The moon is undoubtedly one of the most photographed astrological phenomena. However, most shots typically depict it as it appears in the sky — somewhat plain and hazy. Andrew McCarthy, an avid astrophotographer, wanted to do one better and create the “most ridiculous” photo of it possible. For this shot, he teamed up with Connor, a planetary scientist, who captured the rich color data not otherwise seen by the human eye. The iron-rich feldspar reds and titanium-rich regolith blues are real, just extra-saturated to make them more visible.
“The Most Ridiculous Photo of the Moon” by Andrew McCarthy (Via Reddit. Click image to see full size.)
Andrews’s typical astrophotography gear includes his 10″ Dobsonian, other powerful telescopes, and an ASI224MC camera. However, he also learned to “stack” edit his images to minimize the atmospheric haze that usually accompanies astrophotography. HDR photography of the moon is really what launched him and his work to fame, resulting in breathtaking high-contrast images.
I went from an unheard-of amateur astrophotographer to making the news internationally. Major publications around the world wanted to hear how I did this. Thousands of people around the world messaged me asking for help capturing the moon.
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