April’s full Pink Moon over Brace Rock
April Full Pink Moon Over Eastern Point
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Category Archives: moon
Mini Moon!
Full Mini Snow Moon rising over the dunes.
Also called Hunger Moon, the full Moon of February 2024 is at apogee, when the moon is at the furthest distance from the Earth during this orbit. Because it is further away, the Moon appears smaller and why this month’s full Moon is called a Mini Moon or Micro Moon.
The Moon shot above, with Saint Ann’s steeple, was taken during the full Snow Moon of February 2021.
OCTOBER MOONRISE OVER CAPE HEDGE
Beautiful glowing pink Hunter’s Moonrise over Cape Hedge, Pebble Beach, and the Twin Lights. Happy Halloween!
DECEMBER FULL COLD MOONRISE BETWEEN TWIN LIGHTHOUSES
Love also the Native American name Long Night’s Moon for December’s Full Moon as it is so near the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, which this year is December 21st. Here are some additional interesting names for December’s Moon:
Abenaki – Winter Maker
Algonquin – Much White Frost on Grass
Anishnaabe – Small Spirits
Cherokee – Snow Moon
Cheyenne – When Wolves Run Together
Cree – Young Fellow Spreads the Brush
Haida – Ripe Berries
Hopi – Moon of Respect
Lakota and Sioux – When Deer Shed Their Antlers
Passamaquoddy – Frost Fish Moon
Tlingit – Unborn Seals are Getting Hair
Winnebago – Big Bear’s Moon
Zuni – Sun Has Traveled Home to Rest
From the Farmer’s Almanac – “The term Long Night’s Moon is a doubly appropriate name because the midwinter night is indeed long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.”
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Happy Halloween on this gorgeous, balmy All Hallows’ Eve.
How different New England weather is from year to year. The photos of the full Blue Moon that a friend recently shared were taken two Halloween’s ago. I recall how cold it was when taking the photos and you can see in the images that the rooftops are dusted with snow.
Beautiful golden Blue Moon set over Gloucester Harbor. The photos were taken from East Main Street, looking towards City Hall. Blue Moons occur about every 2.5 years while the next Halloween Full Moon won’t take place for another 16 – 17 years.
Happy Halloween everyone!
SEALS IN THE RISING HUNTER’S FULL MOON
Late day Sunday, Charlotte and I took a walk to Niles Pond hoping to see the Harbor Seals in the rising Hunter’s Moon. We were not disappointed! We also saw a mini flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and a Merlin on the hunt.
#lunareclipse BEAVER FROST NOVEMBER FULL MOON
The rain put the kibosh on viewing the full lunar eclipse, but happily the skies cleared fairly quickly to catch what I think is the tail end. You can see in the photo below that the Earth is casting a reddish shadow on the lower right side of the moon. The Moon had a lovely overall golden rusty-reddish hue as it was descending over the Harbor and behind Our Lady of Good Voyage.
I took a bunch of photos of the beautiful Beaver Moon over the past few days, the skies have been so cooperative!, and will try to find the time to post this weekend.
VENUS AND THE WAXING CRESCENT MOON
Beautiful sky, Moon, and Venus Sunday night.
HUNTERS MOON FROM THE BACKSHORE
October’s full Hunter Moon
MOONSET, MOONRISE – DECEMBER’S FULL WOLF MOON
A full day of beautiful skies allowed for wonderful moon views of the setting and rising full December Wolf Moon. Also called the Long Night Moon, Ice Moon, Cold Moon, and the Moon After Yule, December’s full moon marks the 13th full moon of 2020.
Several of the photos are from the night before and several from this morning. The two Eastern Point Lighthouse photos are double exposures. All were taken around our East Gloucester neighborhood, from Good Harbor Beach to the EPLighthouse.
STUNNING FROST BEAVER FULL MOON RISE WITH HARBOR SEALS AND EVENING SUNSET!
Sunday night was simply wonderful for sky watching. Looking eastward, the nearly full Beaver Moon (also called Frost Moon) rose over Brace Cove while the seals were still lolling about on the rocks.
