Chronological Catalog of Reported Lunar Events
NASA Technical Report R-277  -  July 1968
Lunar Events - 1500s
Free to download. Govt. Pub.

Date & Time
Feature or Location;
Duration
Description
Observer
Reference
1540 Nov 26, ~05h00m Region of Calippus Starlike appearance on dark side Observers at Worms Hess 1911
1587 Mar 5 Dark Side "A sterre is sene in the bodie of the moon vpon the (blank) of Marche, whereat many men merueiled, and not without cause, for it stode directly betwene the pointes of her hornes, the mone being chaunged, not passing 5 or 6 daies before." Anonymous Harrison 1876; Lowes 1927

 

Lunar Events - 1600s
Free to download. Govt. Pub.


 
Date & Time
Feature or Location;
Duration
Description
Observer
Reference
1668 Nov 26 Dark Side Bright starlike point Several New Englanders Josselyn 1675; Mather 1714; Lowes 1927
1671 Oct 21 Pitatus N/A N/A Bode 1792a; Lalande 1792 (1966)
1671 Nov 12 Pitatus Small whitish cloud D.Cassini Bode 1792a; Lalande 1792 (1966)
1672 Feb 3 Mare Crisium Nebulous appearance D.Cassini Bode 1792a; Lalande 1792 (1966)
1673 Oct 18 Pitatus White spot D.Cassini Bode 1792a; Lalande 1792 (1966)
1685 Dec 10, ~22h28m Plato Reddish streak on crater floor seen during eclipse (lunar) Bianchini Bianchini 1686; Klado 1965

 

Lunar Events - 1700s
Free to download. Govt. Pub.


