Saturday 13 December 2008

The Moon (be carefull when they offer you....)


Ok, the photo is not brilliant and no way does it capture the shocking magnificence of the event, but it does have a door and the subject.

On Thursday night, leaving work late i tried to photograph the moon through the car door. Actually i was thinking about doors, this advent calendar and an appropriate post as i left the building - an aircraft air conditioning systems manufacturer - and looked up into the chilly night sky. The moon was softly covered by high cloud and a complete moonbow encircled the pearl coloured globe. It was obvious that something special was about to happen.

The entrance door to the building, a suitably photogenic jacques-tatish sixtiness, provided a great frame and link - though i would have to lie down in the reception area to get the right angle. Unfortunately the doors have a security lock, you can leave but not return without a pass, which i don't necessitate.

So it had to be the car door.

On Friday night, driving home at dusk from chasing the school bus driver down country lanes to tell the driver that his five horses were once more around the house trying to eat my flowering shrubs, i looked up and came to an emotional halt seeing the rising full moon devouring the forest that it silhouetted.

If you saw it then you stopped to; it was frighteningly majestic, terrifyingly beautiful - a beholden wonder.

I learnt today that it was the biggest and clearest view that the earth has had of her since 1993, a fortunate celestrial conjunction of full moon-ness and perigee closeness (i also learnt the lunar terms perigee and apogee)at 221,560 miles.

The ancients would have fallen down in praise and adoration.

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