As a small child, I remember sitting in the evening looking at the moon with my Mom, her showing me the 'face' that seemed to look back at us and recall now the excitement of that time with the space race and our journey as a nation to it. The memory of sitting in a friend's California mountaintop home and seeing the very first footsteps made there, not only had an impact of that bodies surface, but also on me like millions of others I am sure. This giant rock, literally being pulled around us in orbit is always a welcome sight to me. Although we barely consider it most days, it's influence on our lives is immeasurable...from the tidal pull as it circles and affects our globe, to the beauty of its nighttime reflected light to our eye, to the various moods I believe it can set in us from romance to despair, it is a sight to behold.
The last time I really saw a truly beautiful moon, was October 18th this past fall, when a late 'harvest' moon rose enormously in the Eastern sky right at twilight... showing off... huge and golden against a deep blue sky while I was hanging out in our Cul de Sac on my bicycle. It was amazing to behold and engaging in other plans that evening, I did not get to make an image of it that night, but there are a few images shown here that I have made over the years. Click on them to appreciate them in full.
To me, the Moon is my defacto time keeper. This world, now broken down into nanoseconds in some circles, is measured by most people in their daily lives on a scale of hours and minutes, but for me, I somehow hold onto a recognition of the cycle of time found in a full moon. At its fullest, it shines right onto me through my bedroom window, keeping me awake in my thoughts and as most nights I lay awake thinking of things and people in my life, it too intrudes on my rest. As a light sleeper with such a head full of thoughts, it's bright light never fails to remind me of the time that has passed since this or that has happened in my life. It is both a welcome and cursed companion of the night.
I have always enjoyed stargazing and pondering the night sky, as doing so helps me gain a perspective on how small I really am in this creation and seeing this grand scale before me always leaves in me more questions than answers. I don't know much about astronomy and other than the two 'Dippers' and Orion’s belt, I would be hard pressed to identify any specific constellations, but I do remember seeing the Southern Cross while in that hemisphere many years ago and just this past year, I have been able to learn to identify Cassiopeia, which was a real treat for me. My Dad, who has taught celestial navigation would not be impressed.
In any event, I hope the next time you look up at a clear night sky and see that mass of stars spread out before you, or perhaps see and remember a special moonrise too, you would be inspired with the wonderment of all creation before you as I often am. The image above I took early last fall when it caught my eye while out in my field. In waxing phase, I believe the planet to it's right is Venus, but am not sure. The first image below is one I took many years ago while on a trip in Maine and the second, was made during the last lunar eclipse that was seen is our area.
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