Have you ever tried to take a picture of the bright Moon on a perfect night? You see it huge and clear in the sky, but when you check the photo on your phone, it looks like a small, blurry ball without any of those cool craters? There are several reasons for this, and we’re going to talk about them in simple terms.
One reason is our love for selfies.
Experts say that most phones and non-professional cameras today have lenses designed for big scenes with lots of stuff in them, not for something like the Moon alone in the sky. These lenses are called wide-angle lenses. They can see more of a scene than our eyes can because they have a wider view. Think about trying to capture a whole concert stage, a beach, or a selfie showing half your body – these wide-angle lenses make it easier to get everything in the shot.
But there’s a catch. Because they capture so much, objects in the photos appear smaller. This is why selfies sometimes make our noses look funny, like a potato.
Does this explain why the Moon looks so small and blurry in photos?
Not completely. There are at least two other things that make taking Moon pictures tricky.
The first is something called overexposure. When your camera is in automatic mode, it measures the light to find the best balance for the picture. It’s smart but not smart enough to know what you’re actually trying to photograph. If most of the picture is dark, like when taking a night shot of the Moon, the camera thinks it needs more light. So, it brightens up the whole scene. The problem is, the Moon is already bright because it’s reflecting sunlight, and when the camera brightens everything, the Moon turns too white and loses its details.
Another thing is the distance. The Moon is super far away – about 384,000 kilometers on average. Even though it’s moving really fast around Earth (over 3,500 km/h), it looks like it’s standing still because it’s so distant. But any tiny movement can blur your photo. That’s why telescopes have motors to slowly move with the Moon as they take pictures.
Taking a picture of the Moon seems easy, but capturing a constellation requires keeping the camera still for hours.
Here’s the thing: the distance between Earth and the Moon isn’t always the same. Sometimes, the Moon is closer to us, and that’s when we see the Supermoon.
Now, let’s talk about how to take that dreamy Moon photo:
- Switch to manual mode and increase the ISO value. But be careful, because too high ISO can make the image look grainy, which we call noise.
- Slow down the shutter speed to let more light in for a longer time. Again, be careful; if it’s too slow, the movement of the Earth, the Moon, or even your hands can make the picture blurry.
- Include other things in your photo, like buildings, trees, or statues. This gives your eyes something to compare, showing how big the Moon really is. These elements serve as a reference to highlight the Moon’s size.
So, next time you want to snap a pic of the Moon, remember these tips to capture its true beauty!
