Observing the Moon

Guest Speaker

Thursday, 30th November 2023 (19:45 - 22:00)

Venue: swmcmeet

Observing the Moon is a captivating experience that offers a wealth of opportunities for both amateur astronomers and casual stargazers. The Moon, Earth's only natural satellite, is a constant presence in our night sky, and its phases and features provide an ever-changing spectacle.

The Moon's phases are determined by its position in relation to the Sun and Earth. As the Moon orbits our planet, different portions of its illuminated surface become visible, resulting in the familiar cycle of the lunar phases: new moon, crescent, first quarter, gibbous, and full moon. Observing the changing phases of the Moon is a fascinating way to understand the geometry of the Earth-Moon-Sun system and appreciate the dynamics of celestial motion.

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Speaker: Michael Morris

Michael is an amateur astronomer who lives under the dark(ish) skies of rural Worcestershire. His formal education and career have been in the protection of our rivers and wetlands.  However, he has had a passion for everything lunar ever since the days of the Apollo landings and has been an active amateur observer for nearly 30 years. Michael has the lofty aim of turning the casual lunar observer into a selenic sleuth – a translator of the splodges of light and shade we see through the eyepiece into a coherent story of events that occurred over the last 4 billions years or so.

We start with a brief overview of what we know about the history of our nearest celestial neighbour and what equipment the amateur astronomer will need to best explore its pockmarked skin. The presentation then delves into the processes that we believe created to the Moon’s apparently chaotic surface. The talk concludes with some worked examples of how the amateur observer can apply this knowledge to decode the seemingly random array of craters, plains, valleys, ridges and mountains seen through the eyepiece into a history of how the lunar landscape has changed over billions of years and what sequence of processes we think caused these transformations.