Marvelous Lunar Maria
| Polish version is here |
I am writing this post on Easter Monday. However, not everyone knows that Easter has some interesting connections with the only natural satellite of our planet. The holiday is movable, meaning it falls on different dates each year. But how is this date determined? It turns out that Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox.
Shortly before that full moon, I captured a photograph of the Moon, which I present below.
Observation
April 4, 2020, around 9:00 PM – Jaworzno (Poland), garden
urban environment, high level of light pollution
The most striking features of the lunar surface are the so-called lunar maria (singular: mare). Of course, they have nothing to do with bodies of water—they are actually areas that appear visibly darker than the surrounding regions when viewed with the naked eye or through optical instruments. Geologically, maria are flat plains with smoother surfaces compared to the rest of the Moon’s terrain.
The photograph below was taken as a so-called one shot, meaning it was captured without advanced imaging techniques such as stacking. As a result, it closely resembles what one might see through binoculars. The arrow indicates north, while the white outline marks an area I photographed and described in detail here.
Below, I present labels to help identify features in the photograph, along with the names of the most easily recognizable lunar maria (in Latin and English) and three prominent craters that can assist with orientation on the lunar surface.
- α - Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains)
- β - Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms)
- γ - Mare Humorum (Sea of Moisture)
- δ - Mare Nubium (Sea of Clouds)
- ε - Mare Nectaris (Sea of Nectar)
- ζ - Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility or Sea of Fecundity)
- η - Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises)
- θ - Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility)
- ι - Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity)
- κ - Mare Vaporum (Sea of Vapors)
- λ - Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold)
- μ - Mare Cognitum (Sea of Knowledge)
- ν - Mare Insularum (Sea of Islands)
- ξ - Mare Spumans (Foaming Sea)
- 1 - Copernicus
- 2 - Tycho
- 3 - Plato
In my opinion, the names of these geological formations on the Moon possess a poetic beauty—they evoke mysterious and heartwarming associations.
Photo 1 Parameters:
- Total exposure time: 1/320 second
- Canon EOS 60D
- ISO: 500
- Lens: zoom type (used at fmax = 250mm)
- A filter was used to reduce the effects of artificial light pollution and atmospheric glow
- Mount: photographic tripod
Marek Ples