The Moon on January 15, 2024

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to observe the Sun under clear skies. My luck continued into the evening with a beautiful crescent Moon gracing the night sky.

This is what my Canon EOS M200 attached to my 1962 Questar telescope recorded:

This is a tough time of year to be an amateur astronomer. When it’s clear, it usually means that high pressure is dominant. In winter, that often means high winds or an otherwise turbulent atmosphere, which translates into poor seeing. In spite of its high altitude, the Moon appeared to boil somewhat as occasional wind gusts reminded me of how unsteady conditions were tonight. But I still managed to pull off a halfway descent photograph.