American Astrophotographer Uses Lunar Terminator to Capture Clearest Picture of Moon’s Craters

The world's clearest photo of the moon's craters was created by California-based astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy using a thousand photos of the moon terminator.

According to a report from Daily Mail, McCarthy spent two weeks taking pictures as the amount of light on the lunar surface increases. He took shots of the lunar terminator, which is the line between the dark and light phases of the moon. It elongates the lunar craters.

McCarthy painstakingly took numerous shots of the moon's surface, then combined them into a single detailed composition.

The final product was astounding. It showcases clear views of the lunar craters and imperfections.

Our 4.5 billion-year-old neighbor

McCarthy posted the image to his Instagram account on his account @cosmic_background. He described it as a "beast of a project" which he named "All Terminator."

"This moon might look a little funny to you, and that's because it is an impossible scene," McCarthy said.

Another user replied to McCarthy's post, saying it was "very interesting". "Always wondered what the moon would look like using images of the terminator only," said ethan_roberts_astronomer02.

McCarty narrates how he was able to create the amazing photo "from two weeks of images of the waxing moon". "I took the section of the picture that has the most contrast (right before the lunar terminator where shadows are the longest), aligned, and blended them to show the rich texture across the entire surface," McCarty narrates how he was able to capture the amazing photo.

The shadows make the moon's surface look clearer and its features more noticeable.

'This was exhausting to say the least, namely because the moon doesn't line up the day over day, so each image had to be mapped to a 3D sphere and adjusted to make sure each image aligned," says McCarthy.

McCarthy took the original shots using an ASI1600MM and the Celestron edgeHD 800. ASI1600 is great for astrophotography because offering low read noise and dark current as well as high dynamic range. While it provides 12bit ADC, it also offers 12.5 stops dynamic range, which has super low read noise, better than the KAF8300.

Also, Celestron edgeHD 800 provides premium optical performance with its "aplanatic, flat field Schmidt-Cassegrain optics" for locating specific stars. Its 8" optical tube assembly is perfect for ultra-wide image sensors while the telescope's premium StarBright XLT coatings offer the utmost light transmission.

When the sun is closer to the horizon of the lunar terminator, shadows are created showing three-dimensions of the moon's craters.

'The Moon has no atmosphere, so the sun's light reaches its surface unhindered,' says McCarthy.

Explore the 4G Moon

Meanwhile, a video created by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft shows the dramatic sight of the Moon. This "recreates" the view as seen by the Apollo 13 astronauts when they went near the moon's side in 1970.

In 4K resolution, these images show many views of the moon's surface. It begins with the earth set and sunrise and ends after Apollo 13 re-established contact with Mission Control as the Earth is seen again.

The video also states that the crew was in total darkness for eight minutes until the lunar terrain emerged.