Moonlight vs Sunlight: A Deep Dive into Our Celestial Neighbors

Do you prefer the warm embrace of moonlight or the bright radiance of sunlight? Both possess unique qualities that captivate us, each with its own mystique and beauty. In this article, we will explore the reasons behind our fondness for the sun and the moon, their scientific significance, and the pleasure they bring us through photography and observation.

Sun: A Star Among Us

I myself like both the sun and the moon, but for different reasons. When it comes to the sun, it's not just a glaring ball in the sky; it's a star that provides us with heat and light. The sun is an immense hydrogen-filled giant, a mass of plasma generating light and energy through nuclear fusion. Strangely, the sun is made from the same stuff we are, which is a fascinating thought. According to modern cosmology, the sun and Earth share common origin stories, making us part of a greater cosmic family. The sun's heat and light are not just essential for life but also serve as a reminder of our connection to the cosmos.

Photographing the sun can be a challenge, especially with a smartphone like my iPhone. My aim is to capture what I can see with my eyes and to compare it to what my eyes can see. The sun is a complex object, and sunspots, which are regions on its surface where huge electromagnetic storms are happening, change over time. These sunspots not only indicate the sun's internal dynamics but also help us understand its rotation and the intricate dance of solar activity. I took a photo of the sun with a large crop of sunspots on July 7th this year, which you can see below:

Notice the difference in the groups of spots visible on its surface. Sunspots remind us that nothing is wasted in the universe. Even dead stars provide the material for the next generation of stars, planets, and moons, offering the possibility of life.

The Moon: Our Nearest Celestial Neighbor

The moon is a reminder that we share a cosmic family with remote celestial bodies. The moon's existence is a consequence of a collision between the Earth and a newly-forming proto-planet called Thea, a theoretical object. This collision caused a large chunk of material to spin out and become the moon, eventually becoming a barycentric dance with the Earth. Due to its smaller mass, the moon's barycenter with the Earth is closer to Earth, not equally distant.

I enjoy looking at the moon and how it 'wobbles' as it orbits the Earth, a phenomenon known as libration. This rocking motion in two axes of motion—horizontal and left to right—allows us to see more than 50% of the total moon's surface. Here are two photos I took a month apart, one during early evening and the other at night without a filter. The daytime photo was too bright to take without a filter, as shown below:

Close-up shots reveal more detail. I rotated these images slightly to fit better on a single sheet, and here you can see the difference in detail by using eyepieces of different focal lengths, as shown in the telescope view without rotation:

The moon's terminator—the dividing line between light and dark—is where the best details can be observed. One of my favorite photos of the moon, showing Clavius crater near the terminator, was taken on a different occasion when it was more favorably illuminated, as below:

The moon, our nearest celestial neighbor, always wakes new wonders for me each time I observe it. Its unique features and rich history make it a fascinating subject to study and ponder.