The El Nino weather pattern moderated enough during the first week of March, 1998, to give central California observers a chance to do some astronomy, but I was busy with other things on all three clear nights. So when Monday the 9th proved brisk and clear, I eagerly hauled my 98 mm Brandon into the yard to look at the Moon. The terminator had just cleared Mare Humorum and Aristarchus, and the seeing from Palo Alto was pretty good, so I was expecting some good views. I observed with 162x, and all directions are Selenographic ("west" means "toward the Earth's *eastern* horizon"). My observations were made between 0600 and 0700 UT, 10 March, 1998. The features I mention are all on Rukl's Lunar atlas.

Gassendi was well clear of the terminator, but even so, I could spot a couple of the rilles therein, II and VII, near the east wall. To the southwest, Rupes Liebig and its extension, Mersenius rille II, traced a north-south chord across the mare as far south as Mersenius G. Mersenius II was less distinct, but I could trace Mersenius I all the way from just north of Mersenius D to about 16 degrees south latitude. I could not see the complete de Gasparis rille system, just I and III. This area would be worth looking at with greater aperture in favorable conditions.

Way up north, I noticed a big rough-floored plain northwest of Sinus Iridium, and wondered what it was. Following the craters Bianchini, Foucault, and Harpalus across Mare Frigoris revealed that this northerly feature was named South. East and a bit north, the larger plain, J. Herschel, was prominent, and twin craters Anaximenes and Philolaus, with lots of structured rough terrain around and between them, made an easy landmark.

The prize view of the night was the region around Aristarchus. Schroter's Valley was just barely all in sunlight -- the region between the Cobra Head and Herodotus was still darkly shadowed by nearby high terrain. I could see Rimae Aristarchus, and associated rilles I, III, and VI. Rille III was most prominent northwest of Prinz -- I could not see any of III, IV, or V where they lie parallel, close to 27 N 46 W. Finally, the beautiful wrinkle ridge from Nielsen to Rumker stood out in relief, though Rumker itself still lay in shadow.