Earthshine

 

 

Earthshine

 

If you study the moon and its phases, you’ll come to realize there is a God in heaven.

-Unknown

The quote above is true in my life as I’ve never grown tired of observing the moon.

One of the best things about rural living is the connection to nature. This includes studying the seasons, the night sky, and the moon.

This week- the first week in October- features my favorite phase of the moon.  The moon has been in its waxing crescent. In this phase, the moon’s light is waxing or growing.

There’s been a lighted fingernail slice of moon, growing each night.

 

This lit portion has featured the “dark” part of the moon giving off light.

This is called earthshine.

That pale glow on the unlit part of a crescent moon is light reflected from Earth and therefore is known as earthshine.

If you were on the moon, the Earth would appear nearly “full” to the eye. This would be due to Earth’s reflected sunlight lights up the unlit part of our moon.

That’s earthshine.

I encourage you to get outside and watch as the moon’s phases unfold. I once read that knowing what phase the moon is in reveals how in touch with nature one is.

I also remember a quote along these lines: “If the moon only rose once in our lifetime, we’d stop all activities and commerce to watch this unforgettable event.”

Fortunately, the moon goes through its many phases monthly.

Enjoy the moon and its beauty in the sky.