MOON photos! Post yours! 1600mm

[Will Thompson]

 

[Doug Kerr]

 

[Will Thompson]

Outstanding!

 

[Ted Cousins]

Blood moon with bonus trees, clouds and a flying saucer:

How about this:

http://kronometric.org/phot/manor/street/blood%20moon%20clouds%20street%20UFO.jpg

nope - unless you click on it. ho hum.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I added it for you. It just needs to be “attached” with the option “large”

 

[Asher Kelman]

Superb blood moon!

I was looking forward my missing flying saucer! Return it promptly!

Asher

 

[兹未 (Ts’why) Ye]

Mine，聚离

 

[Asher Kelman]

Fabulous reflection, Ts’why, although I’m flummoxed to explain how you did it!

Asher

 

[兹未 (Ts’why) Ye]

Fabulous reflection, Ts’why, although I’m flummoxed to explain how you did it!

Asher

Each shooting is based on the feeling in my heart. My heart tells me that this is the way it should be shot. These two photos were taken using double exposure.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Each shooting is based on the feeling in my heart. My heart tells me that this is the way it should be shot. These two photos were taken using double exposure.

Brilliant, honest and simple, but surprisingly, your method never occurred to me, my friends!

Asher

 

[Pao Dolina]

Happy Earth Hour 2010! by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

 

[Asher Kelman]

I one looks carefully at moon pictures one can sometimes see very fine radial lines especially from the poles.

These are obvious in the superb moon picture by Pao above!

This has fascinated me and left. E perplexed as I wondered whether this was something real and reproducible or an artifact of photography. Today I finally found a discussion in Wikipedia and other sources.

Understanding Fine Radial Longitudinal Lines on the Moon​

What Are Radial Longitudinal Lines?​

Radial longitudinal lines on the Moon are fine, linear features that appear to extend outward from the lunar poles. These lines are often visible in photographs taken from various angles and distances. They can be attributed to several geological and physical processes.

Causes of Radial Lines​

1. Impact Cratering: The Moon's surface is heavily cratered due to impacts from asteroids and comets. These impacts can create radial patterns, especially around larger craters, where ejecta is thrown outwards.
2. Lunar Libration: The Moon exhibits a phenomenon called libration, which allows observers on Earth to see slightly different hemispheres at different times. This can affect how features appear in photographs, making lines seem more pronounced.
3. Geological Features: The Moon's surface has various geological formations, including rilles and grooves, which can create linear patterns. These features may be the result of volcanic activity or tectonic processes.

Observational Factors​

• Lighting Conditions: The angle of sunlight can enhance the visibility of these lines. Shadows cast by the lunar terrain can make them appear more distinct in photographs.
• Resolution of Images: Higher resolution images can reveal finer details, including these radial lines, which may not be visible in lower-quality images.

Conclusion​

The fine radial longitudinal lines seen in lunar photographs are a combination of impact cratering, geological features, and observational factors like lighting and image resolution. Understanding these elements helps in interpreting the Moon's complex surface.
Wikipedia

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

I have some problems with that synopsis.

I start by quoting the basic issue:

Radial longitudinal lines on the Moon are fine, linear features that appear to extend outward from the lunar poles.

Yet later the synopsis says:

Impact Cratering: The Moon's surface is heavily cratered due to impacts from asteroids and comets. These impacts can create radial patterns, especially around larger craters, where ejecta is thrown outwards.

This does not seem to follow the stated basic issue.

I am not able to understand this:

Lunar Libration: The Moon exhibits a phenomenon called libration, which allows observers on Earth to see slightly different hemispheres at different times. This can affect how features appear in photographs, making lines seem more pronounced.

Can you tell us a little more about the mechanism that is referred to here? I am not yet able to recognize why libration should make lines radiating from the lunar poles "seem more pronounced" in photos.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Pao Dolina]

Friday 2012:01:20 05:22:58 by Paolo Dolina, on Flickr

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi, Asher,

I have some problems with that synopsis.

I start by quoting the basic issue:

Radial longitudinal lines on the Moon are fine, linear features that appear to extend outward from the lunar poles.

Yet later the synopsis says:

Impact Cratering: The Moon's surface is heavily cratered due to impacts from asteroids and comets. These impacts can create radial patterns, especially around larger craters, where ejecta is thrown outwards.

This does not seem to follow the stated basic issue.

I am not able to understand this:

Lunar Libration: The Moon exhibits a phenomenon called libration, which allows observers on Earth to see slightly different hemispheres at different times. This can affect how features appear in photographs, making lines seem more pronounced.

