The Moon in the Morning

This morning I got up early and tried to be in time to see Saturn. So I set up the 80mm Zenithstar on the alt-az mount as the eastern sky got brighter and brighter. I found it easily (I think) but there was so much turbulence I could not see the rings.

So I switched to looking at the moon, and after breaking out "The Modern Moon" I was able to identify Gassendi and the Marius Hills, and crater Kepler. The illuminated Western limb of the crescent moon was actually at the bottom so it took some thought to figure out what part of the book to look in, but eventually everything came clear. Sinus Iridium was also visible. A week ago when the moon was half full I saw it on the night when the peaks of Sinus Iridium were illuminated in the shape of a "C" on an otherwise dark half of the moon, as the rising sun's rays caught the upper peaks of the crater rim. Beautiful!

I don't look at the moon enough!