Our best observing weather in southern AZ is when the days are hot, the evenings warm and still. The colongitude was just right so this was a good night to get a look at the famous “X” on the moon. Can you see it on the terminator? It only lasts for and hour or so. Here’s how you get there. The area below center of this image is dominated by the two circular pools of darkness that are Aliacensis (82km diameter), lower, and Werner (71km) above. A line between the centers of these two craters lead to the “X” formed by the walls of Blanchinus, La Caille, Purbach and several smaller features. Above Aliacensis and Werner is a nice flat floored crater, Apianus (65km) and further above that is a smaller crater Playfair (49km). Near the top of the image is a pair of craters Azophi (49km) and above it is the irregular Abenezra (43km) with Geber (46km) partially cut off by the edge of this image.
In the lower right of this image is the irregularly shaped Gemma Frisius (90km) overlain by the smaller Goodacre (48km) to the north. Lastly, is the roughly triangular and shadow filled crater Nonius (71km) due south of our first crater landmark, Aliacensis. Enjoy this region but it will take a bit of work and patience to catch the “X”!
