Book review for "moonscout"
This booklet should help with the first observations of the moon. A short four-page introduction familiarizes you with the most important basic concepts: the moon phases, the rotation of the moon and the different moon formations (seas, craters, mountains, valleys, grooves). Observation tips refer to the most favorable observation times, to the appropriate magnification and to recommended filters when observing the moon.
An overview map of the full moon and 13 maps, beginning with the crescent of the waxing moon three days after new moon and ending with the waning crescent 13 days after full moon, show the changing aspect of the moon and its most important formations over the course of a month. They can be observed particularly clearly at its light limit, i.e. where the sun is just rising or setting.
On each map, the lunar formations that are already visible to the naked eye are marked. These are exclusively the Maria (plural of mare=sea (lat.)). They characterize the familiar face of the moon as it presents itself to us when viewed with the naked eye. Then the structures recognizable with a good pair of binoculars are marked, i.e. the largest lunar craters such as Copernicus or Tycho and the large lunar mountains such as the lunar Alps or the lunar Apennines.
The last page of this booklet contains tables with the dates of the new and full moon dates for the years 2006 to 2010 as well as the lunar eclipses that can be observed from Germany from 2006 to 2015.
With "moonscout" the beginning moon observer receives excellent instructions that leave nothing to be desired.
