Moon

The Moon

Earth's only natural satellite and the best first target for any telescope: bright, large and full of detail.

When to look: Any clear evening except the few nights around new Moon.

What it looks like

Described as seen by eye at the eyepiece, on a clear night. Photographs collect light for minutes or hours and show far more colour and detail.

With the naked eye: Its phases, the dark plains known as 'seas', and the brightest ray craters, such as Tycho, around full Moon.
Small telescope (60-90 mm): Hundreds of craters, mountain ranges and valleys, most striking along the terminator - the line between lunar day and night, where shadows are longest.
Medium telescope (114-150 mm): Terraced crater walls, central peaks, winding rilles and small craterlets a few kilometres across when the air is steady.
Large telescope (200 mm and up): Very fine detail, limited mostly by the steadiness of the air rather than by the telescope. High magnification becomes usable on good nights.

City or dark sky

From a city

Light pollution makes no difference. The Moon can be observed just as well from a city rooftop.

From a dark site

No advantage over the city for the Moon itself.

Observing tip: Observe near first or last quarter rather than full Moon: light from the side shows the relief. A neutral density ('Moon') filter makes a bright Moon more comfortable to look at.