Chronological Catalog of Reported Lunar Events
NASA Technical Report R-277  -  July 1968

Lunar Events - 1900-1949


Date & Time

Feature or Location;
Duration

Description

Observer

Reference

1901 Oct 25

Marius

A number of light streaks noticed on the crater floor. (Usually none are seen)

Bolton

Bolton 1901

1902 Aug 13, 00h50m

Near Lambert

(1) Brilliant starlike point; 
(2) completely round bright area, on dark side of moon's terminator, mag 3 or 4

Jones

(1) Pickering 1902;
(2) Sirius 1903

1902 Oct 16

Theaetetus

Cloud near Theaetetus

Charbonneaux

Charbonneaux 1902

1903 Mar 1

Aristarchus

Intermittent light "like a little star"

Rey

Rey 1903

1903 Mar 3

Aristarchus

Intermittent light "like a little star"

Gheury

Bull. Soc. Astr. France

1904 Jul 31

Plato

Bright hazy object 2" diameter on crater floor

Pickering

Pickering 1906

1904 Oct 2, 13h00m; 16h00m

Plato

Total or partial obscuration of crater floor

Elger, Klein, Hodge, Goodacre

Goodacre 1931; Webb 1962 ed.; Green 1965

1905 Feb 19, ~19h03m

Aristarchus

During eclipse, bright spot shining in the dark as a little star. (Lunar eclipse)

Moye

Moye and Russell 1905; Fisher 1924

1905 Aug 15, ~03h39m

Tycho

Visible, even brilliant during eclipse

Rey

Sforza 1905; Fisher 1924

1906 Aug 4, ~12h58m

Aristarchus

Shone conspicuously during lunar eclipse

Ward

Ward 1906-07; Fisher 1924

1906

Mare Humorum

N/A

Flammarion

Azevado 1962

1906

Mare Serenitatis

N/A

Dubois, Flammarion

Azevado 1962

1906

Lichtenberg

N/A

Flammarion

Azevado 1962

1906

Alphonsus

N/A

Flammarion

Azevado 1962

1907 Jan 22

Plato

Glow of light in part of Plato

Fauth

Fauth 1907

1909

Tycho

False dawn

Mellish

Mellish 1909

1909

Mersenius

Dimly lighted zone W of shadow

Merlin

Merlin 1909

1912 Apr 1, ~22h15m

Tycho

Visible like a bright spot standing out in the dark slate-gray shadow. Only Tycho was seen during the lunar eclipse

LeRoy

LeRoy 1912; Fisher 1924

1912 May 19

Dark side

Small red glowing area noticed on shadow side of moon

Valier

Valier 1912

1912 May 20

Leibnitz Mts. area

Glowing line of light into dark side

Franks

Franks obs. book

1912 Sep 25

Pico B

Haze spreading from W end of crater

Pickering

Rawstron 1937

1913 Mar 22, ~11h57m

N/A

During eclipse totality, there remained visible to the NW only a luminous point not much larger than the planet Mars and of the same color (Lunar eclipse)

G.Jackson

Jackson 1913; Fisher 1924

1913 Jun 15

South

Distinct small reddish spot

Maw

Webb 1962 ed.

1915 Jan 31

Littrow

Seven white spots arranged like a Greek gamma

Burgess

Eng. Mech. Vol. 101

1915 Apr 21

S of Posidonius

Noticed special occurrence S of large circle Posidonius which he took as evidence of water vapor

Houdard

Houdard 1917

1915 Apr 23

Clavius

Narrow, straight beam of light from crater A to crater B

Cook

B.A.A. Mem. 1916

1915 Dec 11

Mare Crisium

Particularly bright spot like star on N shore

Thomas

Eng. Mech. Vol.103

1916 Oct 10

Plato

Pickering's craterlet No.59 involved in reddish shadow and disappeared. Usually distinctly seen under similar illumination.

