This is one book that lunar observers will tell you needs no introduction and has been part of amateur astronomers resources since 1990. It represents a standard with a style that no other publication has been able to replicate. Simple but elegant, this edition features dozens of hand drawn maps that quickly and easily identifies the craters, mountains, seas and oceans of earth’s nearest neighbor. Extremely handy at the telescope the book is a must have!

“Over (60) years after the first space probe reached the Moon and (50) years after Man landed on the Moon, our nearest celestial neighbor is still a source of great fascination and mystery. With its craters, mountains and dark plains, the Moon is the most interesting object for observation by amateur astronomers.

Atlas of the Moon is an authoritative source of information on the motion, rotation and illumination of the Moon, its surface, its origin and evolution, and its exploration in manned and unmanned space probes.

Truly an atlas, a unique feature of this book is the detailed map in 76 sections of the near side of the Moon. There are photographs of areas of particular interest plus a map of the far side of the Moon.

Atlas of the Moon is intended for beginners but the maps and the accompanying lists of the lunar formations would satisfy even the most experienced amateur lunar observer.”

Contents

Introduction    6

The Moon: a satellite of the Earth    7

Phases of the Moon    9

Lunar phases 1989-2000    10

The Moon in the sky    11

The surface of the Moon    12

Origin and history of the Moon    15

Lunar cartography    16

Numerical data on the Moon   19

 

Becoming acquainted with the Moon    20

The Moon at First Quarter    20

The Moon at Last Quarter     22

The Full Moon    24

Atlas of the near-side of the Moon    26

Maps of libration zones    180

General map of the Moon    190

Flights to the Moon    192

Fifty views of the Moon    194

 

Observation of the Moon    208

Tables for the calculation of co-longitude    212

Lunar eclipses    213

Glossary    215

Bibliography    218

Sources used for compilation of the map

and pictorial sections    219

Acknowledgements       219

Index of named formations    219