Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Download a free moon map. These are easy to find, but the ARVAL Observatory in Argentina provides one of the best.
Pick a night either a couple days before or a couple days after the full moon to view the moon's surface. Full moons are often so bright that surface's features are obscured.
Use your binoculars to look along the edge where the dark and light portions of the moon meet. You see the most definition along this line.
Identify some of the most notable features using your map. Start with the craters Copernicus and Tycho. These are two of the most prominent features on the moon's surface and stand out right away.
Familiarize yourself with the different smooth regions, or seas, on the moon's surface. The more familiar you become with these areas the easier it is to identify other formations.
Move on to more hard-to-find features as you become comfortable with the moon's topography and with your binoculars.
Visit your local observatory or planetarium. Ask the experts there to help you in your exploration of the moon. They should have books, programs, classes or even astronomy groups that could serve as a resource for you.