Alpine Valley on the Moon

Left of centre in Dieter's image is the vertical linear feature known as Vallis Alpes or the Alpine Valley. It is between 3.2 and 3.9 billion years old and some 160km in length.

It was christened by the curious character Edmund Nevill, Father of South African tennis and one-time Director of the Natal Observatory in Durban (1882-1910). Nevill, who wrote under the name of Neison, published the first excellent observer's guide to the Moon in 1876, in which he named the Alpine Valley. The designation was approved by the IAU in 1961.

Vallis Alpes can be seen in four-inch or larger 'scopes. Look for it at First Quarter or six days after Full Moon (Virtual Moon Atlas 4.0, Chevalley & Legrand 2008) or lunation 8,9 & 22 (Photographic Atlas of the Moon, Chong, Limm & Ang 2002).

The massive crater at top-centre is the 90km wide 4km deep Aristoteles.

More about Nevill can be found on the ASSA's Historical Section website:
http://www.saao.ac.za/assa/html/his-astr-nevill.html.