getting published...

Lately I schlep my pc around ready to show photos of moon shots to anyone who has astrophotography experience. I am hungry for some tips wanting the wisdom of a someone who can make these look like Sky-n-Telescope material. Everyone seems to be saying that post-processing can fix most things. Like most things, I am a believer of GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. But hey! I'm open if any one can help with some of my garbage and make it gold.

Recently I found someone who says they have been videotaping the Moon for years. They can help me out. I fire up the computer ready to show some of the shots. While the computer boots, he mentions that he has been recording these black spots that surround the maria. He considers these to be holes and they show themselves only when it is a Full Moon. I tell him that I have seen black spots pepper the terrae south of Oceanum Procellarum. He nods but continues saying how light travel straight down and caught in the hole, but on waxing or waning the Sun delivers light oblique to the axis of the hole.

"Didn't the astronauts visit areas near the edge of maria?", I ask.
"Yeah, but they can't tell us everything." I didn't think twice about this.

The computer finally boots and shortly afterward I begin to show him my shots. He's impressed. He says work with brightness, contrast, and gamma to get the levels right. He mentions a program I've never heard of. He suggests sending him a couple so he can do his magic.

"Hey, ya know I can get these published for you in a UFO magazine."

"Errrr. No thanks."