take my breath away

I was driving home a couple of weeks ago when I noticed some people taking pictures in the park across from my house. I turned to see what they were trying to capture, and was amazed at what I saw. The moon was just coming up over the horizon, and it looked HUGE. I know it’s an optical illusion that the moon looks larger when it is close to the horizon, but I had never seen it like this. I hurried home, parked my car and raced into the park to take a picture. Even in those few minutes the moon was completely above the horizon. I only had my new iPhone with me, and I didn’t know how to use the zoom, but I tried a shot. The picture was pathetic. So I ran back across the park to my house, went in and grabbed my G11, and raced back out. The moon was moving up quickly and looking smaller by the minute. This was one day before the full moon. The picture doesn’t really do it justice. Imagine a moon that looks big enough to envelop the downtown core.  Oh what I’d give for a huge telephoto lens. (Of course, it would have taken more time to get out the big camera and put the right lens on, and by then the moon would have been high in the sky.)

These are photos taken January 8, 2012. As you can see, there wasn’t much snow on the ground. The sky is often filled with fantastic cloud formations that are breathtakingly beautiful. I am so lucky to live in Calgary.

Well, it’s full moon time again – Feb. 7. This time I got my first photo while the moon was still resting on the tree tops! Then I wanted show you how bright it was. Pretty amazing.