WHO DOESN'T LOVE looking at the Moon? For many night-sky enthusiasts — myself included — Earth's nearest celestial neighbour was the very first thing we pointed our brand-new telescope at. It's irresistibly big, bright and beautiful. But for some, there might be a bit too much of that second ‘b' (bright). At times, the Moon's sunlit face can be overwhelmingly luminous. Is there any way to dim it down a notch? Thankfully, the answer is yes!
Let's begin by noting that, though the Moon can indeed seem ‘blindingly bright,' it won't. When you train your scope at the Moon, your poor observing eye gets blasted with more photons than it's ready for. You might even experience a disorientating lunar afterimage when you look away. So, even if the view isn't harmful, you may well find it uncomfortable. Thankfully, taming lunar illumination is pretty easy.
