The Sky Today on Thursday, October 15: Double crater Messier
This article provides a guide for amateur astronomers to observe the Messier crater doublet on the Moon. It explains the geological formation of the craters and provides specific viewing times and locations.
Why it matters
It encourages public engagement with astronomy and provides educational context on lunar geography and impact events.
Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.
An hour after sunset this evening, you’ll find the waxing crescent Moon low in the southwest, hanging above the back of Scorpius and just off the spout of Sagittarius’ Teapot. Zoom in with a telescope on Mare Fecunditatis, the large dark splotch that lies just below the much rounder Mare Crisium. In Mare Fecunditatis’ western region, look for a pair of small craters with a signature white “tail” spreading westward — this is the doublet Messier, named for the famous French comet hunter Charles Messier, whose name persists on his Messier Catalog of deep-sky objects.
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