Mooning you people...

[Cazzie]

I had two very good nights Monday and Tuesday for setting the telescope out and observing. Here's a couple shots of the moon, one a full shot and the other a close-up. Telescope: Celestron C-8 fixed f/11. Camera: Nikon D5100; Manual settings all around. ISO 400, 1/80-second exposure with neutral density filter.

A day over first quarter moon.



A close-up featuring the Aphennine and Alps Mountains on the moon. The Aphennines are in the lower rim of the western terminator (sunset line), the Alps to the north. The large crater on the terminator is Plato, 101-km in diameter. The little scar that splits the Alps Mountains is called the Alps Valley. The dark area between the mountains is the Mare Imbrium (Sea of Imbrium). Prominent craters within the sea are Archimedes (83-km in diameter), the rim crater just south of midway, Aristillus ( 66-km) and Autolycus (33-km) are located to the northeast of Archmedes. In the bottom at the end of the Apihennines and in the dark of the terminator is Eratosthenes (58-km). The three prominent peaks visible south of the Alps are (facing left to right from the terminator) Mount Tennerife, Mount Pico, and Mount Piton. Notice the shadows of the mountains and crater rims near the terminator. All settings are the same as above except the for the use of a 2X Barlow lens and the exclusion of the neutral density filter (not required that close to the terminator); 800 ISO, 1/50-second exposure.

[Ferry_vO]

I was afraid to click this link, until I remembered you liked astronomy!

Nice shots!

[Panther_99FS]

[alastairmonk]

Hi,

Excellent photos. The ND filter used, is this a graduated ND or full, and if the latter, why is the filter needed ? Not ever having had a telescope I'm completely ignorant of astronomical photography !

Cheers,

Alastair

[Cazzie]

It's a standard neutral density filter that screws into the end of the eyepiece or camera adapter Alastair. The filter reduces the brightness of the moon and improves contrast, which allows greater detail to be seen when the moon is past first quarter to full. It reduces light transmission by -13%, so a slightly longer exposure is required when photographing. Since the close-up was taken on the sunset terminator line, there was little light to begin with, so the filter was omitted.

Caz

[wbuchart]

I was expecting some funny cartoonish picture....not something really uber-cool like this.

Good shots, Cazzie.

[Henry]

you cansee my house in that shot:mix-smi:cheersH