Sunday, December 30, 2012

The thirteenth moon

I mentioned yesterday in my "newsiness" section that we just had the thirteenth full moon of 2012. I read about it on one of my favorite science websites, Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy. He pointed out that every third year we get a thirteenth full moon due to the length of the year (the earth's orbit around the sun) and the length of the moon's cycle (its orbit around the earth).

Full moon setting, 29 December 2012.

On Saturday morning we were surprised with a clear sky and the full moon setting spectacularly in the west. I got the camera out, attached the telephoto lens, and snapped a few shots from the guest room window. I had to work fast because the moon was starting to set behind some low clouds. I was shooting through the linden tree branches; I think they give the picture an eerie quality.

13 comments:

  1. That's a brilliant photo!
    I didn't realise the thirteen moon phenomenon, or that it occurs every three years. Four years would make more sense to my little brain, because of the leap year.

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  2. Great photo, agreed!! All to often Moonpics are of the moon by itself... you can get those in any astronomy book! This one has a lot more to look at... the play with lines and discs... the colours, too!
    And, like Jean, I'd never come across the thirteenth phenomenomenomenon... I wonder how Lunar calendar gardeners use it?

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  3. WOW! great shot, walt! it's too cloudy to see the moon tonight (currently 3:30a here); we just had 3-4 inches of snow yesterday.

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  4. This is a great shot, almost as if it has been shot through a mysterious moving veil. The orangey yellow of the moon is beautifully complemented by the greeny blue of the glass insulators.

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  5. What a great shot! I love the color combination: moon,sky and insulators and the way the out of focus branches give a web-like effct.

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  6. Wow, wonderful photo Walt...I can almost see the man in the moon.

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  7. oooh ooooh, great photo. Love the colors. The 13th moon info is cool, too.

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  8. I know... I saw the moon last night. You captured a good shot of it.

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  9. Love your moon shot. I've tried a few times but I don't have a telephoto lens, so they never come out the way I was hoping.

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  10. "Like" Phil Plait on Facebook to get a glimpse at the Universe!
    Beautiful shot Walt! The photo almost looks like a watercolor.

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  11. My guess, is someone else will again want to buy this "shot", Walt! Another very interesting take on something that we've all seen, but for me, not in exactly this way, before. This would be a good photo for a scary story or movie.

    I'm feeling sorry about Raffa, he is experiencing an injury (injuries?) again, and will not be playing (tennis).

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  12. The 13th moon sound 'good' but I can't pinpoint why. Perhaps because is it not '12' and not "Sun'.

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Tell me what you think!