This is the largest (84 miles in diameter) of a very rare type of lunar crater, in which the interior is filled to the brim with solidified basaltic lava. Friday evening - yesterday, the lighting was perfect for observation with the precise shadow angle to define the plateau like feature. You can see the circular feature in the enlarged inset above perhaps more clearly. Shooting the moons details with the SV80s refractor was a very crisp experience. Seeing is usually here so poor that only a constantly blurring view is to be had with the 12.5" at full aperture. The 80mm refractor with its superlative optics changed the view to sharp and very well focused and the image rather than blur in and out, moved around bodily in the image. This is what Registax is made to correct, and by combining about 350 frames out of twice that many taken, a much sharper image was to be had as seen above. This is the first time in many years of looking that I have ever spotted Wargentin, and to have such a record of that evening topped off a perfect night of lunar observing!

Processing:

354 images registered and stacked in Registax. Wavelet processing followed by a high pass filter overlay in Photoshop CS2.

Instrument:  Stellarvue SV80s
CCD Camera:  Vesta Cam Pro with Sony Sensor
Exposure:  1/100
Filters:  IR
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing FWHM = 2 sec Transparency 8/10
Outside Temperature:  70F
Processing Tools:  Photoshop, Registax
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