1. Observe the Moon
The Moon is a fantastic target for astronomers of all levels, and a great place to get started is by creating pencil sketches of it during an entire lunar cycle. How does it change day by day? What effect does the changing illumination have on the features?
Choose a time when the Moon is about half-illuminated – that’s when its southern hemisphere craters are most distinct. Start by observing the Moon with the naked eye and make a note of the features you can see. Then look at it through binoculars: what can you see now that you couldn’t see before? Finally, observe it with a telescope and different eyepieces. What does the telescope show you that binoculars didn’t? You can research these features and how they formed.
People with visual impairment – and everyone else – can enjoy learning about the lunar landscape by using clay models made by a family member, or 3D-printed models. You can also use a torch on the model to try to mimic the shadow effects that you’ll observe in the next activity.
Using a telescope and a high-power eyepiece, locate a lunar crater that has nice shadows around it; ones that fit the bill will be near to the boundary between the illuminated and unilluminated sides of the Moon (the ‘terminator’). Note the time and make a sketch showing the shape and length of the shadows. Two hours later, observe the same crater and make another drawing. How have the shadows changed over the two-hour period?
If you have a maths whizz in the family, they could try measuring the width of the crater and the length of the shadows, then using those numbers to calculate the height of the crater wall. Find out how to do this online at bit.ly/crater-height. ▶