Moon Video Through My Telescope

1. Moon Video

Hi, Ray Shore here. This is your chance to view the moon as seen through a telescope. The moon video here was taken through my 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and ToUcam Pro 740K webcam on the night of May 28th, 2004. What you see in the video is a close represention of what you would see in the telescope eyepiece.

One purpose of showing a video here (as opposed to a still picture) is to demonstrate the effect that atmospheric turbulence has on image quality. Note how the lunar details appear to go in and out of focus. The night I took this video, the atmosphere was somewhat unsteady. This can make the observation of fine detail quite a challenge. With experience, an observer learns to be patient and waits for that brief moment when the image is at it's best resolution.

I hope you enjoy the video. Oh, and by the way, if you have your speakers on while watching the video, you'll hear a dog barking. That would be our American Eskimo, Brantley!

Three main features in this area of the moon are worth noting: the Carpathian Mountains and the craters Copernicus and Reinhold. Also note the ejecta blanket that surrounds each crater, particularly Copernicus. This material was ejected during the meteor collision that formed the crater.

LunarPhase Pro (for Win98/ME/NT/2000/XP) is a moon observer’s toolkit designed to make your observing sessions more productive. By using the integrated observation planning tools and the general lunar data presented on screen, you'll be able to easily plan for an observing session and be productive while observing. LunarPhase Pro contains an interactive Moon Atlas and over 9,200 features in its database. Maps can be zoomed, panned over and printed out, Search the database for features matching your criteria. Emulate the view through your telescope. These, ansd many other tools are all integrated together into one low cost solution. No other lunar software package matches the range of tools included.