Better Than A Blue Moon... 12/22/99

<>

La Luna Más Grande

135 years have elapsed since the Full Moon last fell on the Solstice of Winter . But on Wednesday, December 22, 1999 it happened again. The Moon was at it's closest point to the Earth, and the Earth was at it's closest point to the Sun. The intense light from the Sun that struck the Moon was curiously bright, making it appear 14% larger then it has ever, in our lifetime. Basically this was the brightest, closest, and fullest Moon since 1866, and it will not occur again until after at least another 100 years. Many people will never gaze in awe at a Lunar spectical this surreal. If you saw it, you were one of the lucky ones. The elliptical appearance & color are not digital distortions rather natural distortions due to the earth's curvature & atmosphere. I shot this Moonrise photo using a 300mm lens and a 2x doubler. Photo by Bruce Avera Hunter.