"What a marvelous night for a moondance..."

f you've never looked through a telescope before, you'd be amazed what you're missing. There is a huge, difference between what you're familiar with, and what there is to be seen. Sure, you've seen numerous images of the Moon in books and on tv or film, but it just isn't the same as when you see it with your own two eyes.

When you look through a telescope, the only thing between you and the object being viewed is just a piece of glass; it is literally a window into the universe. Mountains, craters and the mare (seas) come alive. The best views are when the Moon is anywhere below 7/8ths full. When it is full, it has interesting features, but they seem smooth, as though they are painted on a ball. Looking at the Moon any other time gives depth and dimension to the features; craters let you peer deep into their hearts; mountains leap from the surface; the vast smooth mare are riddled with craters; some of the craters have smaller craters within their mountainous rings.

The images here were taken with a 35mm camera, shooting through the eyepiece of a moderate-sized telescope. In this case, it was an 8-inch Newtonian telescope on a Dobsonian mount. The size refers to the mirror used for light gathering. The eyepiece used offers a wide-field view. The pictures were being shot at very low power, allowing a view of the whole of the Moon. Clicking on these images lets you see a much larger version. Other eyepieces can get you so close that a single crater can fill your entire field of view.

Summer is a great time for astronomy. Contact your local astronomy group and see when they'll be taking their telescopes out for public viewings. The warm weather allows you to be out at night in relative comfort. If you happen to encounter a stranger on a street corner inviting you to look at the Moon or Jupiter through a telescope, take 'em up on their offer. Have a free look at the universe. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what is out there...