A full moon can stun us in three ways: as a typical moon, a
supermoon, and, the most dramatic of all, a total lunar eclipse.
The standard full moon occurs close to but not precisely every
29.5 days of the lunar cycle. Interestingly, as seen through a
telescope, a full moon during 100 percent illumination can
technically last less than a minute! However, with the human
eye, it can appear large, brilliant, and remain full for three days.
One notch beyond in drama is the supermoon, an
occurrence at perigee or when the full moon is closest to the
Earth, approximately every 414 days. It is “super” because it
appears nearly 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than
a typical full moon. The rising supermoon, or any full moon,
captivates because it creates an optical illusion accentuating
the moon’s enormity as it rises compared to other objects at
the horizon line. This unexplainable phenomenon is known as
moon illusion or Ponzo illusion. Once, I stood in wonder as the
gigantic moon crept up ever so majestically above the marsh at
Rhett’s Bluff, a huge golden sphere, mesmerizing all onlookers.
Surely, the size could be attributed to this phenomenon; yet,
everyone there was satisfied to be utterly amazed by its presence.
Finally, the magnum opus: a total lunar eclipse when the
orbits of the Earth, moon, and sun are in perfect alignment,
and the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow or umbra during
its elliptical rotation. There are partial, total, and penumbral
eclipses as well. Of these, the penumbral is the most remarkable.
An impressive cosmic event, the Blood Wolf Moon, displayed
in all its grandeur, on January 21, 2019. That evening on Kiawah
was a truly bone-chilling night. The rare eclipse coupled with a
supermoon could be seen well from many areas especially the
open beach. All who were brave enough to endure the freezing
weather were rewarded. The cloudless sky revealed a beautiful
moon accentuated by many constellations radiating like bright,
brilliant diamonds in the ebony sky. Near midnight, the center
attraction had taken on a rusty orange/red cast due to the red
wavelengths of sunlight that were not completely obstructed
as the celestial bodies were in the process of alignment.
Another supermoon was predicted, for March 20, 2019,
this one in coordination with the commencement of the
vernal equinox. Even though I was prepared for another
spectacular sighting and photo shoot, an extremely cloudy
sky sadly diminished my hopes.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to photograph the full moon
with a cell phone. The iPhone contains a wide-angle lens which
will make the moon appear smaller in an image. The proper
recipe for moon photography involves a camera outfitted with a
300mm lens or longer, stabilized on a tripod, using the correct
settings. Perhaps, how to “shoot the moon” should be reserved
for another article. Until then, become a “moongazer” to make
the most of full moon sightings on Kiawah Island and allow
them to arouse your curiosity and wonder. NK
WINTER/SPRING 2019 • VOLUME 41
Above: Lunar eclipse. Below: Supermoon.
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