This is a single image, not a composite. Exposure: 1/25th sec. ISO-500. The telescope is a 952mm focal length, f/7.5 optical tube. This image was a balancing act. I had to overexpose the crescent without blowing it out in order to capture enough of the earthshine to be able to pull it up in post. I used Lightroom to bring down the illumination of the crescent and to bring up the illumination of the dark earthshine illuminated disc.

A rare clear winter night over Puget Sound and the 5 day old moon was making it's way across the southern skies. I originally wanted to catch Venus with the moon but the planet was too far away from the moon to get both in frame using my telescope so I concentrated on capturing the earthshine of this beautiful 10% illuminated crescent moon. The image itself was a compromise in exposure. I had to overexpose the illuminated crescent enough to bring out the earthshine illuminated disc without completely blowing out the crescent. I used Lightroom to balance out the exposure in post.