The moon was high in the sky and seeing good, a rarity, so I decided to try to get a better image of the chemistry of the moon. This image is the best three shots, all taken at ISO 3200 and 1/4000 s, stacked in AutoStakkert!
The chemistry behind the colors of the moon is nicely described by Prof. Seligman
https://cseligman.com/text/moons/mooncolor.htmBlue and orange indicate volcanic lava flows. The dark blue of Mare Tranquillitatis is very striking, its rocks are richer in titanium-bearing minerals, than for example the orange of Mare Serenitatis above it. Both Mare are relative rich in iron. In contrast the pink colors are a result of the iron-poor (and titanium-poor), aluminum-rich feldspars which make up the lunar highlands.
The Clementine Mission took detailed composition maps by analyzing images taken at different wavelengths, for those interested in the chemistry as I am (I am a chemist and have always been interested in rocks):
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/clementine/images/
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