 
Date & Time
Feature or Location;
Duration
Description
Observer
Reference
1706 May 12 N/A Three sparkling spots N/A Bode 1792a
1715 May 3, ~09h30 N/A "Lightning" on the face of the moon. De Louville explained this as storms. Halley reference uses Old Style date. Louville, Halley Louville 1715; Halley 1715; Schroter 1791; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1725 Aug 16 Plato A track of ruddy light, like a beam, crossing the middle of the obscure (shadowed) area (crater in darkness) Bianchini Hesp. Phos. Phaenom. 1728; Sirius 1887; Wilkins 1958
1738 Aug 4, 16h31m N/A During solar eclipse, appearance like lightning on the face of the moon (Partial eclipse) Friend of Weidler Phil. Trans. 1739
1751 Apr 22 Plato Yellow streak of light across crater floor while crater was in darkness Short, Stephens, Harris Sirius 1887
1772 Oct 11, ~17h13m N/A Bright spot on disk of fully eclipsed moon Beccaria's nephew and niece Beccaria 1781; Klado 1965
1774 Jul 25 Mare Crisium Four bright spots. Peculiar behaviour of terminator Eysenhard Webb 1962 ed., pp. 106-107
1778 Jun 14, ~15h38m N/A; 1 1/2 min During solar eclipse, observed spot near lunar limb almost as bright as sun Ulloa Ulloa 1779, 1780; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.; Klado 1965
1783 Mar 18 or Sep 10 N/A Moving glows around middle of disk during lunar eclipse Messier Liais 1865; Pop. Astr. 1894-95
1783 Mar Near Aristarchus Bright points seen during observation of star occultation W.Herschel Schroter 1791
1783 May 4 Aristarchus, vicinity Red spot, 4th mag, diameter <3" W.Herschel, Mrs Lind Herschel 1912
1784 Aristarchus Nebulous bright spot of light Schroter Schroter 1791
1785 Aristarchus Nebulous bright spot of light Schroter Schroter 1791
1786 Dec 24 Aristarchus Extraordinarily bright Schroter Schroter 1791
1787 Mar Dark side Three bright spots W.Herschel Schroter 1791
1787 Apr 19 Dark side Three "volcanoes." The brightest, 3'57"3 from N limb, the other two much farther toward the center of the moon W.Herschel Herschel 1787, 1912
1787 Apr 20 Dark side Brightest "volcano" even brighter and at least 3 miles in diameter W.Herschel Herschel 1787, 1912
1787 May 19-20  Aristarchus Extraordinarily bright von Bruhl Bode 1790; Schroter 1791; Herschel 1912
1787 May 22 Helicon N/A Villeneuve Lalande 1792 (1966)
1788 Jan 11 Near Plato Bright spot on dark side Observers in Mannheim Schroter 1791
1788 Mar 9-10 Dark side Bright spot Schroter Schroter 1791
1788 Mar 13 Riccioli Bright spot Schroter Schroter 1791
1788 Mar 13 Helicon Lunar "volcano" like 6th mag star Nouet Schroter 1792; Bode 1792a; Lalande 1792 (1966
1788 Apr 9 Aristarchus; 1 hr Extraordinarily bright Bode Bode 1792b
1788 Apr 9-11 Aristarchus Bright spot 26" N of crater rim Schroter, Bode Schroter 1789, 1791, 1792a, 1792b
1788 May 8 N/A Bright spots Mechain Lalande 1792 (1966)
1788 May 8-9 N/A Bright spots Bode Bode 1792b
1788 Aug 27 N/A Bright spot Schroter Schroter 1791
1788 Sep 26, 4:25am N edge of Mare Crisium Small nebulous bright spot Schroter Rozier 1788, 1792; Schroter 1791
1788 Sep 26 1'18" SE of Plato; 15 min Whitish bright spot shining somewhat hazily and 4" to 5" in diameter, 5th mag, SE of Plato in bright moiuntainous region bounding Mare Imbrium Schroter Schroter 1789, 1792a, 1792b; Sirius 1888
1788 Sep 26 Near Aristarchus; 30 min Bright spot 26" N of main crater Schroter Rozier 1788, 1792; Schroter 1791
1788 Dec 2, 5:35am Aristarchus Extraordinarly bright, like star Schroter Schroter 1791
1788 Dec 11 Plato Bright area, like thin white cloud Schroter schroter 1791
1788 Aristarchus Brilliant spots Bode Bode 1792b; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 Jan 10 N/A Lunar "volcano" Seyffer Seyffer 1789; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 Mar 29-30 Grimaldi, and near Riccioli Two flickering spots on E edge of Grimaldi, and near Riccioli on dark side of moon a bright spot Schroter Schroter 1789, 1791; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 Mar 29-31 Aristarchus Nebulous bright area Schroter Schroter 1791
1789 Mar Near Aristarchus Brilliant spots near Aristarchus; luminous spots on dark side Bode Bode 1788-89, 1789, 1793; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 Apr Near Aristarchus Brilliant spots near Aristarchus; luminous spots on dark side Bode Bode 1788-89, 1789, 1793; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 May Near Aristarchus Brilliant spots near Aristarchus; luminous spots on dark side Bode Bode 1788-89, 1789, 1793; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1789 Sep 26 Mont Blanc; 15 min Small speck of light at foot of mountain, like 5th mag star Schroter Pickering 1902; Webb 1962 ed., p.113
1790 Jan 17 Aristarchus region Small, hazy spot of light Schroter Schroter 1791
1790 Feb 15-18 Aristarchus region Small, hazy spot of light Schroter Schroter 1791
1790 Mar 19 Aristarchus region Small, hazy spot of light Schroter Schroter 1791
1790 Oct 22 N/A During total eclipse, Herschel saw at least 150 small, round, bright, red luminous points. (Mid-eclipse, lunar, Oct 23, 00h41m.) W.Herschel Herschel 1912 ed.; Klado 1965
1792 Feb 24 N/A Cusps of moon showed signs of atmosphere Schroter Webb 1962 ed., p.97
1792 Aristarchus Many ocassions; special appearance Bode Bode 1792a
1792 Dark side Brilliant spots Schroter Schroter 1792a, 1792b
1794 Mar 7 Dark side; 15 min Appearance of light like a star seen in dark part of the moon W.Wilkins, Stretton Wilkins 1794; Stretton 1794; Maskelyne 1795; Moore 1953; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1797 Mar 2 Promontorium Heraclides, vicinity "Observations of a volcano on the moon" Caroché Caroché 1799; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.
1797 Jul 2 Mare Vaporum Vapors resembling mountain Schroter, Olber Klein 1879
1799 Dark side Bright spots on dark side, seen during five different lunations Piazzi Piazzi 1800; Houzeau and Lancaster 1964 ed.; Treanor and O'Connell 1965