Zooming Out from Messier to the Full Moon

The images below have been cropped from an Earth-bound image of the Full Moon, taken with the 0.9-meter telescope of Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. This series of magnifications demonstrates where the Messier Moon Crater can be found on the Moon; we hope the observer can now easier find it.

[Moon crater Messier, KPNO/NOAO]

Moon craters Messier (right and slightly up) and Messier A. The bright twin rays reaching out from the craters across Mare Fecunditatis is evident; fine detail is visible in this high-resolution Earth-bound image, taken with the Mosaic CCD Camera and showing features of only a few kilometers across.

[Mare Fecunditatis, NOAO]

Mare Fecunditatis is visible in this wider crop. Messier craters and rays are still prominent in this image.

[Mare Fecunditatis region, NOAO]

All of Mare Fecunditatis and its environment. Mare Crisium is in the North (to the top), Mare Tranquilitatis in East (West on the Lunar surface, to the left). Messier craters still well visible and ray notable.

[Western portion of the Moon, NOAO]

Portion of the Moon showing the Western sector of the Moon's near side. Messier craters can still just be identified.

[Full Moon, NOAO]

Full Moon. CCD image taken with the 0.9-m telescope and Mosaic CCD camera of Kitt Peak National Observatory, mounted on another image of the background stars taken with the 4-m Mayall telescope. In this image, it is difficult to find the Messier craters.

Credit: T.A.Rector, I.P.Dell'Antonio/NOAO/AURA/NSF

  • More information on the NOAO Moon image (N.A. Sharp)

  • More on Moon Crater Messier

    Hartmut Frommert [contact]