Maggini

Sci. Amer. 1919

1917 Jan 8, ~07h45m

Dionysius

Point on rim of crater shone like a small star for sometime after entering the eclipse shadow (Lunar eclipse)

W.F.A. Ellison

Ellison 1917; Fisher 1924

1919 Nov 7, ~23h45m

Tycho, vicinity

Long ray in direction of Longomontanus remained visible glowing in weak gray-green light during whole eclipse (until clouds stopped observation) (Lunar eclipse)

Fock

Fock 1920; Fisher 1924

1920

Near Vitruvius

Some peaks varied considerably in brightness

Franks

Wilkins and Moore 1958

1922 Nov 28

La Hire; 20 min

Shadow cut through by white streak

H.P. Wilkins

Wilkins 1954

1927 May 12

Peirce A (Wilkins' Graham)

Complete obscuration of crater

H.P. Wilkins

Moore 1953; Green 1965

1927 Dec 23, 22h00m

Peirce A (Wilkins' Graham)

Invisible

H.P. Wilkins

H.P. Wilkins obs. book

1931 Feb 22

Aristarchus

Reddish-yellow

Joulia

Joulia 1931

1931 Mar 27

Tycho

Central mountain gray although crater interior was in full shadow

Barker

Moore 1953; Green 1965

1931

Aristarchus

Bluish glare

Goodacre, Molesworth

Goodacre 1931

1932 Apr 15, 06h57m

Plato

Sudden appearance of white spot like cloud

Goddard and friend

Pop. Astr. 1932

1933 Mar 30

Aristarchus region

White

Douillet

Douillet 1933

1933 Sep 1

Neighbourhood of Pico, and Pico B

Haze observed

Rawstron

Rawstron 1937

1933 Oct 1

Neighbourhood of Pico, and Pico B

Haze observed

Rawstron

Rawstron 1937

1936 May 4

Eratosthenes

Detected small bright spots on crater floor

Martz

Haas 1942

1936 Oct 4

Eratosthenes

Many small bright spots on crater floor, some of which Martz detected, but Johnson drew bright bands in their positions

Haas

Haas 1942

1936 Oct 25

Eratosthenes

Small bright spots on floor of crater

Haas

Haas 1942

1937 Feb 14

Cassini

Bright spot

Andrenko

Azevado 1962

1937 Sep 17

Aristarchus

Bright streak

H.M. Johnson

Haas 1942

1937 Sep 28

Riccioli

Color of dark area was deep purple; next night same with vivid hue

Haas

Haas 1942

1937 Oct 26

Alphonsus, Herschel, and Ptolemaeus

Milky floors

Alter

Alter 1959

1937 Dec 12

Plato

Strongly marked streak of orange-brown on E wall

Barker

Barker 1940

1938 Jan 16-17

Plato

Brownish gold-veined surface of color irregularly laid on smooth floor of crater

Barker

Barker 1940

1938 Feb 14

Plato

Golden-brown spot on E wall very prominent, with a yellowish glow without a definite boundary spreading over floor of crater

Fox

Barker 1940

1939 Feb 23

Aristarchus

Bright spot

Andrenko

Azevado 1962

1939 Mar 29, 19h00m

Copernicus; 15 min

Central mountain group seen distinctly as diffuse light spot. Sunrise on peaks did not begin until 22h00m

Wilkins

Wilkins 1954

1939 Aug 2, 00h10m

Schickard

Dense fog

Moore

Wilkins and Moore 1958; Firsoff 1962 ed., p.80

1939 Oct 19

Macrobius

Floor of crater reddish-brown, a hue ordinarily absent

Barcroft

Haas 1942

1939 Dec 27

Aristarchus

Slight bluish tinge on the still brilliant W wall

Barcroft

Haas 1942; Firsoff 1962 ed., p.84

1940 May 20, 20h00m

Schickard

Whitish obscuration; less dense than 1939 Aug 2

Moore

Moore obs. book

1940 Jun 14

Plato

Two hazy streaks of medium intensity, much complex detail

Haas

Haas 1942

1940 Jul 14

Tycho

Curious faint milky-looking luminosity seen. Luminous marks in shadow were ragged-edged and irregularly shaped

Haas

Haas 1942

1940 Oct 19

Lichtenberg area

Pronounced reddish-brown or orange color around area. Found color less marked next night, and slight by Oct 22

Barcroft

Haas 1942; Strol. Astr. 1951

1940 Oct 29

Cusps

Prolongation of N horn by 15 degrees

Vaughan

Firsoff 1962 ed., p.127

1940 Dec 2

Aristarchus

Distinguished crater in dark hemisphere as a bright spot

Vaughan

Haas 1942

1940 Dec 9

Tycho

Found some luminosity on W crater rim of W outer slope

Barcroft

Haas 1942

1940 Dec 25

Cusps

"Each horn appeared prolonged by about 10 degrees"

Haas

Firsoff 1962 ed., p.127

1941 Jan 6

Arzachel

Anomalous shadow

Barcroft

Azevado 1962; Wilkins 1954

1941 Feb 6

Conon

Faint bright spot, not too definite in outline, seen on crater floor

Vaughan

Haas 1942

1941 Mar 6

Cusps

Prolongation suspected

Barcroft

Firsoff 1962 ed., p.127

1941 Mar 31

Aristarchus

Crater perceived by earthshine (Haas thought it must have been unusually brilliant)

Barcroft

Haas 1942

1941 Jul 10

Gassendi, and near Hansteen

Moving luminous speck near Hansteen; estimated diameter 0.1", mag +8 (lunar meteor?)

