SPA Lunar Section

Through binoculars and small telescopes the Moon's surface resolves into a remarkable collection of seas, mountains and many hundreds of craters. In a telescope as small as a 60mm refractor just about every class of lunar feature can be seen, including faults, rilles, clefts, dorsa (wrinkle ridges) and domes.

The SPA Lunar Section encourages visual lunar observation and drawing the Moon's features.... but we're not some kind of weird nocturnal art school. The Moon is packed with fine detail, and the observer's ability to discern this is found to constantly improve with time spent at the eyepiece. The best way to get to know your way around the Moon and to make sense out of the lunar landscape is to sketch what can be seen. Observational honesty and accuracy are essential; sheer drawing speed, artistic flair or aesthetic appeal count for very little. Members are welcome to pursue their own lunar goals and/or participate in a range of special lunar observing projects. Our observing projects include:-

• Naked Eye Lunar Research
• Binocular & Small Telescope Studies
• Topographic Studies
• Eclipse Observation
• TLP (Transient Lunar Phenomena) Detection

The SPA Lunar Section also has its own journal called "Luna", which contains members' observations and Moon-related articles (subscription £2 for 4 issues plus 4 first class stamps - details sent on request).

Click below to see drawings by Section members:

• Copernicus by R. Neil Clark
• Clavius by R. Neil Clark
• Langrenus by John Coates
• Bullialdus by John Coates
• Posidonius by Jeffrey Barham

Maintained by Alan Mayer Email: A.D.Mayer@Swansea.ac.uk Last modified 4th Aug 1997