Close Encounter of the Lunar Kind

Last night a gorgeous, gigantic, and very bright full moon came over the horizon, a moon dubbed a “Supermoon” with good reason.

GSmoona03-19-11.jpgThe moon appeared exceptionally large and bright because of its proximity to Earth. Its elliptical orbit brought it a mere 221,566 miles (356,577 km) away from Earth, closer than it has been since 1993.

GSmoonb03-19-11.jpgMy family and I ventured out to an open field to try to catch sight of the moon at its finest. And sure enough, the moon was dressed to impress. Fiery in appearance near the horizon, the moon’s true brightness shone through the higher the celestial body rose in the sky.

GSmoonc03-19-11.jpgAs the moon cleared the trees, its glow reflected on the nearby creek.

GSmoone03-19-11.jpgThere were bats flying all around, catching plentiful insects by the water. At times, they’d fly right across the glowing orb. Ohhhhh, how I wanted to get a picture, but they were way too fast. No lucky shot either. Drat.

GSmoond03-19-11.jpg

NASA calls the Supermoon a rare beauty. Wouldn’t you agree?

11 thoughts on “Close Encounter of the Lunar Kind

  1. Absolutely GORGEOUS pictures!!!!!!!!!!!! I tried to get a picture, but my little point-and-click just wasn’t up for the task (or I’m not smart enough to figure out how to work it — that’s always a possibility). Love the glow on lake! Just beautiful. As amazing as your pictures are, though, I’m sure they don’t do the scene justice being there in person. Thanks for sharing!

  2. I love your pics! I’m bummed to have missed the moon rise two nights in a row. By the time I went out to see it, it was so high in the sky there was nothing unusual about the view.

  3. Very nice shots Meredith.I too got a shot similar. I was amazed to see all the depressions and such. It was so clear, I wished I was not in the city to see it with less artificial illumination.

  4. Ibrahim, no editing. Much like the sky and sun appear orange near the horizon at sunset, the moon can look orange as it rises. The further away from the horizon it gets, the less orange it looks. Thanks for visiting!

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