I have spent the last few months looking up when the skies have been especially clear and occasionally got the telescope out for a closer look. The planets have all looked superb and I got my best views of Saturn in late October. Due to the telescope I have and the amount of eyepieces and barlow's I use, an image is out of the question but nevertheless it was quite a awe inspiring sight.
The moon looked particularly good last night; at 69% visibility the waxing gibbous was accompanied by Mars as it passed my preferred piece of sky. The clouds were no fun but, as the wind was so strong there were fleeting glimpses of our satellite.
I couldn't get the clarity due to the clouds but through the eyepiece there were some lovely features on view.
I have ringed Arzachel as it's a favorite of mine it has a depth of 3.6 km, a large central peak and a accompanying craterlet, which is obscured in the picture above by the crates shadow.
I always enjoy getting the shadows from the Montes Apenninus and the Montes Carpatus (lower and more left in the above image). The larger Crater above the Carpatus is Achimedes , whilst the bigger, more central crater towards the top is Plato - I'm sensing a theme!
Apollo 15 landed towards the top of the Apenninus on 26th July 1971 and was one of the longer stays on the moon.
Al
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