Monday, June 29, 2015

Tycho

When the moon moves towards full, the great crater, Tycho, is one of the most easily-seen on the lunar surface. Named after the famous Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, the crater is 86 km in diameter and 4.8 km deep. One of the most prominent features of Tycho is its ray system, that looks like a large splash on the lunar surface. The crater is terraced and has large cracks in the floor, indicating past volcanism, most likely from rocks melted by the impact that created the crater. Some of the smaller craters around Tycho seem to have been formed by ejecta from the formation of Tycho itself.

Tycho is easily seen with binoculars and is very prominent when the moon is full. As the moon is full on July 2, it's a good time to see the crater in all its glory now. Through binoculars, will find if at approximately the 7 o'clock position on the lunar disk if you're in the Northern Hemisphere.


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