from a quick observing session to photograph the Werner X. Very clear sky and the X very prominent now!
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m9x18
sage
Reged: 10/12/07
Posts: 418
Loc: Abilene, Texas
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Very nice photo Tom! You did a great job capturing the moment.
I just got through showing the Werner "X" to my family. We've never seen it before. I was surprised at how good it could look through a small telescope (C80ED).
Again, thanks for posting the great picture. It confirmed that we were indeed viewing the "X".
-------------------- Robert
Celestron C80ED-R
TMB/BOC Planet Hunter 80
Stellarvue SV90TBV
All that is complex is not useful and all that is useful is simple. -- Mikhail Kalashnikov
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semiosteve
super member
Reged: 07/03/04
Posts: 143
Loc: NEOhio
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Hey folks...if I had planned to catch the famous X I would have had cloudy skies or some business trip, etc...but last night I just wandered out to view the moon with my AP180 and after concentrating on all those lovely rilles with a 10mm AP SPL I pulled back to use my 24mm Brandon and lo and behold - X marks the spot. LOL...if I had planned it I would have never seen it!
Really a very nice feature because the X has a lot of details - sort of a "crunchy" X. Skies were terrible but the X did not require such high power anyway. Fun to finally see it after 40 years!
-------------------- Steve Verba
7in. Astro-Physics StarFire
20in. Obsession
15 x 15 Rolloff (Backyard Observatories)
Mallincam Hyper Color video camera
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Mare Nectaris
Pooh-Bah
   
Reged: 03/09/08
Posts: 1072
Loc: Toijala, Finland
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Tom - that's even more X than the X itself! Just wonderful shot!
Thanks for sharing!
Be well!
-------------------- Share - and you shall have it all
Timo Keski-Petäjä
CtheMoon
Observation shelter KuuMaja (MoonHut)
TAL 250K*Celestron C8-N*SkyWatcher Skymax 150 Pro*TAL1(Mizar)*EQ6 Pro SynScan*Celestron Advanced GT (CG-5 GOTO)*Baader Hyperion Clickstop Zoom 8-24*17 mm UWA-70*TeleVue BIG 2x Barlow*Celestron 2x Barlow Ultima SV Series
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Tom Faller
member
   
Reged: 08/07/06
Posts: 51
Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA
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Tom: Great photo. I've been waiting for another shot at Werner and Tuesday night had just the right combination. I've cropped out a small area with the X from my photo, and posted a similar shot on www.spaceweather.com. They may or may not show it. I think I'll try to get a shot every two months and see if I can make a sequence of it developing as the sun rises.
I took mine about 10:15 EST from my suburban house just south of Atlanta, GA.
-------------------- Tom Faller
80mm StellarVue Nighthawk refractor
127mm Orion Maksutov-Cassegrain
200mm homebuilt Dobsonian with Discovery optics
10x50 Carton Adlerblick Binoculars
12" homebuilt truss Dob with Discovery optics
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Tom, Great Job! I'll try to post one of my pics soon.
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
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67champ
sage
Reged: 07/03/06
Posts: 325
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Here's a hand held afocal pic taken through my 127mm mak-cass using a Fuji A400 (auto-focus). Actualy auto everything!!! June 10, 2008, 10:03PM EDT.
dana t
-------------------- "To the Moon!"
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Meade 60mm Refractor
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