What’s the explanation for this abnormality

[FMA]

Saw moon first time yesterday with new setup. very happy! But I could see like a small vibration in the picture. Like someone is boiling water in the moon.....

is this problem of the atmosphere? The telescope? The eyepiece? It’s not annoying, it’s just curiosity!

 

[fifeskies]

This is most likely heat haze between telescope and moon , probably rising from nearby roof , road or something similar that had heated up during the day , or perhaps a heating vent with a rising plume of hot air in the way.

[Mr Spock]

Poor seeing often affects us in the UK. It's something we have to live with 😭

[johninderby]

It’s not an abnormality but normality here in the UK. Occasionaly you will get nights of good still seeing but they are rare.

High altitude turbulence is one of the main causes.

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-equipment/beating-the-seeing/

[Tenor Viol]

Many years ago I had access to a 5" Cooke refractor and when the seeing was good the views of the Moon were stunning. But, most of the time it would waver like looking through water. Then you get the times when it just 'boils' and it's hopeless. We live for the good days with the understanding that many more are suboptimal... 

Edited June 28, 2020 by Tenor Viol