Moon Photos – show lunar phases

The photos above were obtained with the digital camera Feb. 22, 2004 ( not March 22) looking through the telescope at various exposures. The photo on the right the camera was rotated 90 degrees. The moon was low above the western horizon about 2 hours after sunset. The photo on the right more closely resembles the actual appearnce to an observer on the ground. Explain the appearance of the moon – why is it crescent shaped? See the simulation: Moon Phase.

As the month progresses we will obtain some more photos. Question: What will the moon shape appear to be in one week?

	Close-up of Copernicus crater - near the middle terminator in the left-hand photo.  Both photos taken by Heather Child.
	Image of Copernicus - enlargement from image at left.  Notice the contrast between this image of the major crater from that on the Feb. 29 photo.  The crater was on the terminator on Feb. 29, but the sun is very high (about 45 degrees) for the Mar. 3 photo.