The Moon: considered as a planet, a world, and a satellite.

For more than thirty years the author has turned a powerful telescope toward the Moon, sketching its craters, ridges and shadowed valleys in painstaking detail. Rather than revisiting well‑trodden topics such as lunar motion, the book zeroes in on the Moon’s physiography, offering fresh hypotheses about volcanic forces that carved its distinctive features. Drawing on those observations, the author links the lunar landscape to the broader processes thought to shape all planets, presenting ideas that will intrigue both seasoned astronomers and curious newcomers.

The accompanying plates are the product of a unique technique: hand‑drawn sketches were turned into three‑dimensional models, lit by sunlight, and then photographed to capture authentic light‑and‑shadow effects. These faithful reproductions let listeners “see” the Moon’s surface as if standing beside it, while occasional reflections on habitability and the Moon’s role as Earth’s benefactor add a thought‑provoking, human dimension to the scientific narrative.