Telescope Reviews: Jul09 CN Imaging/Sketching Contest Poll!

We are very pleased and proud to present the July 2009 Sketching Semi-Finalists in the Imaging/Sketching Contest.

markseibold:

Lunar Pastel Impression of 16.5 ~ 17 Day Old Moon

I began observing the moon through binoculars on Tuesday night July 7th through broken clouds as it rose over a low southern horizon. I was more impressed with the clouds and thought I would include them in the sketch. Then the clouds thickened and my sketching intentions were over. So I returned Wednesday night to much in binocular observation, then through the 10 inch Dobsonian and began to rough in the essential lines. As usual I work too large, so this is the largest attempt at nearly a 16 inch diameter lunar disc sketched onto black 19" X 24" Strathmore Artagain paper. I started with the terminator originally so the sketch should be dated as a 16.5 day old moon although I finished on the 17th day (evening) to add details to the central surface area. I feel that I could complete more details but time becomes an issue. As many ask me, I'll estimate that I spent a total of about 4 1/2 hours on this particular work.

The conditions on both evenings were of quite steady air at approximately 52 degrees F.
The moon looked spectacular even through binoculars. After doing so many near full moon sketches I have indelibly imprinted so many familiar surface features now into my memory. This is surely an exercise that makes one aware of what has been observed. Yet I still do not know all the surface feature names. I just recognize every little crater, mare, mountain ridge and detail now.

kraterkid:

Here's my entry for July 2009:

Kris.:

Aaron:

The Witches Broom

cildarith:

Telescope: Parks Astrolight EQ6 (6" f/6 Newtonian Reflector)
Eyepiece/Magnification: 7.5mm Parks Gold Series Plössl + 2x Barlow (240x)
Observer: Eric Graff
Date/Time: 29 July 2009, 03:05-04:05 UT
Location: San Diego, California, USA
Subject: Lade & Godin (Lunar Impact Craters)
Sketch: Black ink stippled on white cartridge paper

Comments: Lade (56 km, across, named after Heinrich E. von Lade, a German banker and amateur astronomer of the 19th century) is the basalt-flooded remains of a ruined impact crater. The south wall has been completely destroyed and the eastern rim is low, thin, and full of gaps. The western wall appears to be a bit more substantial. The crater has a distinctive hexagonal shape. Just north of Lade is a plateau (24 km across) designated Lade B. This crater, like a miniature version of Wargentin, has been completely filled to the rim with lava.

Godin (35 km, named after Louis Godin, the 18th-Century mathematician from France), in contrast with Lade, is a sharp, well-formed impact crater with terraced walls and a small central peak (hidden in shadows in the sketch, it was just becoming visible as I finished up). The crater is not perfectly circular, however; it is wider at the southern end and narrow at the northern end. An illuminated ridge outside the western wall gave me the impression of a partially opened heart-shaped locket. Godin (along with Agrippa, a crater to the north) is surrounded by an interesting arrangement of hills and mountains. I particularly enjoyed sketching the peaks west of the crater.

Please note that voting will conclude on August 8th at Midnight EST.

Many thanks to all who took part in the contest!

*

Which Sketch is our finalist?
Users may choose only one (22 total votes)

markseibold:

5 22%

kraterkid:

10 45%

Kris.:

3 13%

Aaron:

0 0%

cildarith:

4 18%