Lunar Atlas Project Plan 2004-Jul-06

From SkyInsight

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Original post: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lunar_Atlas/message/11

1. An introduction to the moon --- not too basic, but not so advance that it steals from the descriptions in the descriptive division (division #4 below). This would cover the origin of the moon and the relationship to the sequence from simple craters to impact basins.
2. A division divided into 28 days (give or take) for planning. This would include a full page photo and perhaps another page describing what is happening at that point in the lunar cycle --- which features are really at their best, not just at the terminator, but some farther back that pick up new features after a day or so (such as the dark halo of impact melt around Tycho --- which cannot be seen until closer to full moon, when the terminator has moved well past Tycho).
   • With better processing, we can produce what Atlas of the Lunar Terminator could have been, albeit on a smaller scale (we need a smaller scale or this one section will be too big to have anything else with it)
3. The atlas division itself, divided into sections ala Hatfield smaller sections --- perhaps somewhere half way between Rukl and Hatfield. Hatfield has 16 sections while Rukl has 76. A common complaint about Rukl is that too many features are cut in half. Perhaps taking sections that equal four of Rukl's sections. That would also make it easy to cross index for those that want to use our new Lunar-Observing Atlas (someday we'll need to agree on a name --- for now I'll use LOA for short ;-) in conjunction with Rukl.
   • For a starting point, I'd recommend 28 sections, with each covering four Rukl sections. Some overlap would result in 28 sections (along the edges, we will only be overlapping 3 Rukl sections). (for example, the first section would cover Rukl 1,8&9 with the next covering Rukl 3,4,11&12. The next would be Rukl 4,5,12&13.) This seems like a good compromise between the large scale of Rukl (which divides too many features) and the few sections found in Hatfield (which groups widely different areas into one section).
   • As I go back over, I'm not sure that is clear. The sections would be
     1. Rukl 1,8,9
     2. Rukl 3,4,11,12
     3. Rukl 5,6,13,14
     4. Rukl 7,15,16
     5. Rukl 17,18,28,29
     6. Rukl 19,20,30,31
     7. Rukl 21,22,32,33 and so on.
   • The atlas chapter would have a map (outline?) at the start of each section, as with Hatfield. Following would be photos of the section under differing lighting conditions, with an improvement in the photos in Hatfield. Expanding would allow us to included close-ups of special features. Additionally, drawings would fit in here in the same way as the photo close-ups.
4. The description division --- where each of the 28 sections is described --- with geology as well as features to look for. For example, the section covering Rukl 3,4,11&12 would introduce the concept of determining the sequence of events with Imbrium basin formation, Archimedes, mare flooding and Aristillus. Dr Wood's The Modern Moon has done this better than anyone else, but I think we can add the advantage of pairing the descriptions with the maps, photos and drawings in section 2. This will require close coordination between writers, photographers and artists. From what I have been hearing in the way of wish lists, this division and the atlas division above would probably be the biggest sections.
5. A more advanced discussion of topics that did not fit into specific sections. This could include data from Clementine, magma oceans and how they affected the composition of different rocks from different locations (and how that played into the big whack theory) etc.
6. A introduction to lunar photography. As there are many other examples of this, with many available on the web, I would encourage us to give only enough of an introduction to help people realize this is something they are capable of getting involved in --- and then pointing them to further resources on the web.
7. An introduction to lunar sketching. As this is not covered in very many other places, I would suggest this be a little more in-depth, perhaps following a couple of drawings, from one step to the next. This would include a suggestion list for those starting out and how to work at the eyepiece, noticing details and getting them down on paper. Again, we need to instill confidence that "Hey! I can learn how to do this!"
8. A list of resources for further learning.

A further possibility is a ninth division which would be the photos and drawings on an accompanying DVD.

Well, that's not set in stone. But we have to start somewhere, looking at the big picture before dividing it up into assignments. So in line with what I said in my last post about leading, this is thrown out for discussion. We've had a good weekend, now let's get down to some work about brainstorming for how to organize this thing!

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