Post-Impact Crater Modification
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Astronomers’ Observing Guides Other Titles in This Series Star Clusters and How to Observe Them Mark Allison Saturn and How to Observe It Julius Benton Nebulae and How to Observe Them Steven Coe The Moon and How to Observe It Peter Grego Supernovae and How to Observe Them Martin Mobberley Total Solar Eclipses and How to Observe Them Martin Mobberley Double & Multiple Stars and How to Observe Them James Mullaney The Herschel Objects, and How to Observe Them James Mullaney Galaxies and How to Observe Them Wolfgang Steinicke & Richard Jakiel Peter Grego Venus and Mercury, and How to Observe Them ISBN: 978-0-387-74285-4 e-ISBN: 978-0-387-74286-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2007937298 © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper 987654321 springer.com Dedication For Jacy, my daughter Acknowledgements Thanks to Mike Inglis for having asked me to write this book, and for his help and advice as the project got underway. All the staff at Springer in the UK and USA have worked hard to produce this book, and I am deeply grateful to them. My special thanks go to John Watson and Harry Blom. The image contributors to this book have been tremendously helpful and generous – I hope my text does justice to your work, and that others are inspired to observe Mercury and Venus. Acknowledgments vii About Peter Grego Peter Grego has been a regular watcher of the night skies since 1976. He observes from his garden in Rednal, UK, with a variety of instruments, ranging from a 127 mm Maksutov to a 300 mm Newtonian, but his favourite instrument is his 200 mm SCT. Grego’s primary interests are observing and imaging the Moon and bright planets, but he occasionally likes to ‘go deep’ during the dark of the Moon. Grego has directed the Lunar Section of Britain’s Society for Popular Astronomy since 1984, and since 2006 has co-ordinated the Lunar Topographical Subsection of the British Astronomical Association. He edits five astronomy publications – Luna the journal of the SPA Lunar Section, The New Moon, journal of the BAA Lunar Section, the Newsletter of the Society for the History of Astronomy, the SPA News Circulars and Popular Astronomy magazine. In addition, he writes and illustrates the monthly MoonWatch column in UK’s Astronomy Now magazine, is observing advisor and columnist for Sky at Night magazine, and maintains his own website at www.lunarobservers.com. Grego is the author of a number of astronomy books, including Collision: Earth! (Cassell, 1998), the Moon Observer’s Guide (Philips/Firefly, 2004), The Moon and About Peter Grego How to Observe It (Springer, 2005), Need to Know? Stargazing (Collins, 2005), Need to Know? Universe (Collins, 2006) and Solar System Observer’s Guide (Philips/Firefly, 2005). He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. ix Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................... vii About Peter Grego ..................................................... ix 1. Introduction – A Perspective on Mercury and Venus ................ 1 Section 1 Current Knowledge of Mercury and Venus 2. Our Current Knowledge of Mercury ................................ 9 Mercury’s Orbit ................................................... 9 Physical Dimensions ............................................... 9 Mass, Density and Gravity ......................................... 10 Axial Tilt and Rotation Period...................................... 11 Origins ........................................................... 11 Core, Mantle and Crust ............................................ 13 A Tenuous Atmosphere ............................................ 14 Magnetic Field .................................................... 15 Surface History of Mercury ........................................ 16 Mercurian Nomenclature .......................................... 20 A Survey of the Known Mercurian Surface .......................... 22 A Mercurian Quartet .............................................. 24 Northeastern Quadrant ............................................ 25 Southeastern Quadrant ............................................ 33 Contents Northwestern Quadrant............................................ 42 Southwestern Quadrant ............................................ 50 3. Our Current Knowledge of Venus .................................. 71 Venus’ Orbit ...................................................... 71 Physical Dimensions ............................................... 72 Mass, Density and Gravity ......................................... 72 Axial Tilt and Rotation Period...................................... 72 Origins ........................................................... 73 Surface History.................................................... 73 Tectonic Features.................................................. 74 Terrae and Highlands .............................................. 75 Venus, the Real Vulcan ............................................ 78 xi Lava Flows ........................................................ 82 Tectono-Volcanic Structures ....................................... 87 Impact Features ................................................... 90 The Impact Mechanism ............................................ 92 Classification of Venusian Impact Craters ........................... 93 Post-impact Crater Modification.................................... 97 Venus’ Atmosphere ................................................ 103 Magnetic Field .................................................... 105 Surface Conditions ................................................ 106 A Survey of Venus................................................. 107 A Venusian Triptych .............................................. 109 Region One: The Ishtar-Alpha-Lada Region (300 to 60E) ............. 109 Region Two: The Niobe-Aphrodite-Artemis Region (60 to 180E) ...... 123 Region Three: The Kawelu-Atla-Helen Region (180 to 300E).......... 140 Section 2 Observing Mercury and Venus 4. Equipment for Observing Mercury and Venus....................... 155 Vision ............................................................ 155 Monoculars and Binoculars ........................................ 158 Telescopes ........................................................ 162 Telescopic Resolution .............................................. 169 Eyepieces ......................................................... 170 Binocular Viewers ................................................. 172 Scopes and Seeing ................................................. 172 Telescope Mounts ................................................. 173 5. Recording Mercury and Venus ..................................... 177 Recording Techniques ............................................. 177 Mercury and Venus Data .......................................... 183 Computer Programs ............................................... 183 Line Drawing ..................................................... 187 Copying-up Your Observations ..................................... 188 Imaging Mercury and Venus ....................................... 189 Contents Selected Large Scale Photo Opportunities Featuring Mercury and Venus, 2009–2019 ........................................ 192 Digital Imaging ................................................... 201 6. Observing Mercury ................................................ 207 Phenomena Common to Mercury and Venus ........................ 207 Lunar Occultations of Mercury and Venus .......................... 209 Apparitions ....................................................... 210 Naked Eye Views .................................................. 211 Binocular Observations ............................................ 211 Mercury’s Phases and its Appearance Through the Telescope ......... 213 The Stroboscope Effect ............................................ 223 Transits of Mercury ............................................... 223 Occultations ...................................................... 227 xii 7. Observing Venus .................................................. 229 Brilliant Morning and Evening Star ................................. 229 Apparitions ....................................................... 229 Daytime Views with the Unaided Eye ............................... 233 Binocular Observations ............................................ 234 Telescopic Observation ............................................ 235 Locating Venus in Daytime Through a Telescope .................... 236 Nocturnal Observations of Venus ................................... 236 Venus’ Cloud Patterns ............................................. 237 Venusian Anomalies ............................................... 241 Contour Anomalies...............................................