Contains:  Solar system body or event
The Northern territories, Keith Grice

The Northern territories

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging
The Northern territories, Keith Grice

The Northern territories

Acquisition type: Lucky imaging

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Description

The Moons northern territories has an eye-catching pair of craters, Aristoteles and Eudoxus. Aristoteles is a complex crater with terraces, but in place of a central mountain it has a couple of small off-center peaks that are poking through the lava plain on its floor. The substantial ejecta blanket to the north of Aristoteles clearly shows radial structure, and if you catch it in the early morning sunrise, it will look like many points of light peeking through the shadows.

Aristoteles adjoins the crater Mitchell to its immediate east. The pair violates the standard rule that smaller, younger craters are superimposed on top of larger, older craters.

And check out the Alpine Valley immediately to the west of Aristoteles. See if you spot the tiny rille meandering down its middle. The rille is visible through a 5″ refractor (provided that you have excellent optics and great seeing). An 8-inch telescope will increase your chances considerably.

Lower left is Aristillus, a prominent lunar impact crater that lies in the eastern Mare Imbrium.

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The Northern territories, Keith Grice

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The Mineral Moon