How beautiful is the moon?

Another reason to love Twitter: I discovered that yesterday was International Observe the Moon Night. It's an annual event where people, you know, look at the moon, and I was happy to finally put my not-so-newly-acquired Newtonian reflector to use.

The box had not opened since I brought it home in May, so I rushed to assemble the telescope before the clouds took over. Half an hour later, I was set up on the deck trying to find the giant half-lit object in the sky -- the viewscope may need a wee bit of adjustment. However, I found it and got the same thrill I always get when I see the craters on the Moon. Imagine what Galileo must have felt!

Taking a picture turned out a bit better than when I attempted to capture the transit of Venus, although vignetting, which term I have just learned, was an issue. The above is the best of the bunch. Craters!