All hail the ‘Lunar X’… Image credit: Dave Dickinson.

Recently, Universe Today shared an article about searching for Lunar Letters. Author and experienced sky-watcher David Dickinson described a popular pastime among moon observers – looking for formations that look like letters or other objects on the surface of the moon.

The annotated features on the lunar nearside. Image credit: Peter Freiman(Cmglee). Background photograph by Gregory H. Revera.

Throughout history, cultures have described many kinds of formations, including the Jade Rabbit of the Chinese and the ubiquitous “man in the moon.” While these formations are usually the result of tricks of the light, reflections or shadows, they can be fascinating to find and photograph.

The ‘Lunar Q’ feature… Image credit: NASA/LROC.

Read more and find more great articles by David Dickinson and the other writers over at Universe Today.