Tonight’s Total Lunar Eclipse – Photo: L. Weikel

Total Lunar Eclipse

Standing in the middle of the vast expanse of fields and forest a few minutes ago, I was awestruck by the fact that the clouds were literally parting before my eyes to reveal the total lunar eclipse.

How many times have we sky watchers dare I say religiously trekked outside to bear witness to eclipses and meteor showers and all manner of celestial events, only to be thwarted by cloud cover? Too many to count, including quite a few missed opportunities documented right here in this blog. But not tonight.

A Big Deal

The myriad articles I read about this particular eclipse promised it would be especially spectacular. Tonight’s full moon in and of itself was special, as it is in its perigee (closest to the Earth in its orbit) and thus is considered a ‘super moon’ and should appear larger than usual. And the color of the moon when it enters the shadow of our Earth is supposed to be particularly ruddy due to lingering detritus in our atmosphere from an underwater volcanic eruption in January, off the island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai.

This was one of the easiest eclipses I ever remember witnessing. I didn’t have to stay awake until 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. (or worse, get up at 4:00 a.m.). The weather was unbelievably pleasant, and the chorus of all manner of peepers and tree frogs wrapped around me and provided a surround-sound of reassurance. I kept telling myself that their astonishing resonance was proof to me that, at least as of this moment, our biosphere is healthy.

I did note a surprising blanket of silence from the rest of the creatures* that usually engage in midnight chatter or posturing. But the amphibians were totally into tonight’s ‘blood moon,’ and the companionship they provided me was truly a gift.

Total Lunar Eclipse – closeup – Photo: L. Weikel

Had To Share

I hope it goes without saying that I could not stare up into the vast reaches of space contemplating the Big (and Little) nuances of our existence without a yearning to share it with you.

We’re now right smack dab in the center of the first eclipse season of 2022. As if this total lunar eclipse isn’t powerful and significant in its own right to suddenly reveal things we may need to jettison from our lives, there are some additional aspects occurring this week that only add to the significance of what we’re all experiencing personally, nationally, and globally.

That said, while I’m sure I don’t need to remind any of my readers, if you live in PA make sure you VOTE in the primary on Tuesday. Make sure our voices are loud. And clear. Remember: this is a Blood Moon.

*Although at this moment, a fox has begun shrieking in the field across from our house. I guess the show’s over!

(T+132)