Ryan, your question(s) are totally valid for this list. We've discussed the whole gamut here, from technical stuff way over most of our heads to the most basic beginner stuff, even straying off topic (OT) at times. Stray light is often a problem observing, and is often not easily apparent at first where the problem source may be. One reason why many open-truss dobs have fabric shrouds, and refractors usually have a "dew" shield (that doubles as a stray-light shield). I actually had my binos out last night as well. In my case, the neighbor to the north was the source of more aggravation than the moon -- he was out doing something in is yard with his horses and had the back floods on. /R ________________________________ From: Ryan Simpkins <astro@ryansimpkins.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2014 12:38 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Beginner Question About Optical Reflections When Observing Near Moon Last night I was trying to catch views of Praesepe with some binoculars. The moon was near the field of view. When viewing, I started getting strange reflections from the moon in my view. Waiting 30 minutes for the moon to move fixed the problem. Did I see strange optical reflections of the moon because I have low end binoculars, or because any optical system is prone to this problem? Is waiting for the moon to get out of the way the only solution? In photography I'm familiar with the idea of a lens flare, but this seemed much more pronounced than just a loss of contrast. It was a distorted image of the moon in the side of the area of view. Please let me know if asking so many beginner questions is a problem for the group. If there is a better forum or method for me to seek understanding I will gladly do it. I don't want to waste everyone's time asking questions like this. Besides, it is quite intimidating. Does SLAS have a mentoring program? -Ryan _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".