The Moon

This work is a collaboration with Richard Batorfi.

After previously capturing a full Moon image with very flat lighting, this time our goal was to create a lunar image with strong shadows and visible surface relief. By imaging the Moon at a lower Sun angle, crater rims, ejecta patterns, and subtle elevation changes become much more pronounced, giving the surface a distinctly three-dimensional appearance.

This image also marks a personal milestone in our lunar imaging workflow. Instead of using ASIAIR, the capture was performed directly on Richard’s computer with FireCapture, which allowed significantly higher frame rates. This made it possible to better freeze moments of good seeing and extract finer surface details from the video data.

The processing approach reflects lessons learned from working with H-alpha solar data. IMPPG was chosen for sharpening over RegiStax to evaluate its deconvolution-based approach on the lunar surface. I found it easier to use and see a more accurate reconstruction of details affected by atmospheric turbulence.

This result represents both a visual and a technical step forward, combining improved capture techniques with a more refined, disciplined processing workflow.