đ A Celestial Dance at Dawn
This image was taken just before sunrise â that quiet moment when the night gives way, but the stars havenât yet let go. The Moon was in its waning crescent phase, three-quarters of the way to new moon, and Venus shone brilliantly beside it â so bright, it almost outshone the dawn itself.
Because the Sun was so close to rising, the Moonâs dark side was gently lit with earthshine â just enough to reveal some subtle surface detail. With my old Canon compact camera, I couldnât capture both the bright and the dim sides in a single shot. So I tried both:
- Short exposures for the bright side, revealing craters.
- Longer exposures to bring out the faint outline of the Moonâs shadowed half.
The result wasnât perfect, but the moment was beautiful. The pairing of Moon and Venus in the morning sky â soft, balanced, peaceful â was something worth pausing for.
𧔠A Stitching Idea
Iâd love to try blending both exposures in the future â stitching the bright and dark sides of the Moon into one complete image. Another idea for the list.
Moon and Venus, The bright crescent of the Moon, Faintly visible surface details on the dark side
Clear skies,
Chris