Explore the Moon - Halley

Background

The crater Halley can be found directly south of Hipparchus near the center of the nearside of the Moon.  The crater is named after the English astronomer, Edmond Halley.  Halley is probably most famous for calculated the periodicity of his eponymous comet.  Halley was a contemporary of Isaac Newton and they worked together on the physics of gravity.  Halley even funded the publication of Newton's Magnus Opus, Philsophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.  He voyaged to the Southern Hemisphere to map the stars as Flamsteed had mapped the Northern Hemisphere.

Halley (Image Credit: NASA Apollo 16)

Halley is a moderately sized crater with a diameter of 36km and a depth of 2,510m. 

Observation

My abbreviated observation record can be found below:

Date	2020-05-29
Time	23:40
Sky	Clear
Telescope	8" Reflector (1200mm F.L.)
Eyepiece	10mm (2x Barlow)
Magnification	240x

Comments

Halley is the largest of four successively smaller craters to the south of Hipparchus.  The edge of Halley actually intersects with the walled rim of Hipparchus.  I noticed a small peak within Halley that was difficult to see.

Location

To help you locate this object a map has been provided from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's Observer's Handbook.  It is object #51, highlighted below.

Halley (Crater)

Another great view is from the Apollo 16 mission.  This image shows Halley right below Hipparchus, neighboured to the east by the crater known as Hind.  The smaller crater further to the east is Hipparchus C.  In the bottom left hand corner is the flooded northeast region of Albategnius.  The sizes of Halley, Hind and Hipparchus C are respectively 36km, 30km, 17km.

Halley (Image Credit: NASA Apollo 16)