Rima Hyginus - homage to my first telescope

 I got my first telescope when I was 13 years old.  A modest 50mm Tasco refractor.  At the time I thought it was the bee’s knees.

Though a modest little scope, I first saw Saturn with it, Halley’s Comet, and of cause, the Moon.

The little Tasco came with a map of the Moon, and I spent many hours studying it.  It also showed several rile systems, including Rima Hyginus, which I managed to see with it!  The thrill of seeing such a fine line traced on the lunar surface was one I have never forgotten.

Unlike the previous night, conditions were not as steady.  An 8mm eyepiece showed just too much ‘boil’ in the image.  My modest little 9mm TMB Type ii proved a better choice for the evening.  Might not seem like too much of a magnification difference, but it was sufficient to reduce the boil to a tolerable amount.

This night, while looking for a sketching target, I came across Rima Hyginus, and that happy memory of my first view of it came rushing back.  So, this night I sketched Rima Hyginus to commemorate my experiences with that little Tasco and what it showed me.

Rima Hyginus lies between Mare Vaporum & Sinus Medii, and carves a curious line that makes a turn about halfway through its ripping of the lunar surface, with a crater so very conveniently smack bang on the elbow of the bend, which also give the rile its name.

To the North (right of the rile) lies a dark and tortured series of lava mountains.  On other occasions when Rima Hyginus looked like a sketch candidate, this dark area looked too sinister and difficult to lay down.  No escaping this time.  I found it a lovely area to sketch!  Very detailed and intricate.

To the east of Hyginus, a second long rile system, Rima Ariadaeus.  Together the riles make for a spectacular area.

Object:  Rima Hyginus

Scope:  C8, 8” SCT

Gear:  9mm TMB Type ii, 222X

Date:  18^th December, 2015

Location:  Sydney, Australia

Media:  soft pastels, charcoal and white ink on black paper.