Passing Niles Beach on the way home the last lingering red rays of light were illuminating the Boston skyline and the Dogbar Breakwater light.
Called the Beaver Moon because according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, November is when Beavers head into their lodges for the winter.
Full Beaver Moon rising
RARE GOLDEN BLUE MOON HALLOWEEN FULL MOON OVER GLOUCESTER HARBOR
Beautiful golden Blue Moon set over Gloucester Harbor. The photos were taken from East Main Street, looking towards City Hall. Capturing the flag from across the Harbor on the eve of this historic election, Blue Moons occur about every 2.5 years while the next Halloween Full Moon won’t take place for another 18 – 19 years.
Happy Halloween everyone!
STUNNING THUNDER MOON OVER GOOD HARBOR BEACH AND SHERMAN POINT
Beautiful, beautiful night, with the added imagery of the rising Thunder Moon. Also called the Buck Moon because this is the time of year male deer antlers begin to regrow. And, too, another name is the Hay Moon, after the July hay harvest.
MAY’S MAGNOLIA MOON
May’s full Moon is most often called the Flower Moon. Other names include the Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon. How beautiful the Flower Moon looked last night rising through our Magnolia blossoms! 
SUPER STUNNING SUPER MOON! #GLOUCESTERMA -SCHOONER ADVENTURE, GOOD HARBOR BEACH, GLOUCESTER HARBOR, BACKSHORE
Called the Worm Moon because the ground begins to soften and earthworms reappear, inviting Robins to our gardens. Among many names, March’s Full Moon is also called the Sleepy Moon, Sap Moon, Crust Moon, Lenten Moon, and Crow Moon.
Photos of the full Super Worm Moon rising and setting.
Gloucester Harbor
Between the twin masts of the Schooner Adventure
Good Harbor Beach
Backshore
Winter Moon Nights
Moonlit scenes from this winter
Moonlight Lane
Moonlight Lane
OCTOBER FULL HUNTER’S MOON RISING
Last night’s Hunter’s Moon rising through the clouds.
A MAGICAL MIRAGE CALLED AN ‘OMEGA’ MOONRISE
February’s Super Snow Moon was magical in more ways than simply beautiful. The unusual mirage captured during the Moon’s rise was seen by other Cape Ann photographers as well as myself. Lisa Freed from Rockport photographed the omega shape, rising adjacent to Motif No.1.
The effect has several names including Omega Moonrise, Etruscan Vase Moonrise, and Inferior Mirage Moonrise. The omega shape is seen more often during a sunrise, so it is quite exciting that we were witness to an Omega Moonrise on Cape Ann!
From my reading, this is how I understand why it occurs:
During cold weather, when the seawater is warmer than the air, the lowermost air layer is warmed up by the water and produces a temperature difference.
This omega shape is a type of inferior mirage. The refracted (inverted) image is actually below the object’s true position. When the Moon protrudes above the horizon at Moonrise, its inferior mirage can sometimes be seen below it, where it joins the true Moon, creating an omega shape. For this mirage to occur, a layer of very warm air must lie just above the sea surface.
Omega Moonrise
A few minutes later
GRAND SUPER SNOW MOONRISE AND MOONSET OVER GLOUCESTER
Last night’s moonrise over the Back Shore was spectacular. Click on the sequence above to see full size. I don’t know why the Moon has a “neck” in the middle photo, or what that reflective appearance is termed, but it was so interesting to see.
February’s Snow Moon was also a Super Moon. It was the the second of a trio of Super Moons taking place in 2019. The Super Snow Moon was also the largest of the three (closest to Earth). The third and final Super Moon of the year is taking place on March 21st.
Our Charlotte loves looking at the Moon, so when she popped up in bed at 5:30 in the morning and exclaimed Moon!, I bundled her up and off we went to see the Moon setting over the Harbor. I wrote last month that she loves looking up in the sky for the Moon, largely from reading her the story book Good Night, Moon, and now we are reading Buenos Noches, Luna, practicing for an upcoming trip to Mexico.
Crescent Wolf Moon Waning
On my way out to film Snowy Owls early this morning and a perfect crescent moon was overhead.
Janurary’s Wolf Moon waning