Telescope Reviews: Craters Stiborius & Piccolomini on the Terminator

Mike and Ian,

Thank you both for the kind words. I always try and take advantage of clear November nights. They are rare in these parts.

On Wednesday evening I was planning a sketch of Rupes Recta if sky conditions held up and they did. The sun was just reaching beyond straight wall as I began sketching. Very enjoyable session.
I set up to sketch Rupes Recta on the floor of Mare Nubium. From the eastern edge of Mare Nubium you can see the triplet craters, Thebit (57 km), A and L. Next moving westward is the Imbrian escarpment Rupes Recta , not a true wall in the usual sense but on one side standing more than 300
meters high at some locations and 114 km in length. The scarp face would be visible
from the rim of young crater Birt’s (17 km) to the west of “straight wall” if you could get there.
Touching the rim of Birt to the east is Birt A.

Sketching:
For this sketch I used: black Canson paper (8” x 10”), white and black pastel pencils, assorted erasers, and blending stumps
Telescope: 13.1” f/6 Dobsonian working at 222X (9mm ocular)
Date: 11-22-2012 01:00-02:45 UT Temperature: 12°C (54°F)
Hazy, slightly breezy
Seeing: Antoniadi III
Colongitude 10.1 °
Lunation 8.1 days
Illumination 64.9%
Alt. 45°

Frank