Blood Moon
©Bert Gildart: Last night the sun, the Earth and the moon lined up in a row creating a celestial performance that is for most a once in a lifetime event.
It was the first such display since the year 1982, and we’re told it won’t occur again until 2033. It’s unique for most because you must have appropriate conditions to experience – and to enjoy – the event, and last night in Bigfork, Montana, we had those conditions. There was no lingering smoke from fires, and the skies were completely cloudless. Moreover, it seemed as though there was little human activity, suggesting that many were absorbed by the cosmos. It was also cool, and the combination of conditions added to the clarity of the major players.
Images from Bigfork, Montana of last night’s celestial phenomena: the Blood Moon.
From the vantage of our porch, the moon appeared huge and there was a reason, for the moon was closer to the earth than in any other time in its orbit. We also knew from reading that as the eclipse intensified the moon would assume a rusty-red-orange generating the name “blood moon.” The colors existed because the shadow wasn’t perfect and because “faint sunbeams sneak around Earth’s edges on all sides [assuming] the color of a sunset.”
But those are explanations you can pull from the internet as well as all the predictions associated with this grand celestial occurrence, such as a decline in the stock market, thoughts that we’ll all go crazy, and end of the world prognostications.
But Janie and I are still here and this morning are marveling that we were able to witness this rare phenomena — created by three spheres separated by millions of miles.
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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
Hiking Shenandoah National Park
Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.
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Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.
$16.95 + Autographed Copy
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$16.95 + Autographed Copy
October 3rd, 2015 at 10:11 am
Beautiful photos Bert!
I agree that many people seemed to be absorbed by the cosmos…
and hopefully, if even for a moment, the awe of this event caused people to imagine a world living in peace!