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The Lunar Cycle: A Phase Study
Project type
Astrophotography
Date
2026
The shifting light of the moon is more than just a calendar; it is a lens that reveals a hidden world. This series documents the eight distinct phases of the moon, focusing on the movement of the Terminator Line—the moving boundary between the sunlit day and the dark lunar night. While the Full Moon offers a brilliant display of the lunar maria, or the dark volcanic plains, it is at the Terminator where the moon truly comes to life. Along this edge, the low angle of the sun casts long, dramatic shadows that pull the lunar topography into sharp relief.
Over the course of its 29.5-day cycle, the moon’s relationship with Earth and the Sun creates a dramatic shift in both its appearance and the timing of its visibility. In a rhythmic orbital dance, the moon’s presence cycles from the bright blue of the day into the deep black of the night, and eventually back into the day again. This progression explains why some phases are captured against the void of space, while others appear as ghostly silhouettes in a sunlit sky, mirroring the moon's migration through our field of view.
This study begins with the first “invisible” phase: the New Moon. During this time, the moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun, meaning the side facing us is in total shadow. Because it is lost in the Sun's overwhelming glare, it remains hidden from our eyes and our lenses. This absence serves as the starting point for our journey, represented here by the clouds in an open sky—a testament to the vast, empty canvas that remains before the first sliver of light returns.
By tracking this progression from the "invisible" New Moon to the peak of the Full Moon and back into shadow, these images highlight how geological features—such as the intricate ray systems of craters like Tycho and Copernicus—change character entirely as the light angle shifts. In this collection, time is measured not in hours, but in degrees of illumination, revealing a world where the transition from light to dark is as sharp as a razor’s edge.
