Observer: Tony Donnangelo
Date/time of observation: 2003/01/11 03:45 U.T.
Site location: Hummelstown RD 3, PA, USA (40.26° N., 76.75° W.) 
Instrument: Takahashi FS-102
Magnification: 91x (9mm NaglerT6) 

I had observed this ray on several occasions. However, I never saw it at its inception when the shaft of light was thin. I attempted to set up about four hours earlier than the predicted time of occurrence. I expected, from past experience observing this ray, that it was visible earlier than the predicted time. The weather conditions were horrid. Winds were ~20 mph, gusting to ~30 mph.; 20° temp., with a real feel temp. of 5°; and 70 to 80% cloudy. I was no less determined. However, snow squalls twice forced me to scurry in from my backyard, before I could finish setting up.

Much later in the evening, there was enough of a break in the clouds and wind for me to make a mad dash out onto my front walkway. I set up quickly, within 5 minutes. I started observing 32 minutes before the predicted time. However, the ray was already widened to the point where the central peak was casting a shadow within the ray, causing a forked appearance of the swath of light.

On 2002/5/19 UT a number of fellow ASH members and I observed the Maginus Lunar Ray from the Astronomical Society of Harrisburg's Naylor Observatory (670 Observatory Drive, Lewisberry, PA - http://www.astrohbg.org) during a public observing session. I didn't arrive in time to see the beginning of the event but at 2:20 UT the ray was still a relatively narrow shaft of light as seen through a 12.5" f/6.5 Cave Newtonian. Using the ASH 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain I briefly viewed the ray at 202x before setting up my Pentax K1000 and camera adapter. A 26mm Tele Vue Ploessl was employed for eyepiece projection photography of the event. Dave Mitsky Harrisburg, PA

I was observing last night in Dayton Ohio, and I observed what appeared to be an undocumented lunar ray in the crater Maginus, which was lying on the terminator at about 8pm. I was using an 8" Dobs at 130-230x and could clearly see a break in the crater wall with a triangular ray of light emanating from the break, filling about 60% of the crater. I haven't seen any documentation on this ray, so perhaps I was mistaken, but I spent a lot of time on it, and sure looked right. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

On Thursday night, June 28-29th, at ~23:15 EST (03:15 UT), while taking a quick look at the moon and Mars with my C4.5 Newtonian, I happened to notice that there was what appeared to be a lunar sunrise ray in the crater Maginus, an event that I had also witnessed (and reported) on 2001/5/1 from 02:45 to 03:40 UT. (John Bajtelsmit, a fellow DVAA member, happened to image the crater coincidentally early during the May occurrence but was unaware of the ray.) This is an unreported ray as far as I know.

During the course of an Internet search I came across an image at http://home.pacbell.net/twerick/moon020.htm that shows the Maginus ray.

Dave Misty on April 3rd, 2023 wrote: Rob, I got a fairly good afocal iPhone shot of the Maginus lunar sunrise crater ray on March using a 6" Orion SkyQuest XT6 Dob. (dated 29 Mar 2023) - Dave