(A Unique Astronomical Association)
Observing the Moon: the Geologic Lunar Researches Group
(A Unique Astronomical Association)
By Jim Phillips, Charles Kapral, and Raffaello Lena
The Geologic Lunar Researches Group (GLR) is a unique amateur astronomy organization dedicated to the study of the Moon. Two friends interested in the study of the Moon, Raffaello Lena and Piergiovanni Salimbeni, founded the GLR in 1997. The GLR is an international organization, based in Italy. Currently, 60 members, representing Australia, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay belong to this Internet-based organization.
The GLR “meets” on the Internet sharing information, images, thoughts, and articles. We are interested in many different areas of lunar study including, but not limited to, the search for new lunar domes (both lunar nearside and farside), lunar cones, recording accurate positions of lunar features, making 3-dimensional models of lunar features, and studying lunar impacts and sites of transient lunar phenomena (TLP). We now have on our website (www.glrgroup.org) the most up-to-date catalogue of lunar domes available—
thanks to extensive work by many GLR members including; Robert A. Garfinkle (FRAS), Charles Kapral (AL Member-at-Large), and Brendan Shaw who plotted the domes in the catalogue onto the Lunar Aeronautical Charts (LAC). The LAC charts are also available via the website. New data are recorded and added to the catalogue and charts on a regular basis. Any observations that readers can make about these domes will be gratefully received for our GLR survey (Send you reports to: lena@glrgroup.org.).
The GLR is unique in that it is an informal organization without elected or appointed officers, and there are no dues associated with membership in the GLR. Everyone is free to contribute and comment on an equal basis. We consider our Internet Forum to be the equivalent of our clubhouse meetings. We have naturally gravitated into small groups based on our personal interests. Some of us like to image lunar features, some are interested in researching spacecraft imagery, some are mapmakers, some are mathematicians, and others are authors producing articles in which we all participate. All debating of issues is done via our Internet forum and typically only lasts a short period of time. Without having to assemble ourselves into committees, and without having those “in-charge”, we are able to accomplish a large array of varied work regarding lunar study in a rapid, efficient manner. In 2004, the GLR published 12 scientific articles in a number of different journals including: the “Journal of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers: The Strolling Astronomer”, the “Journal of the British Astronomical Association”, the publication of the Lunar Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers “The Lunar Observer”, and “Selenology” the journal of the American Lunar Society.The GLR group has an ongoing project to discover and study lunar domes, a study which has shown both the elusive nature of these lunar structures and the utility of CCD-image analysis in the elucidation of their character.In the last decade, digital imaging enhanced amateur capabilities highlighting that the dome catalog needed to be verified, corrected, and expanded. In 1997, the GLR formed an active team of observers (from several countries) that focused on lunar domes. It continues to add new domes to the existing lists, providing geological information, dome measurements and dome classification by slope and height. Dome coordinates have been updated, with consistent measurements.An example of how the GLR works: in June 2005, Zac Pujic in Australia, using his telescope and camera, imaged and noted an unlisted dome near Arago. He reported this new dome to the GLR via the Internet Forum. He was unable to find the dome on any existing catalogue or list of lunar domes. Jim Phillips was able to look back and see that he too had imaged the dome at a different time. Raffaello Lena in Italy used the images provided along with the time the images were taken. By measuring the shadows cast, he was able to calculate the height of the dome. Maria T. Bregante, also in Italy, researched Orbiter and Clementine imagery. Charles Kapral and Brendan Shaw added the dome to our catalogue and maps. Meanwhile, Christian Whöler in Germany began producing a 3-dimensional model of the dome. We are now in the process of reporting these observations of a “new” lunar dome with data regarding size, 3-dimensional structure, and exact coordinates.Good quality data is regularly obtained by several active GLR observers and many works have been written in combined efforts by Jim Phillips, KC Pau, Zac Pujic, Cristian Fattinnanzi, Rodrigo Viegas, Piergiovanni Salimbeni, Christian Wohler, Maria Teresa Bregante, to name a few.Examples of recent works are shown in Figures 1-3.The figures showdomes recently characterized and reported in our revised dome list (data have been published).Recently we have been working on and have reproduced the conditions surrounding light streaks on the floor of Plato. Historical observations of similar events are also of great interest to us. Johann Schröter drew the identical phenomenon and reproduced it in his lunar classic Selenotopographische Fragmente in 1791.We disregard individual glory and work together for the GLR. As Raffaello Lena very aptly puts it, “We work in a combined effort, for our pleasure”.The activities and data of the GLR group are shared on the forum at: http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/domilunari
FIGURE 1: a dome near Arago Alpha.Zac Pujic on May 28, 2005, at 18:10 UT, using a 310 mm Newtonian f/28, a Wratten 25A filter, and a Philips ToUCam
FIGURE 2 : a dome near T. Mayer B. Jim Phillips on December 22, 2004 at 02:37 UT using a TMB 8” f/9 Apochromatic refractor, Atik B&W camera
FIGURE 3 :a dome near Hortensius. E Zac Pujic onApril , 3, 2005 at 19:25 UT using a 31 cm Newtonian telescope,Wratten 23 filter and a Phillips ToUcam
FIGURE 4 : a dome near Valentine. KC Pau on October 16, 2004 at 21:02 UT using a 250 mm f/6 Newtonian