Stretch! Moon's Divots And Darkness Collide In Pleasing Panorama

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While space explorers often set their sights far out in the Solar System -- or even beyond -- we can't forget the majesty of our next-door neighbor. The Moon, a mere three days' flight away from Earth during the Apollo years, is an easy beacon in the darkness for anybody to observe. Even without a telescope.

Lately, several Universe Today readers have contributed awesome shots to our

Flickr pool

showing some close-ups of this barren world. Take the panorama above by Roger Hutchinson, for example, showing the view along the terminator (darkness-light line). And we've collected some more stunners below.

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Copernicus, a huge crater near the Moon's equator, captured on Dec. 4, 2014. Credit: Ralph Smyth[/caption]

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Tycho, a crater that dominates the lunar southern highlands, on Dec. 2, 2014. Credit: John Brady[/caption]

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The Mare Nubium region on the Moon, imaged Dec. 2, 2014. Credit: Paul M. Hutchinson[/caption]

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The waxing gibbous moon captured on Dec. 3, 2014 from Wednesbury, West Midlands. Credit: II AsH II[/caption]