Quadrant IV – Section 15

Summary

Piccolomini and the Altai Mts

This region overlaps two of the section charts, namely 13 and 15.

Notes on the drawing Observation commenced with the delineation of the outline of Piccolomini, the central mountain, extent of the interior shadow and details of the inner east wall. This was followed by the careful positioning of the detached points of light beyond the terminator and, finally, the larger masses to the north before these were lost to view. After resumption at 0340 UT. the shadows thrown by the Altai scarp were drawn and also the detail on the surface to the east of these, by which time seeing had improved to 8 on my seeing scale – equivalent to Antoniadi II. By 0430 (colongitude 146°) all the smaller detached points of light to the E and NE of Piccolomini had gone except the principal masses which were now much reduced in size. A dome-like feature is indicated one diameter of Piccolomini to the west.

Despite its attraction, this region does not appear to have received much attention from amateur observers in the past to judge by the paucity of material published. Some of the smaller features shown here do not accord too well with the charts and, for this reason alone, the area might be studied profitably to clear up discordances along the lines of the old tradition.