Every amateur astronomer starts off loving the Moon. They eagerly set up their telescopes in their garden, squint into the eyepiece and check what they can see against charts in books or magazines, looking for the 'celebrity' lunar features they've heard and read so much about. They whisper in the darkness as they make one discovery after another. "Ah... so that's Copernicus!" "That must be Tycho!" "Wow, they must be the Apennine Mountains." "Is that... yes, I think it is... the Sea of Tranquility!"
But after a while, the love affair between many new amateur astronomers and the Moon cools. They've seen all the 'good stuff' - the major craters, the most obvious mountain ranges, the ripples on the floors of the seas, and so on - and the Moon has begun to look, and feel, a bit 'samey'.
Frustrated with the inhibiting lunar glare, the astronomer begins to actually resent the Moon they had previously loved so much. They turn their back on it and avoid it as much as possible, only going out to observe the night sky when they know the Moon isn't going to be there.
But fear not. We're going to help those of you who have fallen out of love with the Moon to fall in love with it all over again by showing you 10 off-the-beaten-track lunar features you've perhaps never seen before, and nudging you back to a couple of better-known ones that deserve another look.
1. Langrenus
When the Moon is young, either a crescent a few days old or on the way towards first quarter, look towards its right-hand side through binoculars and you'll see a bright spot on the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Water, Water, Everywhere?
Penny Wozniakiewicz investigates why astronomers are so concerned with finding water in the Solar System, and why it is vital to our exploration of space
O&A WITH AN ECLIPSE CHASER
On 14 October 2023, an annular eclipse passed across mainland USA. Comedian and stargazer Jon Culshaw was there to witness it
Bresser ISA Space Exploration NASA 70/700 AZ telescope
This beginners' package has everything you need to see the Sun, Moon and planets
Ursa Major 6-inch f/8 Planetary Dobsonian
A decent option for would-be planetary observers on a limited budget
Use freeware to create star trail images
How to turn your frames into beautiful star trail photos in a few clicks
Venus's hostile atmosphere
Katrin Raynor takes a look at a planet where the skies boil and the clouds rain acid
Build your EYEPIECE COLLECTION
Great eyepieces are crucial to any astronomical setup. Here Tim Jardine arms you with the info you need to choose the best ones to invest in
THE BIG THREE
The top sights to observe or image this month
The remains of CREATION UNDERSTANDING THE CMB
Left over from the Big Bang, the cosmic microwave background gives astronomers an insight into the entire history of our Universe. Ezzy Pearson explains
A December GRAND TOUR
Just like the epic journeys of the Voyager probes to our Solar System's outer planets, this tour takes you to the gas and ice giants as they line up in the night sky this month. Stuart Atkinson is your guide