Show HN: The ASCII Side of the Moon

The internet is howling at The ASCII Side of the Moon, a quirky little site from aleyan.com that turns the Moon into old-school text art—and the comments are the real show. The app doesn’t just doodle; it accurately shows lunar phases, wobble, and size changes as the Moon moves, and even flips depending on where you are on Earth. It runs in your browser, via a simple web link, or from your terminal with a one-liner. That blend of retro vibes and real astronomy had veterans misty-eyed and newbies giddy.

Nostalgia hit hard. One commenter recalled 80s Sun workstation screens, and a wave of “screen saver energy” washed in. The mood: wholesome chaos. People imagine setting it as their daily login greeting or timing night hikes with a text-based Moon. Cue jokes about werewolves checking full moons with curl and “waning productivity” during lunar phases. A gentle scuffle emerged over usefulness—minimalists asked “why?” while others fired back with “because it’s delightful.” Terminal purists praised the no-frills npx install, while star-gazers loved that the phases and “lunar wobble” aren’t just for show—they’re real. In a rare plot twist for the internet, the crowd mostly united around one feeling: tech can be both nerdy and joyful.