Observer: Tony Donnangelo Date/time of observation: 2002/4/24 ~04:20 UT Location of site: Hummelstown RD 3, PA, USA (40.26° N., 76.75° W.) Site Elevation: 425 feet (129 meters) Instrument: Takahashi FS-102 f/8 Magnification: 8mm Vixon LSW(102.5x), 5.2mm Pentax XL (157x) Moon was 87% illuminated. 11 days, 8 hours, 58 mins. old. Object: Crater C, southwest of Schiller. Rukl Chart #71. Lunar Light Ray s Coordinates: 56.5°S., 50°W. There is a mountain feature which runs from near the southeast crater wall of C to the crater Segner. There is gab between this mountain feature and C. This gab is the location responsible for the lunar light ray that I observed. The ray was a thin shaft of light. It might be possible to observe the ray at an earlier time. The ray broadened quickly from when I first observed it; within 20 minutes, it was a wide swath of light with the shadow of the mountain and C visible on the surface.

By running predictions using site coordinates, date and time of the event, it was determined that the event could be seen when the sun was 2.306 degrees rising, with an average colongitude of 52.853 degrees. This data was used to compute the predictions, found on the prediction page.

Starting Date  = 2002 / 1 / 1  U.T.
Site Longitude =   76.75   Latitude =   40.25   Elevation =  129 meters
Feature = SCHILLER C
Longitude = -48°48'  Latitude  = -55°18'
Reproducing Lighting For:  2002 / 4 / 24  at  4 : 20  UT
Desired Solar altitude =   2.306° (Rising),  Azimuth =  88.591°
Average Co-longitude =  52.853
In the time column, D=daylight, T=twilight

                      ---- Moon's ----
                         Topocentric     -- Earth's --    ------- Sun's -------
   UT Date    Time     Alt°  Semi-diam"   long°   lat°    colong°   lat°   azim°
 2002/ 4/24   4:19    50.56   1006.47    -2.52   -6.61     51.26   -1.09   88.60

Schiller, -396,-783: An elliptical formation, 112 miles in length and 60 miles in width towards the south, but tapering towards both ends. It is obviously the result of the fusion of two rings. On the inner south east are large masses with small craters near the crest. On the interior and south of the centre is a faintly marked ring with a craterlet on its south rim. East of the centre of the floor and near the east slope are two little hills. There is also a shallow ring on the north-east crest. A ridge, broken half way, lies on the floor at the northern end. This ridge has a craterlet on its west and two small craterlets on its east. To the west of Schiller is an ancient ring.- Wilkins and Moore, The Moon, Faber and Faber, 1955