How to photograph the Moon

Decide whether the Moon is the subject or part of a wider scene. A wide phone lens makes it small in the frame, but a tree, building or ridge can give the picture a sense of place. A longer lens gives the Moon more room in the frame; stability and careful focus become more important as magnification increases.

Check local Moon rise and set times and the cloud forecast for your planned location. If you want a particular foreground, visit safely in daylight and check access. For surface detail, look near the boundary between light and dark on the Moon, where shadows help features stand out. NASA explains this in its Moon viewing guide. A full Moon can make an appealing landscape subject, even though shadows near the middle of its disc are less pronounced.

Turn off the flash, steady the phone on a tripod or solid support, and tap the Moon on the screen to set focus and exposure where your phone allows it. Lower the exposure until the bright disc retains detail instead of becoming a white blob. Use the timer to avoid moving the phone as you press the shutter.

Try an optical zoom lens if your phone has one, but compare the result with a wider shot: digital zoom may simply crop the image. Twilight can make it easier to balance a landscape and the Moon because the foreground is brighter. These are starting points from NASA's Moon photography guide, not settings that work on every phone.

Place the camera on a stable tripod and use a timer or remote release. If manual controls are available, choose a low ISO and a shutter speed fast enough to avoid blur, then inspect the result and adjust. The Moon is sunlit, so a night-sky automatic exposure may make it far too bright. NASA's camera guide suggests treating the Moon's surface more like a daylight subject.

As an initial experiment, NASA's photography guide describes the Looney 11 rule: at f/11, use a shutter speed approximately the reciprocal of ISO, such as 1/100 second at ISO 100. This is a starting exposure, not a guarantee: phase, haze, lens and camera all affect the result. Review highlights and make a few exposures on either side. A lunar eclipse is much dimmer and needs a different approach.

Use autofocus on the Moon if it works reliably, or magnify the live view and adjust manual focus until an edge or surface feature looks sharp. Take a test frame, then zoom in on the saved image. A bright disc with no detail usually needs less exposure; a soft edge can mean missed focus, camera shake or unsteady air. Adjust one cause at a time and try again.

If the Moon is sharp but the foreground is too dark, try a separate exposure for the foreground. Combining exposures is an editing choice; keep the result honest about what was captured and when. Do not expect one exposure to preserve every detail in both a bright Moon and a dark landscape.

A phone held or mounted at a telescope eyepiece can record a closer view. Secure the equipment, start with the Moon centred in the eyepiece, and adjust the phone until the image is visible. A mount can make alignment easier, but is not required for your first attempt. A telescope's narrow field of view and atmospheric movement can make focus and framing difficult.

Never point a camera, binoculars or telescope at or near the Sun without a suitable, correctly fitted solar filter. Ordinary sunglasses and handheld eclipse glasses are not safe filters for optical equipment. Read NASA's solar viewing safety guidance before any daytime observing.

On a clear evening, take three photos: one with automatic settings, one with the exposure reduced, and one after checking focus and stabilising the camera. Compare the Moon's edge, visible markings and foreground. Note the phase, time and settings so you can repeat what worked. For a first outing, our stargazing guide covers site safety and comfort.

Sources reviewed 12 November 2026: NASA's Moon photography guide, camera tips, Moon viewing tips and solar safety guidance. Camera features and local conditions vary.