Solar System
Mineral Moon
Image Story
Most people think of the Moon as grey, but that is only because our eyes are not sensitive enough to see its subtle colours.
This image is an attempt to reveal those hidden shades. By carefully enhancing the colour information, differences in the lunar surface become visible. Ancient lava plains, highland regions and impact ejecta all have slightly different mineral compositions, giving parts of the Moon faint blue, brown and orange tones.
What I enjoy most about mineral moon processing is that it changes how you look at our nearest celestial neighbour. Instead of a monochrome world, the Moon becomes a complex geological landscape with a story written into its colours.
It is one of those images that looks almost unrealistic at first glance, yet the colours are based on real differences in the lunar surface.
Acquisition
| Frames Captured | Stack Percentage | Frames Stacked |
|---|---|---|
| 253 | 50% | 127 |
Processing Workflow
- 1 Aligned and quality sorted in PIPP.
- 2 Stacked the best 50% of frames in AutoStakkert! 3.
- 3 Applied wavelet sharpening in RegiStax.
- 4 Enhanced subtle lunar mineral colours in Affinity Photo.
- 5 Final contrast and colour adjustments.