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The Astronomical League's
Lunar Club Certificate - The List

Rules and Regulations
Lunar List
Lunar Sketches

The 100 features to be observed for the Lunar Club are listed below. At the top of each section is a space to list the instruments used in the program. After that are five columns: CHK, Object, Feature, Date and Time. The "CHK" column should be used to check off the feature as you observe it. The "Object" column lists the features in Naked Eye, Binocular, and Telescopic order, and tells you what you are observing and when the best time is to observe it. The "Feature" column lists the 100 features to be observed. Finally, the "Date" and "Time" columns allow you to log when you observed the objects. In the last section, we have listed the 10 optional activities, and broken them down as to naked eye, binocular, and telescopic. Also on page 4, we have included four illustrations to help with observing four of the naked eye features.

We certainly hope that you find the Lunar Club useful in helping you become more familiar with earth's nearest neighbor. If after completing this program you would like to do more work in this area, you may contact The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers:

Julius L. Benton Jr.
ALPO Lunar Recorder
% Associates in Astronomy
305 Surrey Road
Savannah, Ga. 31410
(912) 897-0951
E-mail: 74007.3446@compuserve.com.

Until then, good luck, clear skies, and good observing.

Lunar Club Observing List

Naked Eye Objects

Instruments Used ____________________________

Binocular Objects

Instruments Used ____________________________

Telescopic Objects

Instruments Used ___________________________

Optional Activities:

Naked Eye:

1. Estimate first quarter phase within eight hours.
2. Estimate third quarter phase within eight hours.
3. Estimate full moon within thirty-six hours.
4. Plot moon's position against the stars for three consecutive days.
5. Compare the size of the full moon on the horizon with the full moon on the meridian using a dime held at arm's length.
6. Find the thinnest phase by which you can read newsprint.

Binocular:

1. Sketch libration - use Mare Crisium or Grimaldi for examples.
2. Sketch a lunar map - use any scale for binoculars only.

Telescopic:

1. Plot the moon's hourly motion against the stars for two hours or more.
2. Measure the height of a lunar mountain - need to calculate the sun's elevation at the mountain and estimate the shadow length - try Mt. Piton.

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You MUST be a member of the Astronomical League, either through membership in an affiliated astronomical society or as a Member-at-Large, to receive certification for the Lunar Club.

As a member of the AAAA, not only are you eligible to earn this observing award, but you will also get your own subscription to the Astronomical League's newsletter, the REFLECTOR, as well as our own quarterly newsletter, The American Astronomer.

Join the AAAA, the first nationwide astronomy club for all amateur astronomers