The Moon: but not as we see it

[viridis]

So, I read some article about how our moon isn't as grey and dull as we see it. Apparently due to the immense light reflection from the sun, and the upper atmosphere being densely packed with blue rich nitrogen, the colour we see is a washed out grey, or as the moon filters through our oxygen rich lower atmosphere, a orange hue during moon rise and moon set.

But, there is a way we can see the true colour of the moon. Photography.

By taking 10-20 fast shots which make the moon appear dark, you can then stack them to create a higher dynamic range image.

You then take said image and lower the blue channel (basically removing the nitrogen filtered colour) and bump up the saturation a bit.

The end result.. 

The Moon, in colour

[Cleoriff]

@viridis

What a superb photo! Truly wonderful.

I know you said you take 10-20 fast shots....how fast is fast?

Could I ask what you mean by stacking them?

I'm fascinated in it all. Useless but fascinated

[viridis]

I think 17 were used, it took about 2-3 seconds to fire them off at a high shutter speed, any slower and the moon would have moved too much.

[Cleoriff]

---

@viridis wrote:
I think 17 were used, it took about 2-3 seconds to fire them off at a high shutter speed, any slower and the moon would have moved too much.

---

Ok I get that....but stacking them? Does that mean one on top of the other and do you do any physical filtering to get the colour? Or does that just happen naturally when you stack?

[MI5]

Amazing picture

[viridis]

Stacking combines the data off all the images meaning you get more detail information, more colour information, more luminance, contrast, all whilst keeping the details normally lost through one single image. It's kind of like a HDR but without differing exposure times.
Imagine a RAW image sees everything the sensor sees.
A stacked RAW sees stuff hidden by natural effects.

[Glory1]

Awesomr photograph @viridis. What I've come to expect from your photos.

[Cleoriff]

@viridis

You should enter that into a competition.  It would win hands down

[TallTrees]

That is alot nicer @viridis

well thought out and produced.  

Thanks for a different view.

[Anonymous]

I'm struggling to believe that a rock in space could be anything other than grey.