Hacker News Reader

My guess is that surface craters and details look more pronounced on the Moon than the Earth due to the fact that the craters are in fact larger relative to the overall size of the planetary body they are on. Our brain is going to automatically compare the peaks and valleys of whatever feature we are looking relative to the body it is on. And when that body is much larger, the details appear less pronounced, when in reality they are the same size as the one on their smaller-body counterparts. The eye simply has more to take in, and thus downplays the contrast caused by the elevation changes. I hope that makes sense.

Well, the details are quite pronounced and 3D also when viewed from Earth through even a smallish (~100 mm) telescope (preferably near the lunar terminator, where the Sun angle is small).

Larger apertures are even better, e.g.:

https://www.astrobin.com/full/339345/0/?nc=picks&page=3

(from a 11" telescope).

This is also why the video of the Tesla roadster in space seemed so unnatural: there is no distortion of light due to the lack of air.

There's no atmosphere, that's why.

I guess its from the high contrast qualities of the moon, nearly black and white.