Observing the Moon through a telescope

To film or photograph the Moon, there is no need to travel out of town to get away from light pollution. In deep-sky astrophotography this is mandatory, because of using long exposures and you would not like to have in the bottom of the pictures (or in all image), yellow spots or other colors of city lights which reduces the clarity drastically.

In general, for filming / photographing the Moon, you need a clear atmosphere without turbulence from temperature of buildings (in winter), because the Moon is bright and big, on which you are not using long exposures.


The first thing you do after installing the telescope and mount the camera, is to find the Moon, which is not difficult, if you have a telescope finder scope on the tube (and most have), to guide you in approximation toward it. Once you find it, you rub your hands, and open the camera / video camera. But it's blurry! You'll want it to become clear on the display, and get your hands on focus, and rotate until the image becomes clear, then start your survey over various lunar areas to find an interesting region to film / photograph.

  Images from the terminal, I have always felt the most special and more interesting than other lightning moments when craters are seen as usual, without any buzz.


 When the Sun is at a low angle, the lunar landscape becomes more realistic in most cases regardless the observed region, because the shadows of the mountains, craters, their central peaks and other forms of relief, are projected around them, thereby obtaining more information quantity about the area.

 When the Sun shine from a high angle, all is bright, without shadows of the lunar relief to give more life to the landscape.
Earth's moon is "changing", not geological, but through light and shadow. Due to the phases of the Moon, we enjoy a unique show every evening moonscape always having another look for those who have an astronomical telescope, regardless of power, large or small.

  I have filmed some parts of the Moon repeatedly, but always I have noticed otherwise. I have captured the moment when a crater was almost completely in shadow, times when it was in full sunlight, but also moments when the sun was at various other angles.
  Another factor that changes little the face of the Moon: often, the shapes of the craters "modifies" a little as seen from Earth, because of the Moon libration because it does not stay fixed facing us, but has a periodic motion of inclination, like you see a child in the cradle.

2 frames at 100% best quality in Registax.

Video by Lupu Victor
Optics: CelestronC8 "-Newtonian telescope, plossl20mm
Mount: CG5 (EQ5) motorized
Device: Sony CX-130
Video mode: Full HD progressive 1920x1080
Filter: no
Date: 31/08/2012
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing and editing: Sony Vegas 10

Posted in: how to observe the Moon