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(meteorobs) Interesting lunar observation
Hi lists fellows:
I just want to share a rather interesting and weird observation (at
least for me) I just made a few minutes ago from my backyard (roughly 9°
54" Northern latitude, 84° 56" Western longitude), using my Tasco 4
1/2" and a 20 mm eyepiece.
Exactly at 8:34 pm Costarrican time (2:34 am GMT) I saw a black object
crossing the face of the Moon in a straight and steady path, entering
the moon from lunar Southeast over Mare Humorum, traveling between Tycho
and Copernicus through Sinus Medii, touching the Southern part of Mare
Serenitatis and leaving the Moon roughly by Franklin in the lunar
Nortwest.
The observation lasted some 2 seconds and when I lifted my sight up I
did't see any meteor, smoke or trail signs, nor any plane lights.
I assume it could have been a high altitude airplane or even a satellite
(althoug I don't know if any of them travel in that kind of path, that
is from celestial Northeast to Southwest. Since I was looking through
the eyepiece I did't see if a meteor occured just before crossing the
Moon. I suppose it could also have been the last of a meteor entering
the atmosphere after burnout.
Well, I will have to store this new exciting moment in my brainy hard
disk and remember it from time to time. This is what makes astronomy so
different and exciting.
_
/ \
/ Carlos Hernandez
o Heredia, Costa Rica
/ "May your skies be 'pura vida' tonight"
\ _ /