Colors on the Moon are Subtle, but very real….The extreme brightness of the Moon can overwhelm the human eye…making it more difficult to see the colors!!!Colors on the Moon are dominantly controlled by variations in iron and titanium content. The mare regions have low reflectance because they contain relatively high amounts of iron oxide (FeO). Some mare basalts contain unusually high amounts of titanium oxide (TiO2) in addition to iron oxide, making for even lower reflectance. TiO2 also shifts the color of the mare from red to blue. The distinct boundary between Mare Tranquillitatis (darker and bluer) and Mare Serenitatis (lighter brown) is clearly visible and results from high TiO2 in the Tranquillitatis basalts.
I captured this image last evening 05-07-2014 using a 10″ Meade SCT scope at F10, ISO 400, with a Canon Rebel Xsi DSLR, from my backyard observatory in Dayton, Ohio USA.
Best Regards,
John Chumack
www.galacticimages.com
