To wonder what the hell I just saw?

[QuestionableMouse]

Looking at the moon through some new binoculars and it had a line (shadow) across the bottom bit. I've never seen anything like it!

My sister is staying atm and she saw it too so I wasn't imaging things. Nothing wrong with the binoculars and the line doesn't show up when looking at other light things.

It was very clear and distinct, looked like something was casting a shadow over the surface. I've attached a very terrible diagram 😂

(black is just where the moon is in shadow, red line is where the line/shadow was)

When the sun illuminates the feature at an oblique angle at about day 8 of the Moon's orbit, the Rupes Recta casts a wide shadow that gives it the appearance of a steep cliff. The fault has a length of 110 km, a typical width of 2–3 km, and a height of 240–300 m.
I will now try to work out if it is day 8 of the moons orbit - though not sure how you do that.

I don't think it's day 8 from a new moon.
Did you see a telegraph wire or tv aerial OP?

@Billlius

@GreatAuntEmily

I don't think it's day 8 from a new moon. Did you see a telegraph wire or tv aerial OP?

The next new moon is on August 7th so 8 days away from now if it works that way?

Can't believe people are getting so confused by the squiggles and asking for pictures of the moon without them! As if you don't know what the moon looks like lol

@malmi

Can't believe people are getting so confused by the squiggles and asking for pictures of the moon without them! As if you don't know what the moon looks like lol

I thin people are asking for a picture of the shadow she is talking about. Not a photo of the moon per se.

is it the international space station?

I have never heard if this Rupes Recta, but it does sound likely OP, from the way you describe it?

Ooo this is interesting. Maybe something was floating by?
How long was it there for, op?

Proof that the earth is flat? A shadow of our earth, side-on.

@AbsolutelyPatsy

is it the international space station?

Too far away from the moon to leave a shadow.

Rupes recta appears smaller on photos than what the OP is describing.

@TheSmallAssassin

The moon is the same phase everywhere, BTW. It isn't gibbous for you and full elsewhere in the world.

I'm embarrassed that I didn't know this.

Well I've learned things from this thread. Do you think it could be this rupes recta fault line OP?

There are plenty plenty of objects that shadows on the Moon but nothing like that described by the OP. the ISS and other satellites don’t cast shadows on the Moon.

If it’s a long line an aircraft contrail is favourite, as has been said flightradar doesn’t show all aircraft in any event contrails can persist for quite a long time after an aircraft has passed (as in best part of an hour) and also be blown a considerable distance across country…failing that and if it was a genuinely straight line running across the whole of the visible disk I’d be thinking something closer to hand like a telephone or power line…….

“Plenty of objects”= lunar crater walls, lunar mountains.

You don't know what you saw?

The moon at a guess... 🌚

Rubs away

Runs away 🏃‍♀️

I can see what you mean, its just above the red line more obvious on the left. I think you might make it easier for others to see if you just do a thin black circle around it. You know what you are looking at so its probably jumping out at you but I really had to peer to find what you meant. I am guessing you are wondering if its a structure someone has made as its so straight.

I think the issue is we don't know what the OP saw at all.

The first picture the OP asks 'what did I see?' and posted a picture like she'd taken it with an red arrow pointing at a load of black scribble. It was as if she was posting a joke thread about the moon being scibbled out.

The second makes it a lot clearer but as the across is pointing at a different part of the moon.

So we can be sure where the line actually was, nor if it was as big as the second picture suggests.

It could very well be rupes recta - except the line the OP drew suggests the line she saw was much longer.

The shadow of a flat earth is seeming the most likely answer 😄

Holding place to see if it’s a rubis thingy.

@SeeYaBeYa

I know! It must be THE KILLING TIME.

Thanks for the earworm

Yes that is indeed a terrible diagram. No idea what you're on about!

Are your diagrams "artist's impression" or "reconstructions"? To show us what the moon looks like??

@Twoforthree

Holding place to see if it’s a rubis thingy.

The problem with this seemingly very popular Rupes Recta idea (in English it’s known as the “straight wall”, and it’s an escarpment rather than a wall) is that with the Moon past full - it was probably at around day 18 of the cycle last night it casts no shadow..the wrong side of the escarpment is illuminated.