Moon photo, what is that bright spot?
Aug 31, 2020 11:09:09 #
What is the bright spot showing on the left side of the moon right at the very edge about 2/3 up from the bottom. Looks reflective. Is is some kind of image artifact?
Aug 31, 2020 11:19:21 #
Probably a high sidewall of a crater that has a lot of white power and reflecting the light off of it?
Aug 31, 2020 11:20:38 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
bleirer wrote:
What is the bright spot showing on the left side of the moon right at the very edge about 2/3 up from the bottom. Looks reflective. Is is some kind of image artifact?
It is the raised edge of either a crater (most likely) or a small mountain ridge. It is more face on to the sun than the surrounding features being found at the edge of the shadow. It will disappear as the sun gets high on that area until the sun comes around to this same position again.
Aug 31, 2020 11:47:49 #
Neil Armstrong had once mentioned that he should have not left that light on before leaving the moon.
Aug 31, 2020 11:53:45 #
DaveD65 wrote:
Neil Armstrong had once mentioned that he should have not left that light on before leaving the moon.
Either that or it's a new McDonalds...
Aug 31, 2020 12:04:19 #
Sep 1, 2020 06:27:50 #
Sep 1, 2020 07:07:42 #
Sep 1, 2020 09:27:13 #
Sep 1, 2020 11:12:34 #
Sep 1, 2020 11:31:54 #
Ballard
Loc: Grass Valley, California
bleirer wrote:
What is the bright spot showing on the left side of the moon right at the very edge about 2/3 up from the bottom. Looks reflective. Is is some kind of image artifact?
This was a meteor impact but it occurred ~ 450million years ago (fairly recent in terms of major craters) This impact created the crater we call Aristarchus. Being so young means that the solar wind hasn't had time to darkened the material excavated by the event. Your image captured the very bright side wall of Aristarchus. This is one of the most reflective areas on the moon (double the albedo of most areas on the moon) and at times can even be picked out with the naked eye. This crater is ~200 kilometers across and deeper than the grand canyon. The central peak is actually the brightest part but of the crater but crater wall is also bright and larger which is mainly what you picked up in the photo.
Nice shot by the way.
Sep 1, 2020 11:54:04 #
Sep 1, 2020 13:04:33 #
wdross
Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado
Ballard wrote:
This was a meteor impact but it occurred ~ 450mill... (show quote)
Thanks for the info. It was on my mind to look up what crater it was. Sounds like you might have a telescope and know how to use it. Either that or a very long expensive lens.
Of course, if I had tried to look up the crater and could not readily find it, I was going to go with the McDonald's theory and order a burger, fries, and a shake.
Sep 1, 2020 13:32:14 #
Sep 1, 2020 14:11:42 #
Ballard wrote:
This was a meteor impact but it occurred ~ 450mill... (show quote)
Thanks for the serious reply to those that took the time. I was truly mystified because it might have been an artifact of the photographic process.
I'm sure you know this. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2465/aristarchus-crater/
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