I believe they were just considered to be blemishes, and as such not part of the shape. (Perhaps just a coating picked up from being too close to the earthly re

I believe they were just considered to be blemishes, and as such not part of the shape. (Perhaps just a coating picked up from being too close to the earthly realm?) The telescope, however, showed that there were shadows that changed as the sun and moon changed positions, making it clear that the craters and mountains were actual structures.