Some fantastic images showing two ‘Clair-obscur’ effects visible on the surface of the Moon taken by member Jim Burchell on the 19th & 20th January 2024.
Clair-obscur effects are revealed when light and shadow interact with the Moon’s craters and other features to trick the eye into seeing something that isn’t really there. Below are 7 of the best recognisable shapes created on the surface of the Moon.
![](https://crayfordmanorastro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Clari-obscure-effects-map-769a597-e1601304140346-254x300.jpg)
Photo ref:https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/clair-obscur-effects-on-moon
Most Clair-obscur effects require specific timing. Some last for days and are easy to see. Others last for a few hours and are more challenging. Clair-obscur effects on the Moon are not one-time or rare events; this is because lunar lighting patterns repeat in a cycle of approximately 29.5 days, so each effect can be observed from somewhere on Earth once every month.
All of Jim’s images below were a single shot; taken with a Pentax KP body attached to 102mm Altair Astro refractor. The images where then processed in Snapseed.
Lunar V
![](https://crayfordmanorastro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/J.Burchell-Clair-Obscur-Effect-Moon-20240119_153810-300x236.jpg)
Plato’s Hook
![](https://crayfordmanorastro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/J.Burchell-Clair-Obscur-Effect-Moon-20240120_084414-239x300.jpg)
![](https://crayfordmanorastro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/J.Burchell-Clair-Obsur-Effect-Moon-20240120_090440-300x213.jpg)
For more information about Clair-obscur effects check out: