The Six-Inch Lunar Atlas ─ A Pocket Field Guide

The Six-Inch Lunar Atlas has been designed specifically for use in the field by lunar observers so it's perfect for fitting into an observer's pocket! The author's own lunar photographs were taken with a 6-inch (150mm) telescope and CCD camera, and closely match the visual appearance of the Moon when viewed through 3-inch to 8-inch telescopes. Each picture is shown oriented "as the Moon really is" when viewed from the northern hemisphere, and is supplemented by exquisite computer sketches that list the main features. Two separate computer sketches are provided to go with each photograph, one oriented to appear as seen through an SCT telescope (e.g. the Meade and Celestron ranges), the other oriented for Newtonian and refracting telescopes. Observers using the various types telescopes will find it extremely helpful to identify lunar features as the human brain is very poor at making "mirror-image" visual translations.

Don Spain has been a Lunar observer since 1957, and is Chairman of the Planetary and Lunar Section of the Louisville Astronomical Society. He is an active member of the Transient Lunar Phenomena Research Project and author of the Lunar Watch column for the Louisville Astronomical Society’s StarWord. Currently he teaches astronomy at Jefferson County Public Schools Adult and Lifelong Learning Programs, in Louisville, Kentucky.