Can you tell us a little more about the mechanism that is referred to here? I am not yet able to recognize why libration should make lines radiating from the lunar poles "seem more pronounced" in photos.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

I have never been on the moon or even taken a course in moon history, or meteor impact in sculpting the surface. So I asked Gemini, the Large Language, so-called, AI model to figure out answers from the Wikipedia-derived text I shared.

“

Critique and Explanation of Lunar Radial Lines​

The text you provided offers a good foundation for understanding linear features on the Moon, correctly identifying that impact cratering causes radial patterns. However, the core premise—that these specific fine straight lines radiate from the lunar poles—is a common visual misunderstanding of the Moon's most dramatic geological features.

Here is a critique of your text and the reality of the phenomenon visible in your photograph (IMG_0080.jpeg).

Critique of the Explanation​

Section	Assessment	Factual Reality in the Image
"Radiating from the lunar poles"	Incorrect focus.	The lines clearly radiate from the central point of a major impact basin in the Moon's southern hemisphere (Crater Tycho).
Impact Cratering	Correct principle.	This is the true cause. The lines are ejecta material thrown out during the impact that created a young crater.
Lunar Libration	Observational factor, not a cause.	Libration only changes the viewing angle; it does not create or cause the radial pattern itself.
Geological Features	Mix-up of features.	Rilles (grooves from collapsed lava tubes) and grooves are different features (tectonic/volcanic) and are not the bright, long rays seen here.

The Reality: Lunar Ejecta Rays (Tycho)​

The prominent, fine straight lines visible in your photograph are known as lunar rays or ejecta rays. They represent the clearest signs of relatively recent, large-scale impacts on the Moon.

1. Source Crater: The brightest and most extensive ray system visible, especially in the lower half of the image, originates from the massive crater Tycho (named after astronomer Tycho Brahe). This crater is located in the southern high-lands and is about $85$ kilometers ($53$ miles) in diameter.
2. Composition and Formation: The rays are bright streaks composed of pulverized, fine-grained rock and dust that were blasted out during the impact. This material traveled at high speeds and settled back to the surface in ballistic trajectories, creating the radial patterns.
3. Why They Are So Bright: Tycho is considered a young crater, formed only about $108$ million years ago. Because of its youth, the ejected material has not been significantly darkened by space weathering—the constant bombardment by solar wind and micrometeorites. Older craters have rays that have mostly faded.
4. The Pole Misconception: The rays from Tycho are exceptionally long, stretching for thousands of kilometers and literally covering the entire Moon. In the image, because the rays extend outwards from the southern region, they inevitably pass near or even over the visible poles, which creates the visual impression that they might originate there.”

I hope Pao you don’t mind us focusing on on the details of your fine photograph of the Luna surface.

I never imagined we’d see here such a detailed picture that allows this discussion.

I do hope you find it fascinating as much as I do!

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

Pao Dolina: “Happy Earth Hour 2010”
​

Will, Ted, Ts’why, Pao and Doug,

I am fascinated by the details of these pictures.

So surprising to me that we have such diverse people each with such extraordinary skill. The images are so finely detailed and impressive like engravings.


It’s amazing to think those linear features are thousands of kilometers in length!

To get such a picture the sky has to be clear but what precautions do you take to cut movement. Presumably these are usually timed exposures to cut movement stabilized handheld or a longer exposure on a tripod!

….but does anyone of you have a tracking setup?

Asher

 

[Asher Kelman]

We must thank Will Thompson for starting such a fabulous thread, Doug for his down to earth critique and Ted for his humor!

Asher

 

[Pao Dolina]

If anyone's wondering where I've been I've been doing for the past 18 months I've been playing a sport and have met >18 dozen neighbors within 3 miles from my home.

Never have I experienced this in my life. Way way way wayyyyy better than birding when I did it from 2009-2015.

From 2002-2018 I wish I did badminton rather than bird photography and 1983-2002... tennis for the sole purpose of meeting as many neighbors and friendly faces as possible so I don't have to travel >300 miles for that.

Odds are I and the men in my family would be BMI 20.0 @ ~10% BF and the women BMI 18.5 @ ~20% BF ideally with ideal blood pressure/chemistry labs assuming macro/micro complete WFPB fasting and sleeping earlier than 10pm and waking after 6am nightly. Avoid social media drama from 2002-onward. This is to avoid/delay/reverse C, CVD, T2D and other NCDs relatign to environment, food, beverages, lack of sleep and lack of active calories.

Birding in itself isn't bad but the people I met are generally toxic individuals who have nothing to do but look for people to fight with over the most onerous of topics.

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

Thnaks to you and your 'bot helper for clarifying the matter of the lines of interest notably radiating from the lunar poles (they don't).

I still don't understand the relevance of lunar libration to this matter.

Best regards,

Doug