Subscribe now

Space

How I learned to love looking at the moon – and you can too

The moon's glare can frustrate astronomers, but Leah Crane is a big fan of the jagged, cratered details of the lunar surface these days

By Leah Crane

13 November 2024

A39ET8 FR - ISERE: Moon over Col de Sarenne. Image shot 2010. Exact date unknown.

Moon over Col de Sarenne

nagelestock.com/Alamy

Observational astronomers hate the moon. This might be surprising to some of you – after all, the moon is gorgeous, it’s the closest astronomical object we can observe and the dominant feature of the night sky on Earth. But that very spotlight is the problem: when the moon is out, its glare can hide nearly everything else. When you are looking for tiny details or deep-sky objects, that is a problem.

Even in just the next couple of months, there are two meteor showers that will each happen within a few days of the full…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers