This evening I was sitting in the backyard, keeping an eye on Betsy the cat and the birds she was ineffectively stalking. I had brought out the largish binocs Chuck sold me, and I enjoyed looking at both Betsy and quail, pine siskins, finches. It was about 5:45 and the atmosphere was absolutely still and clear. I looked at the moon, using the binocs, and then with naked eyes (well, naked except for my glasses). For the first time I was definitely about to see a crater on the moon without magnification -- Copernicus. Its light floor stood out clearly from the darker mare regions surrounding it. I confirmed this by using the binoculars, checking back and forth several times. I could almost, but not quite, make out Tycho. I could see the curvature of the dark mare to its left, but because Tycho is surrounded by bright material I could not quite see it. If I look at the moon when the night is darker I lose most of the details because my eyes tend to make a big mess of things when I see a bright glaring orb in blackness. But the afternoon lighting, the air's transparency and stillness, and the phase of the moon combined to give me a great view. Has anyone else seen a crater on the moon without telescope or binoculars? Best wishes, Joe