Astronomy, Photography and Weather

General Category => Photography => Topic started by: jgs001 on January 02, 2009, 03:19:35 pm



Title: Ghostly Moon
Post by: jgs001 on January 02, 2009, 03:19:35 pm
Not an easy one, there was bog all contrast. I couldn't tell if I'd actually managed to get focus or not, actually seeing the moon in the viewfinder was difficult. Shot at 1200mm

(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg118/johns_bucketofphotos/astro/Lunar/IMG_0417.jpg)


Title: Re: Ghostly Moon
Post by: brianb on January 02, 2009, 04:04:11 pm
You seem to have the focus pretty good .... the "round" limb is usually the best contrast.

BTW you may be aware that, when the Moon is a thickish crescent to gibbous, a polarizing filter can darken the sky down quite a lot without affecting the Moon as the diffuse skylight is partially polarized but the reflection from the rough lunar surface is "random". The effect is strongest 90 degress from the Sun i.e. when the Moon is exactly half phase.



Title: Re: Ghostly Moon
Post by: jgs001 on January 02, 2009, 04:11:58 pm
Thanks Brian, and thanks for the tip on the polariser. I don't have one, but it's something I've been thinking about picking up.