I've always preferred using an inverted granite pattern for a more 
natural looking heavily cratered surface, though it doesn't give any 
distinct individual craters, so maybe you could combine the two 
techniques. Anyway here's a quick example (this is the entire source file!):

//moon
light_source { <-1,1,-1>*1000, rgb 1 }

sphere {
	z*3, 1
	pigment { rgb 1 }
	finish { diffuse 1 ambient 0 }
	normal {
		pigment_pattern { granite } -.2
		accuracy 1/5000
	}
}


Tek


Bob Hughes wrote:
> "Jim Charter" <jrc### [at] msncom> wrote in message 
> news:42da75dc$1@news.povray.org...
> 
>>Also I think it looks better, or at least closer to your example, with
>>poly_wave set between 1 and 4.
> 
> 
> I've tried it with poly_wave 1.8 and I see what you are saying about that.
> 
> 
>>Yes Slow. My example rendered -aa in about 5 minutes.
> 
> 
> It isn't slow enough to matter, I guess, if doing mainly a cratered 
> planetoid anyway. In fact, I've tried it with 50 iterations for the first 
> loop and 25 for the second and using default AA it was 3 minutes 50 seconds 
> (on a 2GHz CPU here) to do the attached image.
> 
> 
>>That you would use the idea or something similar to augment your texture
>>was what I was thinking.  With a little less random, but rather more
>>judicious application, you might get faster times and better effects.
> 
> 
> I changed the average value to be rand(S), too, so it could have old and 
> young craters mixed together. I'm thinking that to use this appropriately on 
> irregular shapes, like those asteroids, it might be a good idea to try and 
> match the surface normal using trace in some way. Something to think about 
> anyhow, not sure I'll ever get around to it though.
> 
> Thanks a bunch for sharing this other way Jim.
> 
> Bob Hughes
> 
> 
>

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