Eyes on the Sky - 4/15/13
The Lunar X, S and Apollo 16
As humans, we tend to see patterns and shapes in nature - clouds that look like animals or people, or as in this month's video, letters on the Moon due to the angle of sunlight striking it's surface. Just slightly before 1st quarter phase several times this year, an "X" shape appears where the craters Purbach, LaCaille and Blanchinus are. This "Lunar X" is only visible for a few hour, as once the Moon's rotation reaches a certain point, the areas surrounding the craters become visible and the "X" is not distinguishable from the background.
Not far away to the east, an "S" shape - laying down on it's side - can be seen, created by the features Mons Penck and the crater Kant. Not far from here (visually anyway) we can find the location of where the Apollo 16 astronauts landed. Their mission began on April 16, 1972 and four days later, John Young and Charles Duke stepped on the surface, 41 years ago this week. You can locate the area where they walked with any small telescope, near the crater Descartes. The equipment they left behind is too small to see with any Earth or space-based telescope, but the general area where they were is easily found.
Link: Eyesonthesky.com
