Captured at just 12% illumination, this waxing crescent Moon was photographed on the evening of April 30th, 2025. I aimed to preserve a sense of quiet motion — the feeling that the Moon is slowly returning, emerging from darkness and floating back into light.
At this phase, sunlight skims across the lunar surface at a low angle, bringing out strong contrast and fine relief along the terminator. Craters and ridges cast long shadows, creating a vivid sense of depth against the blackness.
I kept the crescent stark and minimal — as if suspended in space. This image is less about surface detail and more about presence: a threshold between invisibility and illumination.
The Space Koala Astrophotography by Luca Bartek 