
Observing the Moon with Vaonis Smart telescopes
04 Jun. 2025
The Moon, Earth's natural satellite, is an easy target to observe. With Vespera, you can explore its craters, mountain ranges, lava plains, and shadowed valleys. As it goes through a cycle of phases each month, the lighting on the lunar surface constantly changes, revealing different features depending on the date and time.
When to observe the moon
The most striking views of the Moon occur during the quarter phases, when the shadows near the lunar terminator (the line between night and day) create dramatic contrast and depth.
- From the first crescent to the full moon, it is primarily visible during the first part of the night.
- Around the full moon, it can be observed throughout the entire night. However, since there are no long shadows on the surface to highlight details, the relief becomes barely perceptible. This is the least favorable period for observation.
- From the full moon to the last crescent, it is mostly visible during the second half of the night.
- During the new moon phase, it is, of course, not observable.
What can you see on the moon surface?
- Craters: Lunar craters are the most iconic features of the Moon’s surface. They come in different sizes and ages, and some even have central peaks or ray systems.
- Seas (Maria): The Maria are large, dark plains of solidified basaltic lava, making them distinct from the brighter, heavily cratered regions. These areas are smooth, so they reflect less light, giving them their dark appearance.
- Mountains: The Moon has several mountain ranges, many of which are crater rims or the result of ancient impacts. The light from the Sun at low angles can cast long shadows, enhancing the detail of the lunar mountains.
- Rills (Rimae): Rills are winding channels that may have been carved by ancient lava flows or tectonic activity. They appear as linear depressions or valleys.
- Rays: Some craters are surrounded by bright, linear streaks of ejecta, known as lunar rays. These are created when an impact explosion sends debris in all directions, forming a network of white streaks visible at certain angles of illumination.
- The Terminator: The line between the illuminated and dark parts of the Moon. This is where crater rims, mountain peaks, and rills are most pronounced because of the sharp contrast between light and dark.
How to observe the moon
In the Singularity catalog, simply search for the Moon to initiate an observation. Your smart telescope must be properly initialized, just as you would for a regular observation.
Moon observation is a live observation that does not involve stacking. The image is streamed live and refreshed every 2 to 3 seconds.
No filter is required for observing the Moon.
Chasing the thinnest crescent
A fun and challenging activity with the Moon is trying to capture the thinnest crescent. During this time, the Moon is low on the horizon and bathed in twilight glow.
Since observing the Moon requires Vespera to be initialized, this experiment can only be done during the last crescent phase, just before the new moon. You’ll need to initialize Vespera while it's still dark and then aim it at the Moon as soon as it rises above the horizon.
For an additional fun activity, try capturing the Moon every day and then create a timelapse that shows the progression of its phases in motion.
Processing images of the Moon
While Moon observations only produce JPEG images that aren’t stacked by default, you can still manually stack them yourself using dedicated software.
Check out our comprehensive step-by-step tutorial to learn how.
Moon Chart
Use our chart to identify the various features of the Moon.
Click here to download it as a full-resolution PDF.