Image Title: Horseshoe Crater in Mare Crisium

Image Description and Details : This is not the most spectacular image I have captured of the Moon, but what transpired with it is.

NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace of Cedar Park, Texas, approximately $93.3 million to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon in 2023. The delivery, planned for Mare Crisium, a low-lying basin on the Moon’s near side, will investigate a variety of lunar surface conditions and resources. Such investigations will help prepare for human missions to the lunar surface.

My friend Brian Hamilton Day from NASA Ames Research Center presented me with a challenge to try and capture Horseshoe Crater in Mare Crisium, where the Firefly mission landing is mentioned above. Brian then sent this image to the Chief Engineer at Firefly Aerospace and here is a segment of that conversation.

*** I brought Horseshoe Crater forward as a challenge object to the Amateur Astronomy Selenology Project, a group of expert lunar imagers. With its small diameter, low profile and no significant albedo difference from the surrounding terrain, this is truly a very challenging subject of terrestrial imaging. It is only visible when close proximity to the terminator results in greatly prolonged shadowing that accentuates its modest topography. Gary Varney, one of the leaders of the group, responded successfully with the enclosed image. Gary captured this remarkable image at the 96% waning gibbous phase using an 11-inch aperture Celestron CPC Deluxe 1100 Edge HD telescope, an Altair IMX174 Mono camera, and a 3X barlow lens. With this demonstration that this is indeed a possible target, the challenge of tracking down this remarkable landform could add to the public interest and involvement in this very intriguing area, especially if it becomes the target of a landed mission. A current effort by the Solar System Treks development team in conjunction with Cal State University Los Angeles is adding functionality to the Moon Trek portal facilitate ground-based telescopes and amateur astronomers tracking down and identifying a wide range of lunar landforms such as this. ***

Firefly responded...

*** Thanks Bryan, that’s a fantastic image! We are discussing the possibility of operating some hours into the lunar night. This image shows that even after our lander is in the dark, we’ll still be able to see the horseshoe for a period. We’ll have to discuss an exact definition of “dusk” with our Contracting Officer.***



Copyright: [Gary P Varney ][1]

[1]: http://www.facebook.com/gary.varney.79