Waxing Moon with Golden Handle

June 12, 2019


From earthsky.org May 18, 2019:

The Golden Handle of the moon is a play of light on the lunar surface, along the terminator line, visible four to five days before full moon. At this time, the high peaks of the lunar Montes Jura (Jura Mountains) are lit by sunlight. They appear as a bright arc, in front of the flat and still-dark plain of lava on the moon, known as the Sinus Iridum (the Bay of Rainbows). It, in turn, is part of the larger lava plain we call the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains).

Using one of the first telescopes in the early 1600s, it’s said, astronomer Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) knew of the Golden Handle and used his observations of it to estimate the height of the lunar mountains.

In Cheryl's picture, look in the upper left edge of the Moon.

Click here to see Cheryl's image at SpaceWeather.com