What a spectacular time I had with the moon last night and this morning! As it rose in the eastern sky near dusk, I was able to capture these photos:

It was so large and brilliant my 300mm lens on my Nikon D5200 did a good job capturing the detail. I used an app called the Photographers Ephemeris to help me pinpoint where and when the moon would be rising and setting relative to my location. David, a photographer I met on Friday at the potluck dinner gave me some pointers on how to set up my camera to capture the moon. My online research told me that I should be outside a little before 5 am to view the lunar eclipse, but at 4:00 my eyes sprang open and peering out my bedroom window I could see that brilliant orb making its trek across the sky toward the west. I decided to get up so I’d have time to make coffee and settle Dexter before the fun began. I started shooting this series of photos at 4:45 am and took the last one at 6:50 am. Things went smoothly until I switched from the close-up view to take the long shots of the blood moon. The light from the moon was fading and I wasn’t able to regain sharp focus on my close-ups of the red moon.  Overall,  though, I’m pleased with what I was able to capture of this incredible event.  While I was watching the moon phase through the lunar eclipse I saw shooting stars streak across the desert sky and heard the coyotes singing in the distance. What a moving experience!

 

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.     Mother Teresa