IWLOP #102 - Mare Cognitum & Kuiper

Mare Cognitum, the “Known Sea,” was named in 1964 to mark the successful flight of the Ranger 7 spacecraft, which sent back the first detailed television pictures of the lunar surface. Kuiper, located in central Cognitum, is an excellent example of a small, simple crater.

Location: 9.8 S 22.7 W    Origin: Impact     Size: 6.8 km (Kuiper)   Rukl: 42     Type: Simple Crater (CS)

Objects: Mare Cognitum, Ranger 7 landing site, Kuiper, Darney, Mons Moro
Others Identified: Darney C, Eppinger

Observation 1:
Location: Home
Date: 2020-08-28
Time: 8:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 12 mm eyepiece with 90° FOV
Magnification: x210
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Very Good (4)

R1: Mare Cognitum is between Oceanus Procellarum in the northwest, Mare Nubium in the southeast, and Mare Humorum in the southwest. The Ranger 7 landed southeast of Kuiper.
R2: Kuiper is in the centre of the mare in what appears to be a flat plains. Darney is located in a rugged mountainous area south of Kuiper and appears to be about twice the size of Kuiper.

C1: There are several wrinkle ridges throughout the Mare.

Observation 2:
Location: Home
Date: 2021-03-22
Time: 9:30 PM ADT
Equipment: 10” Meade SCT, 4.7 mm eyepiece
Magnification: x530
Seeing: Very Good (4)
Transparency: Good (3)

C2: Mons Moro appeared as a small raised area or mountain (?) SW of Kuiper and NW of Darney on Mare Cognitum. Couldn't make out any distinctive features.

NOTE: (July 15, 2021) Investigated to confirm my findings last year regarding size and found that Darney's width is 15 km which is a little more than twice the size of Kuiper. Good guess on my part.

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