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Observe the Moon with NASA on October 16

by | Oct 14, 2021 | Observations


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When was the last time you took some time to observe the Moon? This month, on October 16, NASA is giving us all a reason to look up at our natural satellite with their annual听.

The main focus will be a听听streamed on YouTube, featuring tips for observing, citizen science projects you can do from home, and presentations from NASA members. There are also in-person events planned around the world 鈥听听if there鈥檚 one near you!

There are a number of听听on your own, too! Try observing the Moon, either with your naked eyes or a telescope, and sketching the features you see. Or, make your own impact crater models with simple household materials.

The event is also a chance to learn more about the science happening both on and around the Moon, including explorations of its history and formation and ongoing rover missions. And don鈥檛 forget, humans are going back to the Moon: NASA鈥檚 upcoming Artemis mission is slated to put humans back on the Moon by 2024. While more than 100 spacecraft have set off to explore our companion, just 12 humans have ever walked the Moon鈥檚 surface.

Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user David Hein (Australia)

Images captured by Unistellar Ambassador Scott Kardel (USA)

But that doesn鈥檛 mean we all can鈥檛 explore our closest celestial object. eVscopes are听听cratered landscape. International Observe the Moon Night takes place during a quarter moon, making the terminator, or the line dividing light and dark, an especially dramatic place to explore. There, shadows will throw lunar features like hills and valleys into sharp relief.

You can search for well-known features like the mare, vast regions of volcanic rock once thought to be seas, or peer deeper and pinpoint the landing spots of the Apollo missions wherein humans walked the Moon鈥檚 surface.

To听:

  • Search for the 鈥淢oon鈥 in the听黑料网听tab of the Unistellar app and hit听Go to.
  • If the Moon isn鈥檛 quite centered, slowly reduce the听Gain听until you can tell which direction the nearest light source 鈥 the Moon 鈥 is coming from. Then tap the arrows to shift the view towards the light. Repeat this process until the Moon is in full view.
  • If you haven鈥檛 done so already, make sure to manually set the听Gain听to all the way down to 0 dB and the听Exposure听to 5鈥20 ms, and make sure听Auto听mode is turned off for both. You鈥檒l be viewing the Moon in the听Live View听mode 鈥 it鈥檚 too bright for the eVscope鈥檚听Enhanced View mode.

We encourage you to share your observations and join the conversation through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #UnistellarChallenge!

If you鈥檇 like to send us your observations by email, send them to听[email protected].

 

 

Clear skies!听馃敪

Further readings

Titan’s shadows

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This summer, the ringed planet Saturn takes centre stage in our night sky, offering amateur astronomers a rare opportunity to observe fascinating transient events.