Astronomy Picture of the Day - 21st Century Wet Collodion Moon

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 2 Jan, 2021 | Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Smolinsky

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: In the mid 19th century, one of the first photographic technologies used to record the lunar surface was the wet-plate collodion process, notably employed by British astronomer Warren De la Rue. To capture an image, a thick, transparent mixture was used to coat a glass plate, sensitized with silver nitrate, exposed at the telescope, and then developed to create a negative image on the plate. To maintain photographic sensitivity, the entire process, from coating to exposure to developing, had to be completed before the plate dried, in a span of about 10 to 15 minutes. This modern version of a wet-plate collodion image celebrates lunar photography's early days, reproducing the process using modern chemicals to coat a glass plate from a 21st century hardware store. Captured last November 28 with an 8x10 view camera and backyard telescope, it faithfully records large craters, bright rays, and dark, smooth mare of the waxing gibbous Moon. Subsequently digitized, the image on the plate was 8.5 centimeters in diameter and exposed while tracking for 2 minutes. The wet plate's effective photographic sensitivity was about ISO 1. In your smart phone, the camera sensor probably has a photographic sensitivity range of ISO 100 to 6400 (and needs to be kept dry ...).

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom by moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌

[jmacusa]

That’s the crater Tycho in the lower left. Pretty big one too. About 50 miles across and 2 miles deep.

[Bodega]

The striations are very interesting...the clarity of the image is amazing. Thank you.

[Bodega]

oh, dang, I forgot to ask. It it symmetrically round? The area between 9 and 11 dented?

[pdunkin]

bookmarking to see if better minds than mine can tie Uranus and wet collodion together.

[Kid Shelleen]

Reminder !!

The first meteor shower of 2021 will illuminate the night sky on New Year's weekend

[MtnClimber]

It looks like a lot of material was ejected in that strike.

[Telepathic Intruder]

The visible rays just mean it’s a recent impact. They disappear over time, not due to erosion but other impacts. With no atmosphere, micro meteors occur frequently all over the surface.

[jmacusa]

Yes. As you can see the object that impacted broke into three pieces that left very distinct trails. Tycho is relatively ‘’young’’ in that it was formed about 108 million years ago.

[AFB-XYZ]

Wow. Didn’t know it waa THAT big. Makes the Beringer Crater in TZ seem like a pinprick.

[alexander_busek]

Makes the Beringer Crater in TZ seem like a pinprick.

Do you mean: The Barringer Crater in AZ?

Regards,

[AFB-XYZ]

Gahhh! Oh hell, I even typed the state wrong. And I hadn’t even had my first beer of the evening. Heh.

[alexander_busek]

And I hadn’t even had my first beer of the evening morning.

Let's be honest...

Regards,

[AFB-XYZ]

Ha! I’m busted. :-)

[Red Badger]

I hate it when my Collodion gets Wet....................

[Red Badger]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collodion

[MtnClimber]

That nitrocellulose used in collodion would be put to better use for reloading ammo!

[Red Badger]

Or TNT.....................