How James Nasmyth created stunningly realistic moon models in 1874

In 1874, an astronomer named James Nasmyth built his own telescope, observed the moon, and then created and photographed detailed plaster models of its surface. You can see one of those photographs here. Without context, you’d think it was taken from orbit. The shape and texture of the craters look strikingly realistic, made even more impressive by the …