What are the dark and bright areas visible on the Moon's surface?

The dark areas on the Moon are called maria (singular: mare), ancient basaltic plains formed by volcanic eruptions billions of years ago. The bright regions are the lunar highlands, older and more heavily cratered terrain. Both are clearly visible in this waxing gibbous phase, when oblique sunlight creates strong shadows that enhance surface detail.

How can this Photo be used?

With commercial licensing rights on Kataloop, this image works well for science magazines, educational materials on astronomy, space-themed app interfaces, and social media campaigns around lunar phases or space exploration. The resolution of 4052 x 2701 pixels supports large-format print applications such as posters and exhibition prints.

What mood does this Photo convey?

The deep black background focuses all attention on the brightly lit lunar disk, whose cratered surface creates an almost tactile impression. The image conveys silence and cosmic distance without feeling emotionally charged. Associations range from scientific curiosity and nocturnal stillness to calm, focused observation.

What equipment was used to capture this Photo?

This moon photo (ID 3106157) was captured with the Sony ILCE-1, a full-frame camera featuring a 50-megapixel stacked sensor and up to 30 fps. Paired with the Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary lens, it delivers exceptional sharpness at long focal lengths, resolving individual craters and lunar maria with striking clarity.

What visual style or trend does this Photo represent?

Space themes are seeing growing demand in visual communication, driven by current lunar missions such as Artemis and renewed public interest in space exploration. At the same time, science communication increasingly favors clear, documentary-style imagery over CGI, making authentic astrophotography like this particularly sought after.

Detailed view of waxing gibbous moon against dark sky

Name: Detailed view of waxing gibbous moon against dark sky
Brand: Kataloop
Price: 16 EUR
Availability: InStock

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Detailed view of waxing gibbous moon against dark sky

Kataloop stock photo no.

3106157

4052

2701

592829

SONY ILCE-1

100-400mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Contemporary 020

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Detailed view of waxing gibbous moon against dark sky

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What are the dark and bright areas visible on the Moon's surface?

How can this photo be used?

What mood does this photo convey?

What equipment was used to capture this photo?

What visual style or trend does this photo represent?

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