LUNAR TRANSIENT PHENOMENA SITES

CHAPTER 4

27 MOST ACTIVE LUNAR FORMATIONS

Author of Moon image unknown.

 

The following table represents the 27 lunar formations and the five categories of L.T.P. that are listed in the catalog listed below. These categories represent brightening which consist of increases in albedo intensities. These could also be glow effects being reported on the dark portion of the Moon. Darkening can consist of shadow appearances, and darkening of the interior of normally bright formations. Gaseous represents an observation that appears that some manner of atmosphere effect on the Moon surface was taking place causing the lunar scene to be blurred or not visible. Reddish events are just that, the formation being observed has red spots on the rim and/or around the formation. Bluish or violet color or glare on the lunar feature is a rare phenomena but has been reported by observers over the years.

FEATURE NAME LATITUDE LONGITUDE  TOTAL # L.T.P. BRIGHTENING DARKENING GASEOUS REDDISH BLUISH
Agrippa 4N 11E 34 15 9 27 1 11
Alphonsus 13S 3W 46 19 9 17 27 2
Archimedes 30N 4W 5 2 1 2 0 0
Aristarchus 24N 48W 448 256 37 131 112 43
Atlas 47N 44E 17 4 5 2 1 1
Censorinus 0 32E 11 10 0 2 2 1
Cobra Head 24N 48W 13 4 5 8 11 3
Copernicus 10N 20W 22 13 2 5 6 8
Mare Crisium 18N 58E 27 14 7 10 5 3
Eratosthenes 15N 11W 16 12 2 5 2 2
Gassendi 18S 40W 33 6 4 9 24 0
Grimaldi 6S 68W 18 9 2 5 2 8
Herodotus 23N 50W 34 16 7 11 16 5
Kepler 8N 38W 17 14 1 0 3 3
Linnie 28N 12E 19 7 8 6 1 0
Manilius 15N 9E 14 12 1 4 4 3
Menelaus 16N 16E 13 10 3 4 4 4
Picard 15N 55E 15 12 2 3 2 2
Mons Pico 46N 9W 8 3 2 4 2 1
Mons Piton 41N 1W 10 3 1 8 8 0
Plato 51N 9W 114 53 13 51 31 13
Posidonius 32N 30E 11 2 0 7 3 1
Proclus 16N 47E 72 31 33 26 10 15
Schroter Valley 26N 52W 25 4 0 20 5 1
Schickard 44S 26E 8 3 2 6 0 1
Theophilus 12S 26E 11 6 0 4 9 2
Tycho 43S 11W 16 12 0 6 1 2

The information presented in this table represents data taken from the Lunar Transient Phenomena Catalog July 1978 NSSDC/WDC-A-R&S. The Author is Winifred S. Cameron. The catalog was published by National Science Data Center (NSSDC)/ World Data Center A for Rockets and Satellites. (WDC-A-R&S, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771. The catalog covers the time period from 500 AD to 28 May 1977.  

NOTE: It will be found that when you add up the numbers of type of L.T.P. event they will not equal the total recorded in the total #  L.T.P. column. The reason for this is the event may have several causes, such as an obscuration event which is caused by a possible gaseous event. The out gassing event may be attributed to the lifting of lunar dust causing the obscuration of the surface.

 

The following graph shows the number of L.T.P. events by lunar formation. As you can see to increase your chances for seeing an event you should observe the three most active craters listed in the graph.