Haas

Wilkins and Moore 1958, p.281; Azevado 1962

1942 Feb 2, 18h20m - 19h15m

W of Kepler; 55 min

Whitish glow near earthlit limb

Y.W.L. Fisher

Wilkins and Moore 1958, p.271

1942 Aug 26

Atlas

Dark areas faded in crater

Haas

Haas 1965

1944 Apr 4

Hyginus N (Klein N)

Much darker than usual

Wilkins

Moore 1953, p.144; Green 1965

1944 Aug 12, 23h00m

Plato

Exceptional darkness of crater floor, three light spots noted at foot of E wall. Although no light streaks were visible, there was a large and conspicuous spot near the center. Since this spot has been noted as slightly but definitely rimmed all round, Wilkins suggested that temporary dark cloud or vapor may have covered true floor up to level of rim.

Wilkins

Wilkins 1944

1944 Aug 31

Schickard

Mist on crater floor

Wilkins

Wilkins and Moore 1958

1945 Oct 19, 11h23m50s

Plato

Bright flash on crater floor near E wall

Thornton

Green 1965; Thornton 1945

1945 Oct 19

Darwin

Three brilliant points of light on wall

Moore

Wilkins 1954

1947 Jan 30

Eratosthenes

Without normal shadow

H. Hill

Wilkins and Moore 1958

1947 Aug 28

SE of Langrenus

Mountain on limb very decidedly bluish

Baum

Wilkins 1954

1947 Nov 30

Aristarchus

Bright spots on inner W slopes

Favarger

Wilkins 1954

1948 Feb 17

Dawes

Central peak not seen, but cleft-like marking from SW crest towards E shadow

Thornton

Contrib. by Moore

1948 Apr 14

N/A

Prolongation of southern cusp

Wilkins

Wilkins 1954

1948 Apr 15

30 degrees N of Grimaldi on W limb

Bright spot on earthlit W limb 30 degrees N of Grimaldi and estimated equal to a 3rd mag star

Vince

J.B.A.A. 1948

1948 May 20

NE of Philolaus; 15 min

Red glow

Baum

Firsoff 1962 ed., p.82

1948 Jul 21-22

Mare Crisium; several hours

Almost featureless apart from Picard, Peirce

Moore

Moore obs. book

1948 Jul 27

Promontorium Heraclides

Blurred and misty

Moore, Docherty

Moore obs. book

1948 Aug 8

Dark side

A small bright flash on earthlit portion ... like a bright sparkle of frost on the ground

Woodward

Moore 1953

1948 Aug 16

E of Picard; several hours

Two areas E of Picard appeared featureless

Moore

J.B.A.A. 1949

1948 Oct 8

Barker's Quadrangle

Nebulous white patch in place of Quadrangle

Moore

Moore obs. book

1948 Oct 19

Promontorium Heraclides

Blurred

Docherty

Contrib. by Moore

1949 Feb 7, 18h00m

Kepler

White glow near Kepler

Y.W.I. Fisher

Contrib. by Moore

1949 Feb 9

Barker's Quadrangle

Quadrangle not seen ... appeared misty

Moore

Moore obs. book

1949 Feb 10

Schroter's Valley near Cobrahead

Diffuse patch of thin smoke or vapor from W side of Schroter's Valley near Cobrahead, spreading into plain; detail indistinct, hazy (surrounding area clear)

Thornton

Wilkins and Moore 1958, p.263

1949 Mar 3, 20h00m

Barker's Quadrangle

Whole area hazy

Moore

Moore obs. book

1949 May 1

Aristarchus

Visible in earthshine, glowing suddenly as diffuse light patch

Wilkins

Wilkins 1954

1949 Oct 7, ~02h54m

Aristarchus

Abnormally bright during lunar eclipse

G.Brown, Hare

Contrib. by Moore

1949 Nov 3, 01h06m

Aristarchus

Blue glare, base inner W wall

Bartlett

Bartlett 1967


  Back to Contents