lunar eclipse

Well, one good thing about a husband who works bizarre hours is that he is always available to wake you up in the middle of the night for exciting astronomical occurrences. In this case, it was the total lunar eclipse on Monday night/Tuesday morning. You can see an animation of it here, and photos here.

We put blankets down on the back porch, and lay inside our sleeping bags to watch the sky. This is a very good arrangement for something as slow as an eclipse, since we were able to take little naps (otherwise known as closing our eyes for a second) during the hour or so that the shadow passed in front of the moon. And it's true, the moon did turn the most amazing red/orange color, and it was very cool watching its silver light completely vanish.

Ramadan is coming soon. One of my favorite things about Ramadan is the way it draws your attention to the cycle of the moon's phases and the sun's daily trip across the sky, making them an intimate part of your life during the month of fasting. Watching the eclipse had the same feeling, as if I could feel the earth moving in its place in the solar system, everything part of a greater whole.