Moon map blank for students to draw on

    Caption: A blank Moon map.

    Procedure:

    1. Click on the Moon map and then to print, go file/print preview/print. The print preview allows you to adjust the printout for scale and choose portrait/landscape.

    2. The CIRCLE is the limb (i.e., edge) of the Moon.

    3. This blank Moon map is filled in OUTSIDE during observations.

    4. During the observations, students should draw all the Moon features they reasonably can on this blank Moon map---the circle is the limb of the Moon.

    5. The observations may be naked eye or telescopic (i.e., visual astronomy with the telescope).

      For naked-eye observations, note that the Moon can be glaring when your eyes are dark adjusted (i.e., set to scotopic vision). So sunglasses might help.

      For telescopic observations, the telescopes should have Moon filters on the eyepieces since otherwise the Moon will usually be too glaring to observe.

    6. Features that should be indicated are the astronomical cardinal directions NSEW (AKA the equatorial coordinate system NSEW), lunar maria, lunar craters, crater rays, the terminator, and the night side of Moon.

    7. The astronomical north direction points along a great circle starting from your point of interest on the celestial sphere to the north celestial pole (NCP) which to very good approximation is located by Polaris. The south direction points the opposite way along said great circle. The astronomical east and west directions are perpendicular to said great circle at the point of interest. East/west is counterclockwise/clockwise as viewed from the NCP and, more or less, corresponds to east/west on the ground.

    Credit/Permission: © David Jeffery, 2015 / Own work.
    Image link: Itself.
    Local file: local link: moon_map_blank.html.
    File: Moon Diagram file: moon_map_blank.html.