First time using Registax, tinkering with the 99% full Snow Moon

It never occurred to me to stack images of the moon, I guess because it's already so bright I figured what's the point. However, stacking isn't about making objects brighter, it's about reducing noise. In most cases, this is useful for when you want to brighten an image without losing detail to noise. The stacking = brighter fallacy is difficult to shake, but I'm glad I can now see the benefits of stacking bright objects!

20 subs each at ISO 200, 1/1600s, f/5.6, 300mm

Here are the results of my first time using Registax (free software) to clean up my moon. Using a Canon Rebel XT (only 8 megapixels) I figured my moons would be destined to have a little grit on them even with a 300mm lens. Boy was I wrong! I am still blown away by how clear my image turned out with very little tinkering.

It's a little sad, however, knowing that all my previous moon photos COULD have been so much better had I learned this technique sooner.