February 6, 2015

New and Old All Together

Originally published February 6, 2004

Image Credit: Alan Friedman

New and Old All Together The crescent Moon is one of the glories of the solar system. The bright, sun-lit portion of the Moon doesn't yet overwhelm the Earth-lit, gibbous part. In Alan Friedman's remarkable composite rendition of this classic scene there is a strong three-dimensionality - you can almost feel the curvature of the surface. The face of the Woman in the Moon is easily seen, as is bright Aristarchus, which Herschel mistook for an erupting volcano. Along the sunlit side of the terminator the twins Atlas and Hercules are visible in the north (near the top), and south of bifurcated Nectaris is Janssen and friends. Wow! Technical Details: This image was made from two film exposures at different focal lengths (an A/P Traveler at 600mm and a Leitz 450mm camera lens) and combined in Photoshop, allowing both the sunlit and earthlit areas of the moon to be optimally exposed. Related Links: Earthlight by Arthur C. Clark (excerpt) Earthshine from Science@NASA Yesterday's LPOD: LO III Tomorrow's LPOD: Crumpled Sheets of Lava

Author & Editor: Charles A. Wood

 

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