Mare Australe is an ancient, buried, large basin that falls mostly in the lunar libration zone southeast and beyond.
It is heavily cratered as it formed during the great bombardment as that event continued.
The crust of the Moon here is not especially thick and as the impacts continued many craters were completely buried as others seen today had their floors flooded by dark lava. Unlike the much younger Orientale basin at the Southwestern libration zone, no concentric rings are visible at Australe.
The first 5 craters listed and labeled are ones I have never previously sketched.
Lyot (141 km.), Hamilton (58 km.), Jenner (71 km.), Oken (72 Km.), Harlan ( 63 Km.),
Brisbane (44 Km.), Peirescius (62 km.)
Sketching and Equipment used:
For this sketch I used: black Strathmore 400 Artagain paper, 8”x 12”, white and black Conte’ pastel pencils, White Pearl eraser and blending stumps.
Telescope: 10 inch f/5.7 Dobsonian and 7.5 mm eyepiece 193x, on an equatorial platform
Date: 03-18-2024 02:30 - 03:55 UT, Temperature: 19°C (67° F)
Clear, calm, Seeing: Antoniadi III
Co longitude: 4.6°, Lunation: 7.8 days
Libration in Longitude: + 06° 39’
Libration in Latitude: - 06° 39’
Illumination: 60 %
Phase: 78.4°
Frank5817
With some labels
