A Geological Map of the Moon

[Stub Mandrel]

I have taken quite a few images of the moon and produced colour images, from the subtle to the psychedelic. For this challenge I wanted to try and produce something both experimental and more meaningful. I asked the question:

Can You Photograph Lunar Geology with An Ordinary Camera?

 

It may seem incredibly ambitious to try and map the moon’s geology with a £400 bridge camera. Hopefully this example shows that it is possible to generate an image that highlights many of the Moon’s different rock types and ages.

I took twenty frames of the moon on 7 October 2017, using my Nikon Coolpix 520 on an ordinary photographic tripod. Rapidly closing cloud limited the number of usable frames, and I haven’t had an opportunity to collect any subs of a fuller moon since the challenge was posed. This means I have to make the best of what I have as there won’t be another full moon during the challenge.

I stacked the frames using PIPP and AS!2. Processing was in photoshop, but instead of going for detail I adjusted colour balance and saturation to maximise the distinction between different rock and terrain types, guided by a simplified geological map. I then reduced the colour palette to create the effect of my own ‘geological map’ with a limited range of colours.

This is the result:

 

Unfortunately, the effect is not perfect because at the edges of the disc and near the terminator the colours are less distinct, and some terrains are a mix of two or three distinct colours.

I used the USRA’s outstanding Geologic Map of the Nearside of the Moon as a reference to try and better understand what it shows.

www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/usgs/I703/

<EDIT> I have realised that I muddled my images and the detail notes apply to the more subtle version of this image. Apologies for any confusion.

[johnfosteruk]

Excellent work Neil. I tried this once and got a mess. You’ve inspired me to try again. 

[Stub Mandrel]

3 minutes ago, johnfosteruk said:

Excellent work Neil. I tried this once and got a mess. You’ve inspired me to try again. 

The secret is to play with the colour depth to get well-defined areas - and have something to compare it to.