12 Best Moon Photos: Our Natural Satellite As You’ve Never Seen It

The Moon is the most prominent object in the night sky that we can see with the naked eye. It plays a pivotal role in shaping life on Earth. The Moon’s gravity keeps Earth’s tilt steady, helping maintain a comfortable life climate. It also controls tides’ regular rise and fall, which has been important for humans throughout history. But apart from all this, it is also very beautiful, which makes it an ideal target for astrophotographers!

So, this article is not about the scientific study of our natural satellite – it’s about its appearance. We dedicated our fresh selection of the best amateur astrophotos, from the very first one to the most up-to-date, to it.

When Was The First Moon Photo?

The American scientist and photographer John William Draper made the very first detailed daguerreotype (an early form of photography) of the full moon in 1840.

Unlike modern lunar photographs, Draper’s daguerreotype lacked the clarity and resolution of today’s photographs. Nevertheless, it represented a significant milestone in the early history of lunar photography.

Since that time, a lot changed in astrophotography. Digital cameras and specialized astrophotography equipment have enabled the capturing of the smallest details, such as lunar craters, and realistic colours that were previously challenging or impossible to photograph. Additionally, amateur astrophotographers now have access to techniques for enhancing and refining their images that rival those of professional observatories. So, now let’s embark on a journey of today’s Moon Photos!

Karl Dahlinger’s Mineral Moon Photo

“Here’s a crop of my recently posted moon shot. From good advice from this group I did a stack of moon shots (30) and stretched it to reveal the mineral deposit colours. Kinda cool. Evostar100ed, eqm35pro, ir/uv filter, Canon m100, pipp, autostakkert, siril for the stretch and Gimp,” Karl Dahlinger has shared on Facebook.

Waxing Mineral Moon Seen From London

“Tonight’s nearly 90% Waxing mineral Moon and clouds!” – Peter Lewis has written on his X (former Twitter).

Once In A Lifetime Capture

“Once in a lifetime capture by Jonathan Eggleston!” – @Science & Astronomy have written on Facebook.

Moon At The First Quarter By Gianni Melis

“Moon at the first quarter. 19 03 24 Mogoro (OR). First light, Rasa 8, Asi 183MC, Eq6R, Asi Air Plus. 20% of 750 frames Ask4, Registax, Photoshop”, – Gianni Melis has shared on Facebook.

Jamie Reynolds’ Moon Photo

Jamie Reynolds wrote on Facebook, “A few handheld shots of Thursday’s moon through the colourful clouds.”

Lynda Wolstenholme’s Moon Photo

“Last night’s Moon. Celestron Astro Fi 130mm. Asi585mc. 1000 stacked images from a 2min video. Edited in Astrosurface & LR,” Lynda Wolstenholme has shared on Facebook.

Rami Ammoun’s Detailed Moon Photo

“The Moon tonight,” – Rami Ammoun has briefly commented on his Moon astrophoto on X (former Twitter).

83% Moon By Rich Addis

“Last Night’s 83% Moon – 20/03/24. Was gorgeous and clear with nice steady air. Was pleased to see nice sharp detail over the whole disc. I have orientated the image this way because this is the way I shoot my panels. The Moon looks more familiar to me this way!” – Rich Addis has commented his astrophoto on Facebook.

Moon Meeting Jupiter

“This splendid shot by Jordi L. Coy (at Morón de la Frontera, a Spanish town in Seville province) shows Moon meeting Jupiter, visually speaking of course, in mid-June 2023.

In the image, taken in a single exposure, you can see Jupiter’s four Galileian moons, lined up diagonally left to right: Callisto, Ganymede, Io (very near to Jupiter), and Europa.

A bright, thin crescent Moon (about 16,5 % directly sunlit) is overexposed on the left, while its night side (the dark area not visible, on the right) is faintly illuminated by Earthshine. Our Moon and Jupiter always make a lovely pair, and the whole thing is a fascinating sight,” – @Nereide has written on X (former Twitter).

Hello Moon by Ben Stewart

A gorgeous astrophoto. “Hello Moon,” this is how the author called it.

Plane Splits The Moon In Half

A rare shot! “Been on a moon kick lately,” – Brent Nielsen has shared on Facebook.

We hope you enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of our celestial neighbour with these best Moon photos. Many thanks to dedicated astrophotographers for sharing their art with us!