How to View the Moon With Binoculars

Posted by Anonymous , 9/5/2007 Tags:ViewMoonWithBinoculars
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How to View the Moon With Binoculars

Introduction

The moon's features come to life with a simple pair of binoculars. Identify mountains, seas and craters without the use of a fancy telescope. You don't have to be Neil Armstrong to take an evening and explore the surface of Earth's best friend.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Steps

1

Step One

Download a free moon map. These are easy to find, but the ARVAL Observatory in Argentina provides one of the best.
2

Step Two

Pick a night either a couple days before or a couple days after the full moon to view the moon's surface. Full moons are often so bright that surface's features are obscured.
3

Step Three

Use your binoculars to look along the edge where the dark and light portions of the moon meet. You see the most definition along this line.
4

Step Four

Identify some of the most notable features using your map. Start with the craters Copernicus and Tycho. These are two of the most prominent features on the moon's surface and stand out right away.
5

Step Five

Familiarize yourself with the different smooth regions, or seas, on the moon's surface. The more familiar you become with these areas the easier it is to identify other formations.
6

Step Six

Move on to more hard-to-find features as you become comfortable with the moon's topography and with your binoculars.
7

Step Seven

Visit your local observatory or planetarium. Ask the experts there to help you in your exploration of the moon. They should have books, programs, classes or even astronomy groups that could serve as a resource for you.

Overall Things You'll Need

  • Binoculars
  • Moon Map
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