Frequently Asked Questions
Click on any of the following questions to jump down to the corresponding answer. If you don't see your question please contact us and we will respond as soon as possible.

    Why is the moon upside-down?
    Why is the screen all red?
    Why are some feature names 'grayed-out' and not functional?
    Why can't I find a particular lunar feature?

Why is the Moon upside-down?
The moon is shown upside down compared to the way it is seen with the naked eye or through binoculars in the northern hemisphere. This is to match the inversion that most telescope optics cause. It is commonly accepted to display lunar maps in this way.

Why is the screen all red?
The Astronomer's Lunar Atlas and Explorer has a small round button to the far right in the bottom toolbar. This switch toggles the red screen, which acts as a handy built-in reading lamp. Click this button again to turn off this feature.

Why are some feature names 'grayed-out' and not functional?
When exploring lunar features the darker inactive or 'grayed-out' entries are located on the far side of the moon and are not visible from the earth. They are listed for reference only.

Why can't I find a particular lunar feature?
There are thousands of named features on the moon, including at least 10,000 named craters alone. Some sections are therefore abridged. These sections are indicated as such in the introductory text. Also many features are located on the far side of the moon and are never visible from the earth. These features are shown 'grayed out' and inactive when they are listed in Explorer menus.

Copyright © 2003 by Brian Patrick Mucha