On the evening of December 18, the air was quite still and the moon was a waxing just-past-quarter. I had the XT8 out with a ClearVue 30mm 80-degree eyepiece. This eyepiece sports threads under the eyecup which allow the eyepiece to be directly attached to my Sony DSC-75 digital camera. The images here are the result (click on each image for a larger, clearer view). In particular, the area from Copernicus (the very dramatic crater in the top image) to Montes Apenninus (the mountain range to the crater's left) is interesting. Also, I was able to catch the Straight Wall, a curious fault line that runs in nearly a straight line north and south, allowing a shadow to be cast that makes the feature stand out. My favorite discussion of this Straight Wall, by Charles Wood, is found here. Notice (after reading Wood's commentary) that in the image focusing on the Straight Wall, part of Rima Birt is visible as is the dark area at the northern end of Rima Birt (north is down in this image). You may have to enlarge the image quite a bit to see it.
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