Stretch! Moon’s Divots And Darkness Collide In Pleasing Panorama

Nine shots of the Moon overlap in this view of the terminator taken Nov. 29, 2014. Credit: Roger Hutchinson

While space explorers often set their sights far out in the Solar System — or even beyond — we can’t forget the majesty of our next-door neighbor. The Moon, a mere three days’ flight away from Earth during the Apollo years, is an easy beacon in the darkness for anybody to observe. Even without a telescope.

Lately, several Universe Today readers have contributed awesome shots to our Flickr pool showing some close-ups of this barren world. Take the panorama above by Roger Hutchinson, for example, showing the view along the terminator (darkness-light line). And we’ve collected some more stunners below.

Copernicus, a huge crater near the Moon’s equator, captured on Dec. 4, 2014. Credit: Ralph Smyth

Tycho, a crater that dominates the lunar southern highlands, on Dec. 2, 2014. Credit: John Brady

The Mare Nubium region on the Moon, imaged Dec. 2, 2014. Credit: Paul M. Hutchinson

The waxing gibbous moon captured on Dec. 3, 2014 from Wednesbury, West Midlands. Credit: II AsH II

Elizabeth Howell

Elizabeth Howell is the senior writer at Universe Today. She also works for Space.com, Space Exploration Network, the NASA Lunar Science Institute, NASA Astrobiology Magazine and LiveScience, among others. Career highlights include watching three shuttle launches, and going on a two-week simulated Mars expedition in rural Utah. You can follow her on Twitter @howellspace or contact her at her website.