Sunset Activities on Western Mare Crisium

by James Ferreira

Fellow Lunatics

On Monday night [September 27, 1999] between 10:30 and midnight I watched sunset on the western edge of Mare Crisium in the region of Prom. Lavinium and Prom. Olivium (Palus Somni region) and witnessed a curious fan shape light passing between those features and apparently illuminating a ridge that runs between crater Yerkes to the south and crater E (Rukl 26) to the north.

At one point there was some evidence of the bridge between Olivium and Lavinium, but not all that notable. As the sun continued to set on Crisium the fan of light on the floor disappeared leaving the illuminated section of ridge sitting isolated in the shadow of the mountains along Crisium's western boarder. Has anyone else seen this fan of light? I hesitate to call it a ray.....

I did capture some video images of the fan of light and partial bridge between Lavinium and Olivium. They are posted at http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian/canterbury/222/astroa.htm