John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Not strictly a photographic question, but can someone tell me why the moon appears a lot more contrasty at sometimes. Just seems particularly contrasty at the moment (when the clouds break) and I'm assuming it would appear that way for eveybody - but why?

jaredjacobson

I’m sure I don’t know all the reasons, but some common ones are the same as for anything else: pollution, haze, and humidity all smear the light and reduce contrast. So the moon may appear extra contrasty when it’s clear and dry. Dry atmosphere is one reason why the skies in the western US are so brilliant at night.

You’ll also notice that the moon is much softer and appears larger on the horizon than overhead because the light goes through much more atmosphere to reach you.

profbowman Loc: Harrisonburg, VA, USA

I think Jared gave a number of good answers. You have to have the same viewing conditions to compare two Moon phases, and the pictures have to be taken at the same location of the Moon in the sky and both at dark skies. Remember that as the Moon moves toward or from its Full phase, the amount of light coming to us changes. That in its own way will change our perception of contrast. If all of these are accounted for, then how the Moon looks will come i not play. I have enlarged and modified the contrast of the two photos below taken from:
https://www.moongiant.com/phase/10/28/2023/

Note that as the trailing edge of the Moon darkens, it does appear that there is a slight reduction in the bright areas on the Moon, as a percentage. That might affect you perception of it, but I'[m thinking it is that you have not compared the Moon under identical conidiations.

Just some thoughts. --Richard

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

Hi John
The as mentioned before the sky conditions can have a large effect on contrast which change dramatically from the horizon to the zenith. Other factors are our due to our visual perception of contrast, as our brain compares the entire seen to when viewing an image. Our visual perception is also why the moon appears larger at the horizon when we can compare it to some distance object as opposed to when it is high in the sky with nothing to compare its size against (you can prove this by holding a dime at arms length and compare the size of the dime to the moon at moon rise and then later when it is high in the sky and it will be the same size.
For imaging and viewing the contrast is much higher at the terminator (zone between the daylight/night side of the moon) when the craters and mountains cast shadows as opposed to a full moon where no shadows appear.

John N Loc: HP14 3QF Stokenchurch, UK

Thanks all - food for thought.